Posted on 08/24/2005 12:46:43 PM PDT by Singermom
Those "better paying jobs" are jobs that Americans used to have. The growers may have to pay people better, and maybe Americans will work for them if the pay is good. I for one am willing more for fruits and vegetables if it means that an American will be picking them instead of an illegal alien.
sw
Time to figure out how to automate it
Ha, try applying for a teacher's position in southern NM without being a spanish speaker, they won't even take your application. They literally hire teachers from across the border in Juarez who speak Spanish, but not English, in order to fill the demands for ESL classrooms.
I am already aware of that.
I don't agree with the expenditures, nor for what.
However, it does seem to be a building process to create the groundwork for a "guest worker" program, without any plans otherwise other than increased services by taxpayers going to appease illegal immigrants and prop up the "cheap labor" racket for commerce.
The tax payer, American consumer, again loses in multiples, all the way around.
IF there are going to be these sort of "centers" then the businesses who employ illegal immigrants need to be funding them out of their profits. Either by fines or outright expenditures, one way or another, if and when centers such as these are built and maintained, it should be by the expense of commerce who creates this problem.
Better yet, use the money to send illegal aliens out of the U.S. and hire more border agents, buy more agents' cars, and build the border fence once and for all.
I'm curious, however, why you are asking ME about this.
I'm totally outraged!
sw
Being the product of a long line of farmers I can concur that the lack of human labor has always boosted the invention and use of machines to do the work.
Many Central Valley producers have not mechanized because cheep labor was available.
You are right about the cotton gin but mechanical harvesters did come along when finally the labor dried up or became too expensive.
What's the matter, AFRAID of a little competition?
BTW: Its good to learn more than one language, global economy and all that. Knowing Spanish is what enabled me to get my first job in international finance.
If you can't see the point, then you don't want to. Not every American child can go to College, some don't even want to. But their options have been cut, since there is no dignity to hard work in this country anymore. Being hired off a street corner doesn't pay the mortgage.
BTW, My parents kept the fact they spoke fluent Italian secret from most everyone. They were bilingual..long before it became an asset.
sw
I was going to say the same thing. Newspaper reporters and TV Talking Heads find them for interviews, General Contractors can find them by the truck load for construction jobs, they are registering at universities yet the INS can't find them and deport them.
Disband the INS, put the ex-INS people into the fields and give me another tax cut.
HUH?? Unemployment rates at 20% and still no takers for these jobs? Obviously something is not right. These farms aren't paying enough for even the Mexicans? Time to bring the Guatamalens in, or....pay a decent wage. If wouldn't surprise me at all if the owners of these farms were making a mint but too stingy to pay workers a livable wage.
Janet, while I'll agree that illegals are holding down wages in the construction industry, that native-born Americans would probably take, I have to disagree about farm labor. Hopefully, this labor shortage will push agribusiness to invest in technology to automate harvesting.
I must say that it never ceases to amaze me how many children of Indian, Iranian, Korean, Cuban, and Russian immigrants have succeeded in the corporate world, while those of other ethnicities don't seem to do as well. In America, you either push yourself the extra mile and grab the brass ring, or you will be left behind, no matter what race or ethnicity you are.
No wonder it is so hard to find unbruised fruit @ the grocery store.
Note to farmers, pay a little more and the school kids that are out for the summer will pick your veggies.
Hell, pay a little more than that and I will do it.
Take away welfare and more will be willing to work. I grew up 15 miles from Huron. I know EXACTLY the people who are sitting at home in the shade waiting for their government checks. My first job was hoeing weeds in the 100 degree weather 50 hours a week for $2.75 an hour. I got a colldge degree and then an MBA just so I didn't have to earn my living that way.
And I can spell colldge = college - remember to use the spell checker!
Me too. And it seems like employers are willing to look the other way if a candidate is light on experience or education if he can speak Spanish.
That should probably be the next step. Some already have done this.
Does this mean that we can then send the "crop pickers" home where they belong so we can stop supporting them? :^)
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