Posted on 08/01/2012 10:28:32 AM PDT by ExxonPatrolUs
The lush rows of Bartlett pear trees appear boundless from where Pasqual Aragon stands. They make his small crew's fruit-picking mission seem impossibly daunting.
"The truth is that there's a lot of work and not enough people," said Aragon, 26, as a dozen men beside him hoisted ladders and stuffed pears into heavy pouches strapped over their shoulders.
California farmers warned for years of a future without enough skilled pickers and packers, of fruits and vegetables rotting in place. Critics accused them of crying wolf to win sympathy for relaxing labor and immigration rules.
This year, however, the evidence seems stronger that the farm workforce is shrinking.
(Excerpt) Read more at mercurynews.com ...
When the welfare state eventually collapses then the farmers will complain about all those lazy liberal arts majors who pick their crops for them.
California has about a 60% greater population density than Mexico. The trick isn't bringing in more people, it is getting the people already there to work.
Like any market there’s always a price. Raise wages so an American not living in an apartment with 15 other illegal workers can afford to take the job. Simple.
Open the immigration limits on the Philippines.
They have a struggling population of 95 million hardworking mostly social-Conservative people, and already the “overseas workforce” of their population is a big part of their economy.
Philippino farm workers (would all speak English already) would either go back and forth as “temporary” workers, or become loyal Americans, but would not be, at any time, a nationalist fifth column of a next door neighbor.
Where are all the illegals who pick the fruit and vegies?
They have moved up the food chain taking jobs legal Americans
will do. That’s why there is ALWAYS a shortage. Illegals have moved up to take YOUR JOB!
If the USDA would stop advertising in Spanish to sign up for food stamps, they’d soon have plenty of workers. Why sweat when you can sit in front of your flat-screen TV in air conditioned comfort?
Caribbean workers would also fit the bill. Most of the farm workers in Southern Ontario hail from that part of the world and many have been doing it for decades, returning home each winter.
Ya have to tell people this?
Just look at the big cities, where millions of them are collecting social services met for Americans, choking off our health care, jails, schools etc...
The farmers ought to go look for help in the big cities where illegals are crawling all over the place. Of course, why would they work for peanuts when biggov gives them coupons, free health care, welfare, etc?
Hell no!
#9 answers that.
One third of all welfare recipients in America are in California. Why would they work when they get everything for free?
Fifteen percent unemployment and there isn’t enough labor.
Seems to me that the dole is just too darn comfortable...
That too, but for much cheaper BTW....Just look what they did to wages in the construction industry...Now, millions occupy the warehouse industry, manufacturing, services, hotels, restaurants, you name it.
All brought to you by a very corrupt government.
I have spent 4 of the last 6 weeks in central CA — farm basket to the nation. It’s a mess. People are standing in the medians asking for hand outs. Unemployment is paying $12 per hour. Crops are drying up in the fields. I drove past an apricot orchard every day (probably belonged to the Ag Dept at CSU-Fresno) and saw no pickers. The trees were heavy with fruit, and the ground underneath was golden with dropped fruit. No pickers. I don’t understand it. If they didn’t want the crop, you’d think that they could have turned the orchard over to The Gleaners, or to Second Harvest.
In Texas 70% of Illegal Aliens Receive Welfare
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/04/in-texas-70-of-illegal-aliens-receive-welfare/
sounds like some enterprising person needs to invent a fruit picking machine
See #9 & 13 for an understanding.
So how do you get them from, say, South LA to the Central Valley? Do they commute 3 hours each way? Do you have a big bus that commutes 3 hours each way?
Are people from South LA going to live in migrant worker housing? Of course not, no matter how much you pay them.
Victor Davis Hanson was talking this so called shortage on a Ricochet podcast. There are tons of children of immigrants who could work the fields but they on are welfare, disability, etc. So these farmers have to bring in a fresh crop of serf labor every few years to make up for the flow into the welfare state. How do these farmers need labor when there is Spanish level unemployment, 20% and above, in the Central Valley of CA.
If this is an Ag school orchard (as I suspect) #9 and #13 doesn’t explain it.
My solution is simple, you want welfare? Okay.
You will recieve 1/4 of your monthly alotment right after a 40 hour work week is completed. This will continue as long as your employer verifies your attendence and poarticipation. Too much for you?
Here is option #2
Here are your coupons that are redeamable at the local goverment pantry that has cheese, canned meat, powdered milk and potatoes, rice and baby food if needed. If you are caught trading or selling the coupons you will immediately be removed from those recieving ANY government assistance.
