WALL: Tale of two sides

Central America’s recessive economy is adversely affecting our own economy. Many of the families showing up at our southern border are desperate for work. Most were displaced from small family farms located in the highlands of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. They raised, harvested and processed coffee beans, but drought took its toll. When their farms failed, they moved to urban areas looking for work, but found that there were not enough jobs for those looking for employment.

The region’s roads and infrastructure are inadequate to attract new industries. Their level of education is comparable to our eighth or ninth grade, however they are hardworking individuals who could produce clothing, hand tools, etc., in their native lands, if they were given the chance.

The United States has poured many billions of dollars into the Asian market while overlooking our neighbors to the south. If we had invested more in our own hemisphere, the border wall would not be the problem it is today. We can’t absorb many more unskilled workers without impacting our own fragile labor market. We already have the problem of robots replacing workers and welders; box stores are closing and clerks and managers are being displaced. Thousands of people in their 50s and early 60s may have difficulty finding adequate employment to pay their mortgages and utilities.

LEONARD BRANT

Post Falls