Immigration Reform - Business Begins to Find its Voice

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - This is a statement submitted for publication by the Oregon Business Association. The OBA says their mission is to continue to represent their industry-diverse, state-wide members within a coalition of employers and to work to protect Oregon's long term economic vitality.

From Three Mile Canyon Farms, Oregon's largest agricultural operation to The Standard Insurance Company, that recruits many of its actuaries from Canadian universities through the federal visa program, OBA members desire a rational conversation about immigration and meeting the workforce needs of our employers.

OBA participated in a media roundtable and editorial board meeting along with other members of the Coalition for a Working Oregon (CWO). The event, covered by television and print media from around the state, provided the opportunity for CWO to release a new study that predicts potential disruption to Oregon's economy.

The study, conducted by William Jaeger, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics at Oregon State University, is entitled Potential Economic Impacts in Oregon of Implementing Proposed Department of Homeland Security "No Match" Immigration Rules. The report details possible economic consequences in Oregon resulting from a proposed "No Match" rule, a federal regulation designed to identify and eliminate undocumented workers in the U.S. workforce.

"The potential ramifications for Oregon's economy are significant and could cause a loss of 173,500 jobs in the short-term, or 7.7% of Oregon's workforce along with a reduction in statewide annual production of up to $17.7 billion," said Dr. Jaeger.

The Coalition for a Working Oregon is the first consolidated effort by Oregon employers to create support for a measured and sensible approach to comprehensive immigration reform at the federal level.

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Lyneil Vandernmolen August 8, 2008 12:33 pm (Pacific time)

How is it possible that driving illegal aliens out of Oregon through steady immigration enforcement will create a massive job loss?Wouldn't those jobs become open for citizens to fill? The business community's tiresome claim that we can only remain competitive through endless and messive importation of cheap foreign labor ignores the fact that countries with slave labor, prison labor or just chronically low wages are always poor countries. The cheap labor movement also ignores how the living expenses of cheap foreign labor have to be paid by American tax payers. Just look at the WIC and Food Stamp signs on any Mexican tienda for a glimpse of how expensive cheap foreign labor is for citizens. Oregon businesses need to take off their blinders and realize that we can't keep supporting cheap labor for them and still maintain a functional, cohesive, English speaking modern Republic. If cheap labor was the only requirement for a prosperous economy, Mexico would be richer than we are.

Suzy July 12, 2008 8:21 am (Pacific time)

Remember, the professor was hired by business owners with vested interest in the exploitation of cheap, illegal labor. The loss to them is the dollar loss if they were to lose this cheap labor source, where wages are low and no benefits are offered. What was not mentioned, was the benefits the legal citizens would gain by stopping this exploitation. This includes, better paying jobs with benefits, and a decrease in the demand for social services and lessen the burden and strain that illegal immigration has put upon our schools.

Johnny Lear July 10, 2008 11:18 pm (Pacific time)

Very Interesting Story.

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