Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Status:
"Apparently the worst poster on CD"
(set 29 days ago)
27,650 posts, read 16,138,284 times
Reputation: 19074
Advertisements
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Feinstein and Craig Emergency Legislation to Relieve Labor Shortage in Agriculture
- Amendment would help to solve the labor shortages facing farmers-
Washington, DC – The Senate Appropriations Committee today on a bipartisan basis approved legislation sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho) that would provide emergency relief to the nation’s current agriculture labor shortage.
The legislation was offered as an amendment to the Iraq supplemental spending bill.
The Emergency Agriculture Relief Act does not provide a path to citizenship or a green card. However, it would grant temporary, limited immigration status for experienced farm workers who would be required to continue to work in American agriculture for the next five years.
This legislation is designed to address the perennial shortage of agriculture workers. These shortages have caused fruit to rot on trees and farming operations to move to Mexico.
“This amendment provides a consistent, stable workforce for an industry that depends almost exclusively on undocumented labor - agriculture. And it provides temporary status for those who have worked in agriculture and who will continue to work in agriculture for a number of years,” Senator Feinstein said at the Committee Markup today.
“This amendment is cosponsored by Senator Craig, as well as other members of this Committee and the Senate.
This amendment has been negotiated with growers and farm workers. It is supported by the American Farm Bureau, the United Farm Workers, and dozens of organizations across the nation. Virtually every farm organization in the United States is in support of this legislation.
We need this legislation because in the last year, 13,280 farms in the United States have shut down and others have moved their operation to Mexico. In fact, U.S. farmers operate at least 84,000 acres in Mexico. It is estimated that the United States will lose $5 billion to $9 billion to foreign competition.
This is not amnesty. It is an emergency agricultural worker bill, which will give protected status to those workers who have worked in agriculture within the last 48 months. They must work at least 100 days a year in agriculture for the next five years, and it includes a five-year sunset. This bill also reforms and streamlines the H-2A program.
Agriculture needs a consistent workforce. Without it, they can’t plant, they can’t prune, they can’t pick, and they can’t pack. And the time has come for Congress to step up to the plate.
I have tried along with Senator Craig, Senator Hagel and others who are cosponsors to find a way to pass this bill. For more than a year, I have tried to move this bill, and we have not been able to find a vehicle.
So this is an emergency situation. I believe it’s appropriate to put it on this bill, and I would hope that this committee would agree to this legislation.”
“We are continuing to tighten our border security, but at a time of accelerating food prices, we cannot deny consumers the abundance of American agriculture’s effort, for lack of a labor force,” Craig told the Committee. “Oranges are rotting on trees in Florida, and our crops are being moved and grown south of the border. If we want food security and food safety, we should be providing as much food as we can here, and we can’t do that with our current labor
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Feinstein and Craig Emergency Legislation to Relieve Labor Shortage in Agriculture
- Amendment would help to solve the labor shortages facing farmers-
Washington, DC – The Senate Appropriations Committee today on a bipartisan basis approved legislation sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho) that would provide emergency relief to the nation’s current agriculture labor shortage.
The legislation was offered as an amendment to the Iraq supplemental spending bill.
The Emergency Agriculture Relief Act does not provide a path to citizenship or a green card. However, it would grant temporary, limited immigration status for experienced farm workers who would be required to continue to work in American agriculture for the next five years.
This legislation is designed to address the perennial shortage of agriculture workers. These shortages have caused fruit to rot on trees and farming operations to move to Mexico.
“This amendment provides a consistent, stable workforce for an industry that depends almost exclusively on undocumented labor - agriculture. And it provides temporary status for those who have worked in agriculture and who will continue to work in agriculture for a number of years,” Senator Feinstein said at the Committee Markup today.
“This amendment is cosponsored by Senator Craig, as well as other members of this Committee and the Senate.
This amendment has been negotiated with growers and farm workers. It is supported by the American Farm Bureau, the United Farm Workers, and dozens of organizations across the nation. Virtually every farm organization in the United States is in support of this legislation.
