California Peach Farmer: Americans Won't Reliably do the Work

The National Ledger ^ | 06-07-06 | Debra Saunders

[Coastal]

"Everybody has an opinion, although most people think food comes from Safeway," muses Ken Hajek. A dentist three days a week, Hajek offers me his opinion as a peach grower the other four days. We are talking as he stands near his white pickup on 25 acres in Lodi, where he grows peaches in an orchard tucked behind a house and a yard full of cars.

Hajek had contacted me because he objected to my call for the Bush administration to get tougher on those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.

[Red Badger]

So, now we add "reliably" to the work that Americans won't do.........

[GrandEagle]

His "dilemma" is not a problem under current law. We could just allow more to enter legally. STILL no need to reward criminals.

NO AMNESTY!!!!

GE

[b4its2late]

If the government cuts off their welfare, they'll work, or they'll starve, or actually, have a little less beer.

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

This peach farmer should move to Mexico if he likes them so much.

[true_blue_texican]

NO PEACHES!!!!!!!!!!

No peaches for amnesty!!

[lesser_satan]

Round up the parasitic inebriates, wellfare queens, and chronically unemployed, and tell them they will pick produce or they will starve. Problem solved.

[fearthebase]

Put this guy in jail.

[Calpernia]

Welfare to work....

Prison labor....

Lightening up on the child labor laws....

Make summer camp type programs to get kids out to the farms, do some work, sock monies away for college....

None of the above fit the political agenda...

[Red Badger]

We have a constitutional right to freeze peaches!.......

[ROTB]

>tell them they will pick produce or they will starve.

Hope WE don't starve in the process!

But really, the guy is only looking at the bottom line, not the best interests of the country.

[tigtog]

Can't get to the article, but let me guess. Mr. Hajek can't pursue his business profitably without imported labor. Somehow it is important to the US to subsidize the growing of peaches by offering free health care to migrant laborers (i.e., care given at emergency rooms without paying) and free education (i.e., school admittance of children requiring special language classes) and no cost auto insurance (i.e., they don't insure themselves so we get to pay) all to produce so called cheap peaches. My guess is if we import the peaches rather than the peach pickers the true cost of peaches will be less to us.

[gubamyster]

ping

[brytlea]

Looking at your list, it almost looks like the govt created this problem, and now they want to solve it in the 100% wrong way....
susie

[tcostell]

Believe me for $2,000 a day plenty of people will do the work reliably. It's just a question of what he wants to pay. (and what costs he then has to pass off to the consumers)

In truth, he'll just automate.

[English Nationalist]

Paying a living wage is also an option for him.

[xcamel]

Really? How many illegals do you see on those boats featured on "Deadliest Catch" ????

(exactly none)

[Red Badger]

I picked cucumbers as a child, by the bushel, to earn money in Mississippi. I didn't think of it as degrading or below me. There is no such thing as a bad job........

[Gabz]

My 2nd grader and her best friend know food comes from somewhere before it gets to Safeway.........and they have learned it will come from where the end of their little fingers poked the seeds into the soil.

And now I head back out to pull the weeds around the sprouts of those seeds they planted.

[Red Badger]

I saw a few "illegals" on that show............they were crabs........