Visa Cap Cuts Off Tourism Workers (Maine resorts rely on 3500 "obedient" foreign workers)

Portland Press Herald ^ | Sunday, March 21, 2004 | Matt Wickenheiser

[fight_truth_decay]

"It’s really unusual. Even when unemployment is high here, we’re forced to look someplace else for good workers. American kids? Why aren’t they looking for jobs? Don’t ask me — ask the government. My sense is that the government is doling out huge amounts of unemployment and the kids are getting money and everything else that they need from their parents," says club owner Feldberg who, last summer, took on a 22-year-old Polish native. Actually, this is this employee's third summer at the Club — "he loves it there and says that he can make as much as $4000 a month here.... whereas he might only seek out $1000 a month in Poland, where unemployment hovers in the 20 percent range. "

Make welfare regulations mandatory that said recipient must choose, perhaps with some placement guidance,an available job within a reasonable travel area. Then the welfare payment or some "get back to work" benefit (travel, childcare assistance etc) is coupled with the wages earned through a given time frame. This would cut the cost of one welfare payment to each recipient from the presumedly deep pockets of the American taxpayer. The prescribed place of employment of the recipient would pick up the remainder of the total monthly welfare check should it be needed.

But then some Maine business owners say, shitty attitudes" come into play; and finding obedient help from places like Bulgaria, Lithuania, Russia, and Poland is nearly as easy as turning on your computer."

[dirtboy]

"There are restaurants that I've spoken with that know this would be a business killer," said Allyson Cavaretta, director of marketing and sales at Meadowmere.

Yeah, you might just have to pay enough so that local Americans will take the jobs, instead of using foreign labor to expand the supply and hold down wages.

[lelio]

Not knowing anything about Maine, does anyone know how many high school kids there are in the state? Perhaps it is, relatively, full of older people and no teenagers are there to do the menial tasks.

Not that it is an excuse to bring in foreign workers as they'll work for cheap.

[correctthought]

I dunno, 4,000.00 a month sounds pretty good. "he loves it there and says that he can make as much as $4000 a month here

[correctthought]

To they have a lot of Somalian welfare recipients. Put them to work.

[fight_truth_decay]

you might just have to pay enough....yes $4 grand a month is definitely cheap!

[correctthought]

Make the to Don't...

[dirtboy]

I dunno, 4,000.00 a month sounds pretty good.

That's 1,000 a week. And you have 21 working weeks, which means you would make 21,000 for the season. You need to pay more if that's what a local will earn to get them through the entire year.

[FITZ]

Cut out some free taxpayer provided college scholarships, end some welfare money --- there will be more than plenty of Americans willing to work.

[CurlyDave]

I suspect that with a bit of recruiting the resorts could hire all the college students they want for summer jobs. My daughter worked for $8.00 per hour and no benefits last year. And she was limited to 20/hrs per week so they didn't have to give benefits.

Or, look for single unemployed people throughout the country. Many singles would jump at the opportunity to spend the summer at a resort. Travel to Maine for the summer and get $4000 per month.

I suspect that the real issue is that the foreign workers are more "compliant" and that the recruiting agencies take the easy way out & only look in one place where there are lots of workers instead of finding individual Americans.

[FITZ]

A lot of kids won't work because if their parents didn't save up money for their college, they figure the government will give it to them, they don't work their way through college because they don't have to.

[sarcasm]

I spend part of every summer in Maine - I haven't seen any jobs going unfilled for lack of local labor. The summer jobs are taken by the local teens and their mothers. Shockingly, they even do the work the "Americans won't do anymore" such as bussing tables and cleaning hotel rooms.

[international american]

You are correct! This is just pure greed on the part of the owners. All the Boston money goes to Ogunquitt in the warm months, and they tip well..godd money even for americans!!

[WOSG]

$4000 a month for a 22-year-old.

Geez, why arent the natives of Maine lining up for that?

[international american]

They are...this is all bs!

[Fpimentel]

Why do they need to bother with recruiting from foreign countries for workers. In California, we have all the illegals they would ever need. All they would have to do is advertise the $21,000 for the season and they would have thousands of unemployed illegals applying daily.

[fight_truth_decay]

7% of teens in Maine do not attend school and do not work (national average is 8%). Total population (2000) is 1,274,923.

47,422.... 10 - 14
28,420.... 15-17
17,403.... 18-19
7,831.... 20
7,449.... 21
19,654.... 22-24
35,381... 25-29
Number of individuals that would fall into this work related group.

Maine has a high school graduation rate that is slightly higher than the national average but it lags behind in college graduates. (Source: Census 2000)

Since 2002, the number of children on welfare rose by 30 percent. (Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003)

Maine remains one of the highest taxed states in the country. (CQ’s StateFact Finder 2003).

6th nationally in state and local taxeson high income families as a percent-age of income (FY 2001).
2nd nationally in property tax as a per-centage of personal income (FY 2000).
Guess where most of that money goes..social services.

[international american]

You got it!

[fight_truth_decay]

Maine has a high tourist season in the winter as well at the ski resorts which run longer. Housing is available as well "buddy style'. For that age group of workers that is a nice chunk of change to further any future goals.(with tax returns as well!)

The work is there; but frankly, it appears much easier to Bush Bash then to get out and get a job..2 jobs..3 jobs. People have be held accountable for their own inactions. You will notice young adults travel to this country to work..not vise versa.

We have built an Easy Chair mentality for many capable workers whether in Maine or elsewhere across this country. I also feel too many parents "cushion" their responsibility on providing good work ethics.

Regards,

fight_truth_decay

[dirtboy]

The work is there; but frankly, it appears much easier to Bush Bash then to get out and get a job

Where has anyone bashed Bush in this thread (or in the original article, for that matter)?