• Immigrationomics
• The Mitchell Report

1. Politicians who are injecting the immigration issue into the 2008 presidential campaign are overlooking immigrants' contribution to the national economy. That's the argument made by Dr. Bill Ford, holder of the Weatherford Chair of Finance at MTSU.

immigrationomics1.mp3 :18 OC: "about four percent";

In a paper written for the Economic Education Bulletin, Ford warns of the dire economic consequences that could result from knee-jerk reactions to the number of undocumented aliens in the country. He suggests that immigration laws should be reformed to allow workers into the country according to their talents and experience and the extent to which American employers need their skills.

2. An MTSU economics professor takes issue with politicians and pundits who say that rounding up illegal aliens and deporting them would solve America's immigration problem. Dr. Bill Ford, former CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, says there are certain categories of immigrant workers that are needed desperately by American employers because the U.S. is not generating enough of them.

immigrationomics2.mp3 :17 OC: "could get 'em";

Ford says that, since immigrants make up one half of all farm workers, the cost of fruits and vegetables and the amount of imports would rise considerably without their labor. He also points out that immigrants, mostly legal ones, make up a disproportionate share of the nurses in the U.S., which will need 300,000 more nurses next year.

3. With an estimated 37 million immigrants in the U.S., about 12 million of whom are here illegally, the American economy is too dependent upon their labor to consider drastic measures. So says Dr. Bill Ford, an MTSU economics professor and former CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta.

immigrationomics3.mp3 :16 OC: "hire them legally";

In a paper he wrote for the Economic Education Bulletin, Ford states that the value of illegal immigrants' contribution to the national economy is roughly equal to that of the entire state of Michigan. Ford says American can not afford an irrational anti-immigration policy at a time when China and India are growing their real gross domestic product at about three times the rate of the U.S.

4. An MTSU economics professor says certain economic realities are being ignored in the heated emotional debate over immigration. Dr. Bill Ford, holder of the Weatherford Chair of Finance, says the agricultural economy would be adversely affected by a drastic anti-immigration policy since about half of the farm workers in America are immigrants.

immigrationomics4.mp3 :16 OC: "shut the farm down";

At the other end of the economic spectrum, American employers are yearning for intelligent, qualified workers for highly skilled positions and are willing to hire immigrants if they can't find native-born Americans to fill the bill. Ford says he wants to see the laws reformed to allow employers to hire as many legal immigrants as they need, especially in positions that are vital to our national interests.

5. The immigration issue has generated a lot of heat, but not a lot of light, according to an MTSU economics professor. Dr. Bill Ford says even conservative estimates of the cost of rounding up all of America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants would make it highly impractical to take a "throw them out of the country"; approach.

immigrationomics5.mp3 :14 OC: "be extremely costly";

Ford advocates offering illegal workers in the labor force a viable route to legal residence along with their immediate families. He also asserts that immigration law should be reworked to allow economic sectors that have labor shortages to all hire the workers they need within the bounds of the law.

6. The inflammatory language of the immigration debate in America is obscuring the country's economic needs. So says Dr. Bill Ford, an MTSU economics professor who asserts that the U.S. economy depends greatly on the illegal laborers who are already here. Ford makes essentially a libertarian argument that the government should reform the laws, then leave the marketplace alone.

immigrationomics6.mp3 :19 OC: "get in the way";

Ford says an open borders policy, even if it were politically feasible, would not be economically viable because it would provoke a flood of people into the nation. On the other hand, a "round up the usual suspects"; approach would leave the U.S. with inflation and a labor shortage.

7. A former CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta says presidential candidate Tom Tancredo and political pundit Lou Dobbs are not making positive contributions to the immigration debate. Dr. Bill Ford, an MTSU economics professor, says any attempt to round up and deport America's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants would not be cost-effective.

immigrationomics7.mp3 :18 OC: "not work economically";

Ford recommends comprehensive immigration reform that would give the illegals already here a path to citizenship and would allow employers to hire as many legal immigrants as they require, especially in highly-skilled positions that are vital to our national interests.

