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YOU have an advanced degree.....would you like to do landscape work, or irrigation installs???

I just had a conversation with a local Landscape Contractor (big one). I asked if all his Mexican's were gone today...he said, YES, they will work Sat. I (in a shocked voice said) YOU gave them the DAY OFF? His response....We had no choice. They were going to be gone anyway. Then, we discussed the issues.....bottomline he says is he cannot get any Americans with the work ethic to do the work (landscape, irrigation install). I know he is probably right, as my son, who is a subcontractor in construction (mostly siding) has had the same problem, and said the same thing.

Anyway, he also said this year they worked with the Feds and Mexican Govt to get 36 workers, all checked out, for 9 months. (They asked for 64, but only got 36.) He also said they don't do what some employers do, just look at the documentation they get with applicants....they send it to INS and get THEM to check it out. (Takes 30 days.)

We ended up agreeing the problem is the Gov't...i.e. CONGRESS who has not dealt with this problem for 20+ years.

We ended up agreeing the problem is the Gov't...i.e. CONGRESS who has not dealt with this problem for 20+ years.

The problem is not in the Congress.

The problem is that the American people have been mislead and deceived by socialists who claim that workers hurt the economy.

WORKERS NEVER HURT THE ECONOMY. ALL WORKERS HELP THE ECONOMY. THE MORE WORKERS THERE ARE THE BETTER IT IS. And it doesn't matter where the workers come from and what passports they have.

The only thing that matters for the economy is PRODUCTIVITY. It doesn't matter whether you are black or white or Mexican or Asian or American. The free market always rewards productive people.

The less we cherish productivity, the more socialists we have become.

If they recruited from Flint or Detroit Michigan, if they recruited from the Appalachian regions, if they recruited from Mississippi.....

They would have no problem.

But wait...

It's in the realm of possibility that this Landscape Contractor is taking you for a long ride... you took it hook line and sinker. I know that many Contractors are taking CASH JOBS themselves to compete with the well established veteran yet illegal aliens that have started their own Landscaping businesses here --- and many of them don't pay taxes just like the illegals.

They just mark it down in the books and a Paid Out - temp work.

.....bottomline he says is he cannot get any Americans with the work ethic to do the work

BS, not at the wages he wants to pay. He prefers to let me supplement his costs. Tell him to go "F" himself for me.

Then, we discussed the issues.....bottomline he says is he cannot get any Americans with the work ethic to do the work (landscape, irrigation install).

Do you really expect him to admit he's a cheat, and hiring them because of the latitude he gains by not hiring Americans.

Let me set you straight, pal. My brother IS a landscape contractor, and he admited around the family he hires illegals so he can treat them differently.

I haven't spoken to him since that day.

Then, we discussed the issues.....bottomline he says is he cannot get any Americans with the work ethic to do the work (landscape, irrigation install). I know he is probably right, as my son, who is a subcontractor in construction (mostly siding) has had the same problem, and said the same thing.

Maybe we have a chicken and the egg situation here. If you, as an American, found yourself in dire need of a job and considered applying for one in either agribusiness, landscaping, or construction, what would be some of the first deterrents that would occur to you? I would think that the first consideration would be that you'd know that the wage would be incredibly low (and, in some cases, below legal minimum) and that, therefore, your labor would be better inveted elsewhere.

So, the question is: does a shortage of Americans willing to do the work lead to illegals and depressed wages, or do the influx of illegals and the resulting depressed wages lead to a shortage of willing Americans?

My wife went to Walmart on Sunday to do some shopping. It was wall to wall Mexicans. They were doing their shopping on Sunday so they could "boycott" on Monday. I suspect that when the books are averaged over Sunday and Monday, it will look like any other day for average sales.

I am sick and tired of hearing this about the American work ethic !!! Tell that to the truck drivers who work 12 hrs days away from home, of the farmers who work longer to harvest crops, or, never mind.

These people don't have personal lives, they live 6-10 guys in a motel or apartment.

Would YOU want to go home to that or stay at work??

Jeezzzz,, when I was young in the military, I looked for extra duty for NO extra pay just for something to do and we had a TV that I could understand!!!! I'm so mad of hearing that I can't tpe@!!!!he cannot get any Americans with the work ethic to do the work (landscape, irrigation install). I know he is probably right, as my son, who is a subcontractor in construction (mostly siding) has had the same problem, and said the same thing.

These people don't have personal lives, they live 6-10 guys in a motel or apartment.

Would YOU want to go home to that or stay at work??

Jeezzzz,, when I was young in the military, I looked for extra duty for NO extra pay just for something to do and we had a TV that I could understand!!!! I'm so mad of hearing that I can't tpe@!!!!

he cannot get any Americans with the work ethic to do the work (landscape, irrigation install). I know he is probably right, as my son, who is a subcontractor in construction (mostly siding) has had the same problem, and said the same thing..

This is why we need to expand the guest worker program. Companies that do the RIGHT thing shouldn't have to compete against companies that are cheating and hiring illegals -- who have lower costs, and might be even MORE motivated because they are afraid of being caught.

Those "lazy americans" who won't do these jobs are going to have to work somewhere, or be unemployed the rest of their lives.

But they can't get these low-paying, entry-level jobs because the more skilled mexicans come here and take the jobs for less money.

Hey, the south's economy did really well when we had slavery. Exploitation of illegals is almost the same, except that they volunteer for duty.