Posted on 11/24/2008 8:29:31 AM PST by george76
For months, CBS News has been following the deepening troubles of tiny Postville, Iowa, population 2,200. Now the shutdown of the town's main employer following a federal immigration raid has Postville at the point of desperation...
Postville, Iowa was just decorated with holiday cheer. But looks can be deceiving.
"In the last few weeks - it's really gone downhill dramatically," says Mayor Bob Penrod.
With empty streets - and shuttered shops - this small town is facing economic calamity.
Penrod is taking steps this weekend to declare a state of emergency here - but not a natural disaster - rather one that's man-made.
"If we don't get some help from the state or federal government, we're going to be in deep trouble financially,"
Earlier this month - Jeff and Holly's employer, Agriprocessors, a kosher meat processing plant here suspended operations, and filed for bankruptcy protection. Once the town's largest employer - this was just the latest in a string of setbacks for the company - and for Postville.
It all started on May 12, 2008, when hundreds of federal immigration authorities raided Agriprocessors and arrested 389 workers.
Many like Irma Rucal were undocumented immigrants. Six months later she still wears a tracking anklet and waits for a court date.
"There are a lot of people in the U.S. who, frankly, wouldn't have a lot of sympathy for you," Doane reminded Rucal. "They would say you shouldn't haven't been here you were working illegally and you shouldn't be able to work here."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Those properties were rented to illegal aliens from 20 different countries who now have no job, have moved out, aren't paying rent.
The Rubashkins have destroyed their own bretheren in their greed and thievery.
For $8 bucks and hour? You have to be kidding. I’ll bet the deflated illegal wage was $12. Americans would want $18-$20.
Absolutely correct. This isn't the only small town supported by a single industry and it won't be the last. It's fairly typical for this little bergs that are really just villages. Lumber mills close, processing plants move, and as evidenced by this article, slaughterhouses go out of business. The people will move on, and life will continue.
In the 60’s the UPWA managed to break the meat packing business. I lived in Sioux City, Iowa and one by one the packing houses closed up and moved into the interior of Iowa where they could get lower priced labor. Cherokee, IA and a number of other smaller towns now are home to good, high paying companies.
In ‘61, the average packing house worker made 2-3 times that of a high school teacher.
BTW, Sioux City had a population of ~80,000 in 1962. It is now about ~85,000. Not a growth area. Reason- They doggedly refuse any innovation or new industry. When a developer came in and wanted to put in a shopping center, they had to take the city to FEDERAL COURT to get the necessary approvals.
In a sane world, even in a small town, the citizens would at least attempt to rescue themselves. Asking nearby towns to help in filling the jobs the illegals held.
Sounds like these smart people are getting in line for federal free money err.... bailouts.
then that labor spends their paychecks at those small businesses; diners taverns groceries & gas stations...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.