Friday, December 28, 2007

The Post hyperbolized when it faulted Arizona law for its failure to recognize "the plain reality of America's need for immigrant labor" ["Immigration Ground Zero," editorial, Dec. 26].

According to a July Census report, there are 54,277,000 Americans ages 16 to 64 who aren't in the labor force. This includes 23 million "less-educated" adults who, for a variety of reasons, don't have a job.

Narrowing this down further, there are 14 million people actively seeking employment who can't find a full-time job in today's economy, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the supply of illegal workers were to dry up through Arizona's new enforcement programs, employers in the state would be forced to respond by offering higher wages, increased benefits and improved working conditions. Employers would have more incentives to modernize and eliminate unnecessary workers. The result would be a new deal for unskilled American and legal workers because they would be better paid and have more enlightened work environments.

Can you imagine it: Shifting the costs of illegal immigrant employment from the taxpayers to the marketplace?

MICHAEL SCOTT

Glendora, Calif.