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This drives down wages for all people working and why it must end. Some Unions exist simply to live off of the members forced to support the leaders of it.
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not choosing a side here, I'm just trying to learn more.
The USA is a net exporter of food and supplies almost half of the worlds grain. If farm workers were all legal and making minimum wage wouldn't this cause the prices of the produce we grow to increase? Thus, causing our products to be less competitive, reducing the number of sales, and increasing our trade deficit?
^^ You don't exactly have third-world migrants out there picking grain in the hot sun. Grain production is highly mechanized and requires very little physical labor to produce huge heaps of grain. It also requires access to huge amounts of capital, which is another reason you don't find a lot of third-world migrants involved in grain production.
As for this "take our jobs" stunt, the reason why Americans won't take these jobs is because we're not willing to accept third-world living conditions just to have a job. Our forebears worked themselves to the bone to ensure that subsequent generations wouldn't have to settle for that kind of life, and we would dishonor the gift they've left us to accept 19th-century living conditions again. Pay a wage that provides for industrialized-world living conditions and you'll have Americans lined up out the door.
Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not choosing a side here, I'm just trying to learn more.
The USA is a net exporter of food and supplies almost half of the worlds grain. If farm workers were all legal and making minimum wage wouldn't this cause the prices of the produce we grow to increase? Thus, causing our products to be less competitive, reducing the number of sales, and increasing our trade deficit?
That lame old argument of huge increases in prices without illegal workers has been laid to rest already.
That lame old argument of huge increases in prices without illegal workers has been laid to rest already.
What is the problem with documenting these guest workers and make sure they come through the proper channels? We can have them seasonally like we used to and then they go home. Farmers could even provide simple temporary homes, like we used to..it was called migrant housing. I am sure Sheriff Joe could fill those jobs in a heart beat and perhaps offer credits to the prisoners for an early release. Cost to the farmers...nothing. We have become a nation that can't even solve the most simple of problems the nation of "no we can't."
What is the problem with documenting these guest workers and make sure they come through the proper channels? We can have them seasonally like we used to and then they go home. Farmers could even provide simple temporary homes, like we used to..it was called migrant housing. I am sure Sheriff Joe could fill those jobs in a heart beat and perhaps offer credits to the prisoners for an early release. Cost to the farmers...nothing. We have become a nation that can't even solve the most simple of problems the nation of "no we can't."
Maybe you can ask their 15 kids who anchor them here . Cost us trillions in education, healthcare, food stamps, shelter , prison and welfare .
What is the problem with documenting these guest workers and make sure they come through the proper channels? We can have them seasonally like we used to and then they go home. Farmers could even provide simple temporary homes, like we used to..it was called migrant housing. I am sure Sheriff Joe could fill those jobs in a heart beat and perhaps offer credits to the prisoners for an early release. Cost to the farmers...nothing. We have become a nation that can't even solve the most simple of problems the nation of "no we can't."
That is what the H-2A visa is all about and it is already in place and is unlimited. The farmers choose to use illegal labor instead because it increases their profits so I don't see this guest worker program as a solution to the problem.
The United Farm Workers Union admits that the majority of farm workers in the US are illegal immigrants, however they argue that regular Americans will not take these jobs.
In order to prove this, they have set up this website www.takeourjobs.org and will offer a farm workers job to any American who completes the application process.
A lot of people on this forum talk about how Americans would do these jobs. Yet, even with the unemployment rate being 9.5%, only a couple dozen Americans have taken the offer.
Many poor and uneducated African-Americans and Whites, especially those living in areas like the rural Southern United States or Industrial Midwest would gladly take a farm job given the economic conditions in those areas where literally no jobs are available. I would also support loaning non-violent prisoners out to large farms if they have shortage of workers to work during the day.
The problem is the pay is not worth the risk. You risk heat stroke or health hazards with anhydrous ammonia if you are prepping the fields for planting. Minimum wage or below minimum wage is not worth it imho. I have worked my grandfathers farm for years. He makes really good money with only 2000 acres. Imagine if he was one of these large corps that have 100,000+ acres. They still refuse to pay min wage. Grandpa paid all of his hands 10.00 per hour back in the mid 80's.
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