Joe, the State of Washington frequently played paycheck "now-you-see-it-now-you-don't" games with state employees. For a while back in the 1970s they were holding onto them a few days longer than payday, giving them to employees after the state had managed to collect extra interest on the dollars before they left the treasury accounts. It was a really stinky thing to do and I think state employees were finally able to compel the state to stop that practice.
Bill D and CarolC have both clearly articulated important parts of this discussion. One must discuss them together to understand what is going on. Trouble is, there are so many Americans busy trying to chase out the illegal immigrants while still desiring to buy cheap produce or low costs when they eat out or when they put a new roof on the house that they don't understand the contradiction they're living. Many Americans don't seem to be aware that the children of these illegal aliens who were born in Mexico but grew up here as Americans now want to go to college, to move into professions and have no way to work legally because of their own and their parents' standing. This is a group of victims whose situation needs to be addressed promptly and compassionately.
And they don't understand that most of these illegal aliens would actually PREFER to go home when they want, and only come back here to work when they need to. They're being forced to stay here, to make that economic choice to try to live beneath the radar and take all of the indignities heaped upon them for being undocumented. Like CarolC said, it suits a lot of people to keep those workers on edge and with little or no legal standing. It forces all wages down and it often allows employers to renege on paying for the work that illegal aliens have done (though in recent years the agents rounding up illegal workers are supposed to collect those wages for the workers. Who knows if it is happening in the current administration.)
pdq wrote:
Perhaps my language is more blunt than some, but that is quite typical of Western pioneer people. We say what we mean. If you looked a bit deeper you would see that, in most of my posts, humor is a major element. If you new any Westerners you would be amazed at how many have a well-developed sense of humor.
As far as you being a role model for me, that ain't gonna happen, so don't spend one little moment worrying 'bout it.
Bill knows lots of Westerners, he's an old Kansas man himself. And from this Westerner who grew up with her toes dangling in the Pacific Ocean, I think the appropriate response is that you're pushing your own churlish behavior off on a lot of people who don't claim any particular set of manners as part of our western pioneer heritage. Take responsibility for your own bad manners, don't blame it on some nebulous "pioneer heritage." Archie Bunker spoke plainly also, and he wasn't a pioneer.