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Farmers: Trump 'terrible for agriculture'
Politico ^ | 09/01/2015 | Bill Tomson

Posted on 09/01/2015 5:28:18 AM PDT by GIdget2004

Even before real-estate mogul Donald Trump called undocumented immigrants "rapists and murderers" who "have to go," California contractor Carlos Castañeda was having difficulty hiring enough workers to pick celery and squash.

Now Castañeda and others fear Trump's talk about erecting a "big beautiful wall" at the border and deporting millions could make it near impossible to find the guest workers they need, and who would obtain legal status under most comprehensive reforms bills.

"There are growers out there screaming for labor," said Castañeda, a farm labor contractor in San Luis Obispo County in central California. "The people who are coming in are doing the work that not a single American would like to do."

Trump's brash talk about stopping undocumented immigration has excited GOP primary voters, turbocharged his campaign and spurred similar get-tough pledges from several rivals, including Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Scott Walker. But the view from many conservative-leaning agricultural communities is disgust, bordering on dread. Farmers say the candidate’s pronouncements have exacerbated already difficult labor shortages and brought counterproductive political attention to issues they had hoped to resolve quietly in Congress through legislation overhauling the nation’s broken guest-worker program.

Many say they will do everything in their power to educate the public about why Trump’s positions jeopardize their livelihoods — and the nation’s access to fresh fruit and vegetables.

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: farmers; guestworkers; illegals; immigration; trump
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To: C. Edmund Wright

C: Do you or anyone you know want these jobs?

If i had to i would pick fruit. Otherwise,I don’t WANT to support people, who don’t WANT to work, with taxpayer money.


41 posted on 09/01/2015 6:32:49 AM PDT by Leep (Cut the crap!)
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To: GIdget2004

If your business can’t turn a profit without hiring illegal labor, then you’ve got a poor business model.


42 posted on 09/01/2015 6:34:12 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

“There are growers out there screaming for labor,”...........

There are thousands of signs out there stating “Help Wanted”, I see them everywhere. People no longer need to work as it is easier to live on welfare that actually hold a job.

My daughter-in-law has a 22 employee calf raising operation and she can’t find workers either. Many local factories here in Wisconsin need welders and can’t find any that want to actually earn a good days wages.

Go to the local tavern and there, those who are capable, sit sipping their beer and telling each other how tough it is to find work. I don’t buy it.


43 posted on 09/01/2015 6:37:42 AM PDT by DaveA37
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To: ROCKLOBSTER

Less than 5% of the illegals work on farms.


44 posted on 09/01/2015 6:39:12 AM PDT by Beagle8U
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To: Leep
If i had to i would pick fruit. Otherwise,I don’t WANT to support people, who don’t WANT to work, with taxpayer money.

It's amazing what people would be "willing to do" once you cut off their welfare benefits.

It's amazing what people are able to devise once they don't have the physical labor to take care of it. (such as the robots that are now starting to work in the fast food industry)

It's amazing that we figure out how to hire legal migrant workers once the illegal trade it cut off. Believe it or not, there are legal ways to get migrant workers - it's just easier and more profitable to hire illegal workers.

45 posted on 09/01/2015 6:40:41 AM PDT by ozarkgirl
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To: freespirit2012

I’m assuming you support the laws mandating $15/hour minimum wage then?


46 posted on 09/01/2015 6:40:46 AM PDT by thefactor (yes, as a matter of fact, i DID only read the excerpt)
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To: C. Edmund Wright
SO...low labor costs from illegals benefits the consumer?

The illegal working for next to nothing gets food stamps ($133 per month per person)
Section 8 housing($600 per month)
Utility assistance ($200 per month)
Obamacare ($300 per month)
Public education ($750 per month per child)

If we assume each illegal adult has 1 child that's $266 per month in food stamps, plus $600 for section 8, plus $200 for utilities, plus $600 for Obamacare, plus $750 for public education.

That totals $2416 a month WITHOUT taxes.

A citizen would have to make $3k a month, before taxes, to do that.

Speaking of taxes, NOW they're saying illegals can qualify for the EITC.