8. Where does Major League Baseball go following the release of the Mitchell Report? Dr. Mark Anshel, an MTSU professor of health and human performance, says he agrees with former Senator George Mitchell's suggestion that baseball be concerned with preserving the game's future integrity because everyone from the commissioner on down shares the blame for the steroid scandal.

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Anshel says even though he doesn't think fans will stop going to the ballparks, he believes government could get involved if baseball fails to clean up its act. Anshel says Congress could go so far as to revoke the sport's antitrust exemption.

9. An MTSU professor of health and human performance says he thinks there could be enough pressure on Commissioner Bud Selig as a result of the Mitchell Report to force him to resign. Dr. Mark Anshel says the prevalent use of steroids outlined in Mitchell's examination shows that, while the blame can be spread around, a great deal of it rests with Selig.

mitchell2.mp3 :18 OC: "long, long time ago";

Anshel, who is writing a chapter on sports and drugs for a book on sports psychology, says there was a culture in baseball in which it was in everyone's best financial interests to turn a blind eye to the problem.

10. The Mitchell Report recommends that baseball clean up its steroid-tainted reputation with drug education, an independent department to conduct investigations, and a comprehensive drug testing program. But what about human growth hormone? Dr. Mark Anshel, a professor of health and human performance at MTSU, says the players' union is standing in the way of the detection of HGH by not allowing blood tests.

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Although Mitchell recommends that Commissioner Bud Selig concentrate more on the future than on punishing prior steroid users, Anshel says the impact of tarnished reputations and the humiliation of the players named in the report is an enormous burden for those players.

11. Major League Baseball's steroid problem is the fault of the commissioner, the players, the players' union, and numerous other actors involved in the national pastime, according to the Mitchell Report. MTSU health and human performance professor Dr. Mark Anshel says the players' cavalier acquisition of performance-enhancing drugs shows that everyone knew about the practice and tolerated it.

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Anshel is writing a chapter on drugs in sports for an upcoming book. He says great athletes risk their health to achieve top performance largely because so much of their self-esteem is wrapped up in their athletic accomplishments.

12. How can Major League Baseball move forward after the steroid scandal, as former Senator George Mitchell suggests, when it is such a tradition-centered sport? Dr. Mark Anshel, a professor of health and human performance at MTSU, says the fans might put a "mental asterisk"; next to certain records, but those numbers that resulted from juiced-up players will remain on the books.

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However, Anshel says he finds the Mitchell Report to be "very powerful,"; and he predicts that Commissioner Bud Selig might be forced to resign if he does not take aggressive positive action. Anshel also says he would not be surprised to see Mitchell's former colleagues in Congress take up where Mitchell's investigation left off.

13. Major League Baseball is reeling from the long-awaited release of the Mitchell Report, a 400-page examination of players' use of steroids. And an MTSU professor of health and human performance agrees with the report's conclusion that too many young people are copying the pros' bad behavior. Dr. Mark Anshel says steroid use is also believed to be widespread at the college level.

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Anshel says athletes use performance-enhancing drugs despite the risks to their health because so much of their self-esteem is invested in athletic achievement. In some cases, however, Anshel notes that athletes develop a "Superman complex"; and become so carried away with their physical prowess that they think they are invulnerable.

14. An MTSU professor of health and human performance says the Mitchell Report is important, not just because of what it reveals about baseball, but because steroids threaten the very fabric of society. Dr. Mark Anshel says professional athletes must serve as examples of fair play because too many young people are endangering their lives with performance-enhancing drugs.

mitchell7.mp3 :16 OC: "it can kill you";

Anshel says he thinks steroid use definitely is underreported at the college level because the research is dependent largely upon what the athletes say. Former Senator George Mitchell cites in his report a Major League pitcher's nephew who committed suicide after taking steroids.