Posted on 06/29/2012 12:52:51 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
WILLISTON, N.D.—With the nearby oil boom draining this city of many of its service workers, businesses here are relying on a cultural-exchange program for foreign college students to keep the local economy humming.
More than 500 foreign students—from Thailand, Jamaica and about a dozen other countries—are staffing nearly every hotel, car wash and fast-food place in town, tending to the troops of roughnecks from the oilfields.
"Without them, I don't know what we'd do," said Ward Koeser, mayor of this city of 16,000, citing long lines, slow service and limited hours at stores and restaurants before the students arrived.
But the State Department is beginning to raise questions about possible misuse of the program, which gives foreign college students four-month visas to work and travel in the U.S. In 1961, Congress created the program for foreign students to fill seasonal or temporary jobs—mostly in beach-resort towns on the coasts—"to strengthen the ties which unite us with other nations."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Just doing the jobs Americans won’t, uh, wait, hmm...
Uh, hire your countrymen in the next state over who don't have jobs and can't feed their kids?
Like that.
Right WSJ, Americans don’t need jobs.
Yeah, they can commute the 300 miles from Billings. I have seen license plates from every state in the Union in Williston in the last year. That includes Hawaii. There are a lot of people living in campers, there isn’t a room to be found, and I recently heard of a 4-bedroom house that was leased for $7500.00/month. Housing is in very short supply, despite an incredible building boom, and winter is coming. If the countrymen in the next state over want to go to Williston and work, the roads are all connected. Unemployment in the town is below 1% and there are a lot of job openings.
Response: Of course, any self respecting American business, federal, state or local government will hire a foreigner in the place and stead of an American. The foreigners will be registered to vote as well, given food stamps, rent subsidies, a cell phone and one free get out of jail card in case they kill an American while driving drunk,
I live in Minot and our population hyas been incresing fast over the past 5 years.
North Dakota has a $1 Billion budget surplus and 2.7% unemployment rate.
“Yeah, they can commute the 300 miles from Billings.”
That would be about a 3 hour drive for a Montanan.
I live in the area, and know of what I speak. There is no secret about job openings in Western North Dakota, especially Williston. It has been the subject of national network news. While the town has roughly doubled in size in the last three years, there are a lot of job openings. Walmart night stockers are making 16/hr and pulling down a lot of overtime, McDonalds offered signing bonuses paid after three months working there. Locals aren’t going for a mere 15 dollar an hour job, especially with rent through the roof. They are going for oilfield jobs making 60,000.00/year and up. That leaves a lot of openings unfilled. They’re there, they have been, and it has been no secret. I have posted a link to The Shopper, which has a section of help wanted ads, numerous times on this website over the past few years. IF YOU want the job, Quitcher bitchin, and apply. There is a labor shortage, but most folks would rather cry where they are than go to North Dakota and work...
As for ‘the kids’, they are hard workers, making pretty good money for college students.
My nephew, who graduated High School two years ago postponed trade school to work in the oil patch, and is making about $80K a year. Those jobs are often taken up by the Americans in the area, who won’t work for too little to pay rent.
If they could stay out of the ditch!
Thanks for the rational comments.
It’s always good to hear from someone on the street instead of on a laptop.
There are, in fact, some jobs some Americans just won’t do. Not all Americans but too many feel some work is beneath them as being demeaning, insulting, unpleasant or too hard. Among countries I know, rural Mexico and Thailand has systems that compel work. In fact, Thailand has virtually 0% unemployment.
If you don’t work and are not legitimately disabled, you starve.
I'm glad Americican "kids" are making mega bucks- Get more Americans in on the pie!
I have heard of people commuting from as far away as Nebraska to work in ND and staying in campers while there. Fast food joints are having to offer close to $20 an hour to get anyone to take a job there.
Just think what could be happening all over the country if we only had a stinking Romneycare capitalist elitist with a Swiss bank account in charge of the whole country, creating this kind of pro-business pro-energy opportuity for all...
(please excuse the snarky attempt at humor, it’s just so damned frustrating when Obama has done everything he possibly can to kill jobs and prevent the development of our own natural energy resources).
“500 foreign students—from Thailand, Jamaica”
Knowing a boom town for what it is, why not say the truth?
500 foreign born whores brought in to service a boom town that will go bust as soon as all the well drilling/pipe laying is done.
Can you find the pun?
Our own college students are too busy with their OWS projects to work. Many of the jobs in the oil patch require muscle and stamina. The day begins long before 10 a.m. and there is no break from 2-4 for a nap. Even if it was an issue of no work, no eat, most of them wouldn’t last 5 minutes in that environment. It’s shameful that society and parents have created an environment where the younger generations are nothing more than a bunch of lazy pansies.
Back in the day, young guys scrambled to get to the oil patch for jobs. Sure, hard work but nice paychecks.
There are a lot of “ foreign workers here” most of them speak mexican
Some are from Africa. No, real africans
Lots of whores on backpage.com
Williston has turned into a mini Rock Springs.
I never go there on my day off.
I like Minot
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