Posted on 08/08/2010 10:28:07 AM PDT by Principled
More than a week after a judge blocks parts of Arizona's immigration law, the executive director of a Georgia Latino group said if that law is passed in the peach state, the poultry industry would feel the fallout.
Jerry Gonzalez with the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials said anywhere between 40 and 50 percent of the workforce in the poultry industry is illegal.
"If we were to remove 40 to 50 percent of the workforce, would our economy suffer," Gonzalez asked during WDUN's The Local Hour Friday morning. "The answer to that is yes."
He said lawmakers need to question whether or not the North Georgia economy can withstand the kind of negative economic impact an Arizona-type law might have.
Gonzalez said the tax strain on the local level caused by illegal immigrants should be considered but so should the contributions of illegals to the livelihood of North Georgia's economy.
WTH, my Wife has been wanting some yard birds for quite a while. Never know what you’re getting with the processed birds anyhow.
It’s not 2005, it’s 2010 and the unemployment rate is a %9+.
Yep. It's little different from slave labor and we tried that business model before.
Want to solve the problem of illegal immigration? Start throwing the people who hire them into prison.
“?”If we were to remove 40 to 50 percent of the workforce, would our economy suffer,” Gonzalez asked during WDUN’s The Local Hour Friday morning. “The answer to that is yes.”
Slave owners made that same argument in Georgia some time back.
Raising prices will cause consumers to buy less chicken. Don't forget that chicken, as well as any other consumer product, is priced at the highest level that will allow producers to make the most profit. Consumers' purchasing less chicken as a result of raising prices will encourage innovation and more automation in the chicken processing industry so that prices can come down.
So, there are a whole lot of poultry companies who are breaking the law too. Yeah, you can’t let a thing like obeying the law get in the way. While we’re at it let’s forget the regulations on food safety too. What the heck.
Meanwhile the fed govt is making it harder and harder to grow your own food or buy locally.
Its not like you can just get anyone off the streets to do that job. It takes years and years of training.
I'm willing to pay a bit more for chicken, if it means foreign lawbreakers are sent home and Americans can get their jobs back at higher wages.
That's EXACTLY what happend in North Georgia sveral years back when raids sent many illegals home and the rest scattered like roaches.
Make it harder to get welfare benefits and people will be begging for those jobs.
Unemployed consumers also buy less chicken.
“BINGO! And the fact is you won’t pay more because a tighter labor market will lead to innovation and greater efficiency.”
Higher compensation may also force the firms to relocate. There are other factors involved in relocation so I am not sure if the higher compensation will be enough for relocation.
I admit that enforcement of immigration laws will cause some changes in economic activity. I think the changes will be overcome by the savings in overal societal costs. I also think that some industries could make a reasonable case for a guest worker program (I am not sure about the poultry industry). I might support expansions of guest worker programs with strict conditions about visas, family migration, and other conditions.
Illegals working in those packing plants for low wages is BS! They make plenty, far over min wage.
Come to north Georgia (Gainesville), and we'll show anyone very specifically.
By his words Jerry Gonzalez is a bigot; racistly defending the felony of illegal immigration.
One may be from anywhere on the planet, but one enters America, as any other nation, through the front door. It's called civilization and respect.
Johnny Suntrade
Gee Chicken might go from 1.49/pd to 1.53/pd. Horrors!
>>Raising prices will cause consumers to buy less chicken.<<
Raising prices will cause my wife to seriously consider becoming a chicken farmer. She wears her bibbed overalls most everywhere as it is so I don’t reckon the neighbors will look down their noses at her.
You were first! And interestingly your handle is YANKEEREB...
You were first! And interestingly your handle is YANKEEREB...
eh?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.