47 posted on 09/01/2015 6:45:06 AM PDT by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life, Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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To: DaveA37
People don't want to get beat because they show up for work.

Illegal aliens work like the toughest union ever. If you aren't one of them you do not belong. Those are "their" jobs.

How many illegals does your DIL employ?

As for welders that is a skilled job usually controlled by unions.

It is not that people do not want to work, it is that they are blocked from working

48 posted on 09/01/2015 6:46:01 AM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (Proud Infidel, Gun Nut, Religious Fanatic and Freedom Fiend)
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To: GIdget2004

The same farmers that brought us sugar and peanut tariffs, mandatory ethanol in our tanks, taxpayer crop subsidies and the genesis of the subprime mortgage meltdown??

I used to work with farmers. They will come across as the most down-to-earth Conservative souls on the planet. Until you challenge their favorite Federal giveaway program. Then they’re ready to mow you down with a thresher.


49 posted on 09/01/2015 6:46:37 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: MrB
"They could still use migrant workers,
it’s just that they’d have to “sign in” when they come in
and not overstay their legal allowance."

There would obviously still be a need for a bracero program of sorts.

50 posted on 09/01/2015 6:47:35 AM PDT by moehoward
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To: GIdget2004

Bull squat! Some people like cheap illegal alien labor. Thats the story here.


51 posted on 09/01/2015 6:49:43 AM PDT by vpintheak (Man up and bring it politicians!)
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To: C. Edmund Wright
"just realize what you are doing to your own food prices......probably doubling fruits and vegetable prices. "

Not that produce is all that cheap, so the argument is flawed from the start. But lets pretend it is inexpensive. We are subsidizing that "cheap" produce by higher taxes for the social services consumed by Illegals. Similar to the way Walmart (for example) can keep lower prices while it's employees are directed to use food stamps and other forms of welfare.

52 posted on 09/01/2015 6:52:35 AM PDT by moehoward
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To: Norm Lenhart

Agreed. It will also result in increased automation/mechanization of agriculture.


53 posted on 09/01/2015 6:54:19 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: GIdget2004

We can’t blame the farmers for complaining. It was their complaining that caused that pimp jorge busho to open the borders in the first place. America was overrun with savages all in the name of big business.


54 posted on 09/01/2015 6:57:25 AM PDT by LouAvul (Liberalism, the bane of civilization.)
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To: McGruff

Lets not forget at some point the customers that pay for it themselves stop buying then the only people left to buy it are the elites or the people swiping their EBT card.

The selection of foods available would drop dramatically.

It wouldn’t take long the only foods would be foods that could be harvested mechanically.


55 posted on 09/01/2015 7:11:51 AM PDT by IMR 4350
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To: C. Edmund Wright

Supply and demand would necessarily cause the labor rate to rise without illegals. For a higher wage citizens would take the jobs. This will cause the price of food to go up in the short term. Technology innovation will result in lower prices again in the future.

Illegal workers are preventing technological innovation and the natural free market competitive process.


56 posted on 09/01/2015 7:13:14 AM PDT by orinoco (Orinoco)
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To: GIdget2004

we have plenty of reserve “guest workers” they are called WELFARE RECIPIENTS.... get off your and get to work...


57 posted on 09/01/2015 7:44:03 AM PDT by zzwhale
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To: C. Edmund Wright

That’s a great idea, going into the field to pick one’s own veggies. The farmer would be ble to offer a discount over the grocery stores even, since he wouldn’t have to pay salaries and do all the paperwork required when one has employees.

I have gone into the fields to pick my own vegs. When living in areas where i could do that.


58 posted on 09/01/2015 7:54:06 AM PDT by PrairieLady2
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To: DaveA37
My daughter-in-law has a 22 employee calf raising operation and she can’t find workers either at the wages being offered

Fixed.

59 posted on 09/01/2015 7:56:01 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: PrairieLady2
That’s a great idea, going into the field to pick one’s own veggies.

They should hire the marketing staff from that Mongolian barbecue chain to make it hip and cool.


60 posted on 09/01/2015 8:09:19 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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