[Labyrinthos]

pay more. the discovery channel is running that show now on alaskan crab fishing - they have no problem finding workers, because they make decent money.

I agree, but are you willing to pay $15 for a crab coctail or po'boy?

[oceanview]

let the market dicate that. when the price becomes too high for customers to bear, that would be the trigger to invest in automation.

taken to its extreme, this is the same line of reasoning that would argue for slavery. I am sure that somewhere, someplace, there is some business that could sell something at a profit if only they had zero cost labor - slaves. Should we give that to them? At what point do the social costs of giving the business what it thinks it needs, outweigh the economic benefits of having them stay in business? That's what is happening now, I'm saving $2 on my restaurant bill because they hire illegals - and I am paying for schools, medical, and other social services for those illegal employees.

[brytlea]

I agree, but are you willing to pay $15 for a crab coctail or po'boy?
I'm willing to forego crab coctail if I cannot afford it, rather than foist the other costs of these workers on people. I'm just not selfish enough to say that the American taxpayer should subsidize my lifestyle (ie, being able to afford cheap crab or whatever).
susie

[RFEngineer]

"I agree, but are you willing to pay $15 for a crab coctail or po'boy?"

I'll have a cheap Po'boy, with a side of hepatitis A, extra tuberculosis, hold the Chagas