Scott,

I'm not here to argue with you, but there are plenty of jobs in the area that pay way more than $8 per hour.

Most guys who might be working construction in other areas of the country end up working for the oil companies here because the work is steadier and the pay and benefits are better. And working for an oil company doesn't mean risking your life working on a rig. You might be out driving around in a company pickup checking levels in tanks out in the country or something like that.

Skilled welders are in high demand as are truck drivers. There's an advertisement in today's paper for a combo rig welder that pays $28 per hour plus $14 for the rig.

There are also job openings for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, utilities workers, diesel mechanics, nurses, bookkeepers, electricians, plumbers and more.

I understand your frustration with competing with illegal aliens for jobs, but around here the illegal aliens do lesser-skilled jobs and are taking jobs nobody else will do, like picking crops. The Border Patrol probably has more of a presence here than it might further north, so employers are probably more reluctant to risk getting caught hiring them.