Missing migrants put area farms in tight spot

The Daily News ^ | Jul 08, 2006 | Sophie Swecker

[Shimmer128]

So we keep out a few illegals and the entire economy falls apart?? I don't know if I believe this story or not.

[cripplecreek]

Necessity is the mother of invention and it sounds like somebody better get to inventing.

[Joe Brower]

It would only makes sense that when rampant lawbreaking has gone on for so many decades, it's illegality is after a while simply ignored, and soon after entire business models are built upon it's existence.

I have a hard time sympathizing. Now that the fear has grown that the law will actually be enforced, it's to be expected that effects like those described here would be seen.

Oh well. As a private businessman myself, I say only "adapt or die".

[joe fonebone]

did this doorknob ever consider an ad in the local paper? contacting the counselors at the local high school, maybe? I am sure some high school kids would do this work (unless this guy is paying .25cents and hour, in which case his a$$ should be in prison for violating federal labor laws.....

[bilhosty]

There already is invention. Automatic blueberry picking machines have been around for years. Pull it behind a tractor and pick Blueberry's in few minutes what it would take Mexicans a day to pick. I find it incredible that they are not using these machines now.

[ncountylee]

"The only reason I'm here is to help my family," she said.

The reason I want you sent home is to help my family. I'm sick of having a significant portion of my family's taxes go to supporting illegal aliens.

[Jameison]

"I never see Americans out here picking strawberries. It's not true. Besides that, we're doing the jobs they don't want to do," she said"

She's no fool.
She made sure to listen to President Bush's speeches alright, and repeat them to anyone that'd listen.
Sigh.
Of course the fact that its false doesn't even come into the equation as far as she is concerned.

[Vigilanteman]

"Fifteen years ago we would have a steady stream of young people coming to us to ask for a job. This year, we didn't have one Caucasian person come to us," added Dobbins.

Yep. The article is awfully short on facts. I wonder if he is still paying what he did 15 years ago.

[redgolum]

Heck, Walter Hitchcock was saying that when he filled in for Rush once.

For me, that says that we have once again become addicted to "free" labor. Last time our nation did that, we fought the bloodiest war in our history. I fear what will happen here when all these people doing jobs Americans won't do decide to "reclaim" Atzlan.

[McGavin999]

Hey farmers, I'll tell you where all those migrant pickers are, they're here in the city earning $15.00 to $20.00 an hour, just like the migrants before them.

[DBrow]

This is the sort of job high school kids, the unemployed, and those able-bodied on welfare could do nicely.

0.35 per unit does not sound like much but I used to pick apples at 40 cents the bushel and made enough money to satisfy my high school needs and then some.

Tis farmer should get with the program and stop using illegal slave labor.

[newcthem]

We have the same situation in the packaging industry. Rather than use current technology, automated equipment, the el-cheapo operators use Mexi-matics, which are more expense but do not require capital investment.

I for one have NO sympathy for these clowns who cry when they can't get their usual slave labor. As another poster said, most towns, especially rural, have lots of high school kids who would be glad for the opportunity......but unfortunately they don't speak spanish.

[mrs. a]

"The workforce on the farm is almost entirely made up of Latino migrant workers, and Dobbins speculates that many of his usual workers simply did not show up this year because border crossing has become too dangerous and too expensive for those who have to hire "coyote" guides to help them."

So this guy's bottom line is suffering because he no longer has unlimited access to an illegal resource?

Sounds like he had a bad business plan to start...

[wolfcreek]

Blueberries are running about $3 a pint here in Texas. Hard to feel sorry for greedy incompetent slave drivers.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

His prosperity is based on behaving illegally.

Why don't we think of that the same way we think of other forms of organized crime?

[Day Kay]

I've talked to a mother in Yakima who wanted her teenage sons to get agriculture jobs and they couldn't," he said, adding that he believes employers are hiring illegal immigrants to drive down prices and avoid having to pay taxes on workers.

This is in direct odds with the farmer who said not one Causcasian applied for a job. So whats the cause/solution to the disparity? One says no whites applied; another said the sons "couldn't" get agricultural jobs. Why couldn't they? Didn't pay enough? (I know an 18 year old who would sit home and do nothing rather than work for minimum wage - he thinks he's worth more, and obviously, $0 income is somehow preferable....) Or will the farmers simply not hire because of the paperwork/tax issues? I know I'm no economist, but how about if we apply that whole "supply/demand" theory, and put in "cost of labor" at a wage that non-migrant workers need, then increase the cost of the product.....if it's really wanted, people will buy it (gasoline being a good example here...)

[TomGuy]

Machine picking costs him about 85 cents a pound, where handpickers make about 35 cents a pound.

Maybe if he tries paying handpickers 85 cents a pound, he might find more people willing to pick those pounds.

[devane617]

It's hard when you have to give up your slave labor. Invent a machine to do the process, or pay a wage that and American will work for. Problem solved.

[Jameison]

"Such a program would grant migrant workers a permit, for a fee, to come into the U.S. for the harvest months, and then return to Mexico for the rest of the year. "

Exactly who is going to pay for their health care, education of the kids they invariably bring in, etc etc?
This is simply the old robbing Peter to pay Paul principle.

People like this Dobbins, simply want us tax payers, to shoulder the lion's share of the costs of them doing business.
They pay low wages, drive down wages of everybody, and end up sticking us with the bill for practically every social service/health care needs these people have.

It's penny wise, pound foolish. We are simply not gonna take it anymore.

[radar101]

COST OF American Worker...about $40 /hour.
The worker can pay a mortgate, health care, and buy groceries.
COST OF ILLEGAL...$10 /hour

Who pays that difference? YOU DO, the American Taxpayer.