Posted on 09/30/2011 3:26:22 AM PDT by loucon
"We have just passed a law that conforms with federal law," he said. "We will see what happen. We expect them to do their job now and we'll see if they are going to do it."
But when only five pickers showed up Thursday morning to harvest his sweet potatoes, farmer Keith Smith saw possible ruin: the loss of his half-million dollar crop.
"They're running scared because of this new law," said Smith.
"And you're in trouble?" asked Strassman.
"I'm in trouble. Bad trouble."
Smith's 200 acres need 20 pickers, mostly Mexican nationals. "There is not enough documented people here to supply that workforce," he said.
"Most of your workers are here illegally?" asked Strassman.
"Sure," said Smith. "If they got documentation, they got a better job than working for me."
Fernando Aldaman is a Mexican national who has worked Smith's farm since 1992. Strassman asked him if everbody's scared. "Yeah," said Aldaman.
"Now are you here legally?" asked Strassman.
"No."
"Are you scared?
"Yeah I'm scared. I'm scared."
Smith's pickers make about $100 a day. He supports immigration laws -- just not this one that threatens his third-generation family farm.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
While I don't like illegal immigration, you have to understand the mindset of the government. At least many of these people go home 6 mos out of the year, are from this continent.
I am not making excuses but I will tell you, think about our government and how they solve problems.
Not that I support it, but I would rather see American workers getting paid under the table illegally than illegal workers.
You should support it - with the provision that the EITC is revoked.
Paying workers "under the table" means that they aren't registering any contribution to FICA, which will bite them later when its time to "cash-in". Furthermore, the costs to everyone for reporting and circulating the cash through hands of bureaucrats just so it can be returned in EITC money is justification enough.
I know it sounds unfair, but it really is a total waste for everyone to report incomes below a certain point because the paperwork and the shuffling of cash costs more than any money collected through taxes. As was mentioned in earlier posts to this thread by others, the regulations and compliance costs are so burdensome that I imagine the real costs would be upwards of twice the cost of what a day laborer's wages are.
I remember picking berries as a kid and loved it. I loved being able to make x amount of dollars per flat. The earning power was all on me.
Smith’s 200 acres need 20 pickers, mostly Mexican nationals.
No one “needs” Mexican nationals, he needs pickers, unless your business plan calls for hiring illegal workers and paying them under the table.
We will pay more because guys like this have been exploiting cheap illegal labor to keep his costs down. Most likely he pays cash so no taxes are being collected to help cover the cost of services. Maybe fruits and vegetables really should cost 10 or 20% more. Either way, for once, I think I can live with my expenses going up if in the long run other things will go down if we can stop supporting illegal aliens.
I am having a hard time feeling sorry for a guy who can only make his busines work by cheating the system and perpetuating a fraud upon the real taxpayers of this country.
Not when they can sit at home watching TV (big screen) and make nearly that by walking to the PO once a month for the government check and other benefits.
Here at Casa HomeAtLast, we live on $10/day per person. Too bad I’m a US citizen nowhere near this bonanza where an illegal invader can pick up $100/day, some free snacks and a substantial amount of vitamin D.
It’d be a big step for us.
Oh wait, it’s sweet potatoes. Yuck! Never mind. Ptui!
Is that 8 hours? 15 hours? Seriously if its 8 then fine. Its a living wage.
I'm in a rather distressed rural area in PA. If someone around here were hiring vegetable pickers for $10/day, it would look like a gold rush with free beer and an apparition of Mary.
“a rather distressed rural area in PA”
Descibes almost all of the PA I grew up in.
Up in my neck of the woods, the migrants (illegals) roll into the area and the first thing they do is pick up their bundles of food stamps and then head on over to the free housing that the farmers provide...
The gov't has set up free day care for the little illegals while the parents and their other children work the fields...A large family can earn a bundle of cash...Many of them drive new 4 wheel drive trucks...
They spend very little of the money they earn...Those that I've talked to say they work in the U.S. in the summer and go back to Mexico in the winter and relax...A big vacation...All winter long...
Most of the farmers won't hire local white people...Likely they get some pretty good tax breaks for hiring the illegals...
Likely they get some pretty good tax breaks for hiring the illegals...
Not paying ANY employer taxes is a pretty good break in my opinion!
Lucky you! “Distressed” only refers to the economics. Other than that, I love it here. Low taxes, low crime, guns prized, Christianity practiced as an integral part of normal and respectable behavior. :)
I’m sure there are citizens who would be willing to make $26,000/yr (that’s $500/wk).
This guy doesn’t want to have to mess with FICA, Medicaid, Worker’s Comp, etc...
My local ER is not overflowing, driving my local hospital to ruin.
My schools are full of American citizens who don't take 90% of the teacher's time because they can't speak English.
I'm not paying more in taxes to expand prisons to hold illegals who commit violent crimes.
My property values aren't driven down by slums with 4 -5 "famalies" in each house or apt.
My streets and highways are safer, minus the un-insured POS's driven by illegals.
My taxes aren't rewarding criminals with food, shelter, and cash.
This same BS came up here in GA several mos ago when our new immigration law went into effect. There was a big flap over it for several weeks then nothing. The crops got picked an everything is right with the world again. I guess they had to pay a little more to hire legal workers.
The farmer can pay people as independant contractors and he would not have to withhold taxes. I know small farms operate on a very slim margin, but so do other small businesses. If the farm can’t make it without breaking the law, well, the farm can’t make it. Sorry. We live in a dynamic society and just because the business model worked 100 years ago does not mean it works now.
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