So, where does that leave us? I believe it leaves us with an old adage: follow the money. I don't think I need to go into why the Chamber of Commerce favors amnesty, that's fairly apparent. But what about the unions? Is it all about membership?

While some of the unions' concerns may be about getting new, formerly illegal, members (I won't even get into the BS about their outstanding concern for human rights) I don't think that is the main emphasis. I think it is a great cover.

It is my belief that the primary concern that unions have, just like the federal government, is in perpetuating and growing the union bureaucracy/money/power. It seems to be that growing the membership (and assuming that the manufacturing jobs are returning, or that the service economy can grow and sustain that many low education workers) is a concern. But I don't think it is the core reason (and especially given that, here too, long term planning is not a strong suit, in a show-me-results-now environment).

The union movement is growing only in one sector, and is sort of stalled there, as well. It is in the public sector, the government employees and the spin-off industries that result from big government. What would be the result of bringing these illegals "out of the shadows?" A significant increase in the need for services to these newly identified persons; a significant increase in the size of government agencies; and a significant increase in the number of (union) government employees to service the same.

Funny how the interests of the government "big boys" and the union "big boys" coincide here. While the interests of big business may come from a different angle, I think the confluence of these three's self-interests maintain and heighten the crisis we are facing.