A drought of farm labor

Christian Science Monitor ^ | 12/2/5 | Daniel B. Wood

[Doctor Stochastic]

More likely it's just cheaper to go out of business and import the product from outside the US. Supply and demand.

[TXBSAFH]

So as long as it keeps the prices low, it is alright to break the law?

[hispanarepublicana]

More likely it's just cheaper to go out of business and import the product from outside the US.

Just like oil. Except that it'll be fertilized with human feces, and sooner or later we'll have to move Navy destroyers to the coast of South America just to keep our food supply steadily streaming to our shores.

[Wolfie]

Oh well. Patriotism is just for suckers, I suppose.

[dennisw]

We have 20 million illegal aliens. They've gotten so comfortable here they have moved from agriculture to construction, hotels, restaurants etc. To easier, higher paying jobs. We do need a guest worker program for about 1,5 million in agriculture, food production and meatpacking. Otherwise our farmers and food processors go out of business, jack up prices and we will be importing more of that awful Mexican and 3rd world produce.

Non agriculture illegals need to get the boot via:

• Verifiable SS# database that all employees must be verified with.
• Employer sanctions against those who hire illegal aliens. They will self deport when they stop getting paid
• Building an Israeli style fence at the Mexico border
• 10,000 highly mobile troops on that border

 

[Ben Ficklin]

Agriculture is not the only sector with labor shortages. There are shortages in construction and oil production(kansas).

We need more mexicans.

[dennisw]

Just like oil. Except that it'll be fertilized with human feces, and sooner or later we'll have to move Navy destroyers to the coast of South America just to keep our food supply steadily streaming to our shores.

That's why I advocate 1.5 million agricultural guest workers but no other ones. The program must be strictly enforced with no families and no anchor babies. Thumbprints or other biometrics must be part of this guest worker's ID card.

The upside for the agricultural guest worker is obvious, he can freely visit Mexico or wherever he comes from

[hispanarepublicana]

The program must be strictly enforced with no families and no anchor babies.

I've heard this feature is in the Cornyn bill. Is that true?

[dennisw]

We need more Mexicans.

You need more Mexicans. 
The corporate boosters of GW will always need more Mexicans and other 3rd world illegals to drive down wages

[dennisw]

The program must be strictly enforced with no families and no anchor babies.

I've heard this feature is in the Cornyn bill. Is that true?

No way is it banning anchor babies that a guest worker has here outside his marriage. It might say no families. That's a great idea.

But Cornyn's plan is for vast numbers of guest workers. Mine is only for agricultural workers. Plus even if (a big if) Cornyn's bill is relatively good it will get diluted by the open borders advocates in Congress

[tiki]

Its a matter of economics. If it costs $1500 an acre to grow the crop and $500 to harvest it and the going price is $2000 for that crop its break even. If labor goes even 1 cent higher its easier and cheaper to let the crop rot in the field. This is what happened in the depression. The crops cost more to harvest than what they were worth so they got destroyed and the cycle went on while people went hungry.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"So as long as it keeps the prices low, it is alright to break the law?"

The American public seems to think so.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"Oh well. Patriotism is just for suckers, I suppose."

How much more are you willing to pay for food than you pay now? What non-essential (i.e., not tied directly to food, shelter, and clothing) expenses will you forgo to be patriotic?

I hear a lot of talk on this topic. But nobody's willing to say exactly how much they're willing to sacrifice.

[tiki]

Oh right, its against the law in America to make money, I forgot that!!!! If someone is rich just screw 'em. I don't know if they have money or not but that shouldn't even be in the argument. What? If they were poor it would be a different argument?

Are you a liberal?

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"Those "homeless" could be out working in the strawberry patch, but nooooooo....that's beneath them."

Back when I was a youngster, we didn't say "homeless."

We said "bum." And we didn't give a damn about them. After all, they never gave a damn about themselves.

The "homeless" or "bums" will not, under any circumstances, take a job. They never have been, are not now, and never will be, any part of the labor force.

[Dan Evans]

If it costs $1500 an acre to grow the crop and $500 to harvest it and the going price is $2000 for that crop its break even.

But it is better to harvest the crop and break even rather than loose $1500 an acre if you don't harvest it.

A lot of companies have to do this during hard times when they have a lot of fixed costs that they can't get out of. They may loose a little money during slow periods but that's better than closing up shop altogether.

[mulligan]

Why should they? We have been telling folks for 70 years the government will take care of you. And, in addiion, such work is below your dignity.

[Dan Evans]

To pick it by machine you have to spray it with a defoliant, much like that used in Viet Nam. Most consumers would not be interested in eating tomatoes that had been sprayed with a defoliant.

Just wash the tomatoes. Herbicides are no more toxic than laundry detergent.

If mechanized farming is not cost-effective with LEGAL labor, then farmers won't use it. But it is. Despite the drawbacks, the cost reduction is well worth it.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"Herbicides are no more toxic than laundry detergent."

Tell that to the folks out there who get talked into signing a petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide.

The California Proposition 65 requirement comes to mind:

"THIS TOMATO HAD ICKY STUFF SPRAYED ON IT THAT WE DON'T LIKE! EEUW!"

[Dan Evans]

My understanding is that they are picked green and are treated with cyanide gas to force them to turn red.

Not cyanide, ethylene gas.