Otherwise head south cause that’s all we are offering.
Are people from South LA going to live in migrant worker housing? Of course not, no matter how much you pay them.
Then they can starve.
So what is the solution until that happens?
How ould you achieve that trick?
Until that happens, what is to be done in the meantime?
Do those asking for handouts get more than they would by picking?
How would you implement those options?
“So what is the solution until that happens?”
I won’t propose what a temporary solution is, but I will say what it isn’t and what isn’t acceptable is any amnesty for illegals or any sort of program that brings more Mexicans into the country that are allowed under current limits.
Maybe there is no temporary solution and the result will be higher food prices. There’s no downside to that given that 2/3 of Americans are overweight anyway.
Who would be responsible for cleaning up the bodies and taking care of the resultant diseases? What would happen if starving babies and children started showing up at all the churches and hospitals? How would you handle the media fallout from thousands of starving children?
Why would illegal mexicans pick crops when they can ride the obama amnesty-welfare gravy train? What? You thought all of those illegals were hard working, respectable people doing the jobs Americans wouldn’t do? The fact that they’re here illegaly should answer your question.
Saying what isn’t, is pretty easy...especially from a keyboard.
What about all those from previous administrations? Those illegals have been here long before O was elected. How many presidential nominees have ever addressed this problem once they started to really campaign?
I have no idea how much they get. I never saw anyone giving them anything, although I saw the same people with the sme signs 6 weeks apart! Several years ago in Washington State they did a study of pan handlers who hung out a Pike Place Market. One gal turned nearly $100,000 income. She parked a baby on the sidewalk with her.
But, it was between 101 and 113 degrees on some of the days where these folks were standing in the median with signs that said everything from “Help — funeral” to “Mom and I are just trying to make it”.
Somehow, if you cut off the welfare.. but open up jobs for the same people..
They will find a way to survive.
A simple change could end this right now. Right now, unemployment is being extended. So why not require approved agricultural work during the harvest season to continue to get unemployment?
Were they? Doesn’t matter how long they’ve been here, they’re still here illegaly. Eisenhower was the last President to put his foot down regarding illegal immagration. Every President since has rolled over and caved in to mexico. Too much money going around importing slave labor to stop it now.
Well, we hired Polish immigrants this year and said no to the Mexicans. Turned out to be a great decision, too, because the Polish guys do five times the work of the Mexicans with the added benefit that they know how to use toilets.
You don't have to bus people in from South LA to pick fruit. Put them to work cleaning up vacant lots, abandoned buildings, delivering meals on wheels to the elderly, etc.
Just look at the unemployment rates in cities near the fruit orchards, Modesto, Bakersfield, etc. Plenty of able bodies available to do this work, just not enough willing to do it. That will only change if you make it a requirement to keep getting the government check.
Importing more illegals isn't going to solve the problem. Again, California is about 60% more crowded than Mexico. It may be a temporary fix, but just how long do you think it will take them to figure out they can get a government check doing something a lot easier than picking fruit? Or doing nothing at all?
I'd be all in favor of giving one work permit for seasonal agricultural work in exchange for every deportation of each illegal living on the public dime. You'd get muy mucho illegals either self-deporting or taking the agricultural work faster than you could say ICE!
Then I guess it won’t stop until the money that’s going around stops. How would that happen since we haven’t elected anyone since Ike that will put their foot down?
I don’t think anyone will elect someone that says they want to stop the money that’s going around.
Good for you
If a farmer whats to harvest he’ll pay more. he can do that right now if he wants.
We haven’t had an FDR for a while. Just think if Obama suggested soup programs, would you be all for it?
I’m not a resident of California, so I don’t see how this will be resolved.
Why do you think the farmers don’t want to pay more?
Yes, but California has vastly higher percentage of its people on welfare than Texas. California’s welfare population is so enormous it represents one-third of the nation — but its population is only 12 percent of the nation’s population.
Texas isn't on the list.
CA has the worst and best of everything. Been that way a long time.
However, as your population grows, so will welfare and the problems. Bet the rent.
A machine for picking citrus has existed for decades but it can't compete with slave labor. Cotton used to picked by hand, too.
The illegal alien pickers discovered they can make more money on California welfare benefits than working for the pittance wages the growers are offering. It’s that simple.
How many criminals are sitting around in California prisons doing nothing?
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