Posted on 06/03/2011 7:53:51 PM PDT by ruralvoter
One hundred degrees worth of heat beats down upon the blackberry field, but Ismael Rodriguez plucks berry after berry with the speed of a veteran fruit picker.
Not far away, however, berries are shriveling on the vine on this South Georgia farm.
The farm owners say they don't have enough workers during this peak harvest season, namely Hispanic pickers such as Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a migrant worker. He is also an illegal immigrant. And, like many of his fellow pickers, he fears a new state law aimed at illegal immigration. Many migrants skipped Georgia this season as they follow the ripening of crops across the country.
Supporters of the law say that shows it is already working. They want the law to clear the state of illegal immigrants, who they say are taking advantage of Georgia's schools, hospitals and workplaces, draining public funds as they take jobs that could help the unemployed.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
>Great. Now the illegals will flow into NC and FL
Well, they cant come from here in mexifornia because I still avoid 100 mexicans in the parking lot just to enter Home Depot.
So what’s wrong with upping the wages and the price of berries so that American’s can pick them?
Many of the people who picked crops in bygone years are now paid by the government to sit on their butts, do drugs and watch Oprah all day. She’s gone now so they’ll have to stay with BET or Jerry Springer.
Teen agers used to take summer jobs picking but the government ended that with restrictive Nanny State labor laws.
If he would pay a decent wage, he could get legal people to pick them..
This stuff can be done legally.
I predict that as food prices continue to increase, many liberals will use the “we don’t have any more illegals and now you are paying more for food, blah, blah, blah”. Just a prediction...
It took longer to enclose the structure with windows and doors.
This technology wiped out more jobs faster than whole hordes of illegal aliens, but it sure didn't help that the illegals were there too!
Anybody on welfare and food stamps who is phyically able should be made to go out and work picking crops or lose their benefits. It’s time they gave back.
take your pick...lose the labor or lose the nation
“If he would pay a decent wage, he could get legal people to pick them..”
No kidding. Why am I not surprised that the problem is the employers, not the folks they hire?
Ping!
Cast even a cursory glance at “agriculture”, and your eyes will start burning from the blatant corruption of everyone involved in every single aspect of our modern food supply chain. Farmers,Government,Manufacturers and Retailers.
All those cans and boxes at the retail stores are filled with factory processed farm products.
Pick a product, say green beans.
I still like to eat them.
I absolutely detest the planting, weeding, picking, stringing and canning of them. I know exactly how much manual physical labor is involved to “farm” a 1/4 acre of beans, and produce enough processed green bean servings to feed a family of six beans for a year.
I very happily pay $200.00 retail for a years supply for two, of canned or frozen green beans, that I don't personally have to farm and process myself!
Would I pay $400.00?
Probably, but maybe not if my income was reduced, and if other basic food commodities suddenly doubled in price.
I really hate the planting, weeding, picking, stringing and canning of green beans.
But I am fortunate in that I do know how to trade/barter my knowledge and labor, and “arrange to rent” an acre of land, to produce enough processed foods to feed my family myself.
I don't have a problem with kicking the physically able of my fellow citizens off welfare and food stamps, if they are taught how to plant, weed, pick, string and can green beans first...and also have access to the acre of land they will need to feed themselves.
I do have a problem with people who think the solution to ignorance and poverty in the USA is forcible indentured servitude to a business owner/AKA Farmer.
Offer a hand up, but not a handout.
10 percent unemployment average nationwide, 50% unemployment amongst black youth and there’s a shortage of berry pickers?
somebody needs to advertise
The employer has to outbid the government check. This could be more than the value of the labor, considering that the check is a free money, but the farmer will want a full day of hard work in the field.
Note that the checks are issued not based on capitalist, market values ("who works more gets more") but based on socialist values ("even if you don't work we will provide you with basic necessities for life.") Also note that those monies are taken from working people by force. The market doesn't work well if the game is rigged.
Yep. I was reading this and thinking “Georgia? Seriously?” Plenty of unemployed in that state, unfortunately not enough “workers.”
Mechanize.
Oh I know, “We don’t have the harvesting machines for this crop”.
That’s true only because there has been no real motivation to design and produce them since illegal alien labor is cheap and abundant.
Once machines make more economic sense than quasi-slavery they will be produced and purchased.
Who harvest wheat with a hand held scythe anymore?.
Is anyone still commercially picking cotton by hand in this country?
Innovation and engineering, an area where the U.S. led before PC and the welfare state.
“If he would pay a decent wage, he could get legal people to pick them.”
Get the picker jobs posted at the unemployment office and insist those who are able bodied and on unemployment and/or welfare have to show up for work.
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