We need this legislation because in the last year, 13,280 farms in the United States have shut down and others have moved their operation to Mexico. In fact, U.S. farmers operate at least 84,000 acres in Mexico. It is estimated that the United States will lose $5 billion to $9 billion to foreign competition.
This is not amnesty. It is an emergency agricultural worker bill, which will give protected status to those workers who have worked in agriculture within the last 48 months. They must work at least 100 days a year in agriculture for the next five years, and it includes a five-year sunset. This bill also reforms and streamlines the H-2A program.
Agriculture needs a consistent workforce. Without it, they can’t plant, they can’t prune, they can’t pick, and they can’t pack. And the time has come for Congress to step up to the plate.
I have tried along with Senator Craig, Senator Hagel and others who are cosponsors to find a way to pass this bill. For more than a year, I have tried to move this bill, and we have not been able to find a vehicle.
So this is an emergency situation. I believe it’s appropriate to put it on this bill, and I would hope that this committee would agree to this legislation.”
“We are continuing to tighten our border security, but at a time of accelerating food prices, we cannot deny consumers the abundance of American agriculture’s effort, for lack of a labor force,” Craig told the Committee. “Oranges are rotting on trees in Florida, and our crops are being moved and grown south of the border. If we want food security and food safety, we should be providing as much food as we can here, and we can’t do that with our current labor
Yet another example of our dependence on migrant workers, they support the base of our economy, [moderator cut: inappropriate comments]
Last edited by madicarus2000; 05-18-2008 at 12:04 PM..
Reason: deleted inappropriate comments
Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Feinstein and Craig Emergency Legislation to Relieve Labor Shortage in Agriculture
- Amendment would help to solve the labor shortages facing farmers-
Washington, DC – The Senate Appropriations Committee today on a bipartisan basis approved legislation sponsored by U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho) that would provide emergency relief to the nation’s current agriculture labor shortage.
The legislation was offered as an amendment to the Iraq supplemental spending bill.
The Emergency Agriculture Relief Act does not provide a path to citizenship or a green card. However, it would grant temporary, limited immigration status for experienced farm workers who would be required to continue to work in American agriculture for the next five years.
This legislation is designed to address the perennial shortage of agriculture workers. These shortages have caused fruit to rot on trees and farming operations to move to Mexico.
“This amendment provides a consistent, stable workforce for an industry that depends almost exclusively on undocumented labor - agriculture. And it provides temporary status for those who have worked in agriculture and who will continue to work in agriculture for a number of years,” Senator Feinstein said at the Committee Markup today.
“This amendment is cosponsored by Senator Craig, as well as other members of this Committee and the Senate.
This amendment has been negotiated with growers and farm workers. It is supported by the American Farm Bureau, the United Farm Workers, and dozens of organizations across the nation. Virtually every farm organization in the United States is in support of this legislation.
We need this legislation because in the last year, 13,280 farms in the United States have shut down and others have moved their operation to Mexico. In fact, U.S. farmers operate at least 84,000 acres in Mexico. It is estimated that the United States will lose $5 billion to $9 billion to foreign competition.
This is not amnesty. It is an emergency agricultural worker bill, which will give protected status to those workers who have worked in agriculture within the last 48 months. They must work at least 100 days a year in agriculture for the next five years, and it includes a five-year sunset. This bill also reforms and streamlines the H-2A program.
Agriculture needs a consistent workforce. Without it, they can’t plant, they can’t prune, they can’t pick, and they can’t pack. And the time has come for Congress to step up to the plate.
I have tried along with Senator Craig, Senator Hagel and others who are cosponsors to find a way to pass this bill. For more than a year, I have tried to move this bill, and we have not been able to find a vehicle.
So this is an emergency situation. I believe it’s appropriate to put it on this bill, and I would hope that this committee would agree to this legislation.”
“We are continuing to tighten our border security, but at a time of accelerating food prices, we cannot deny consumers the abundance of American agriculture’s effort, for lack of a labor force,” Craig told the Committee. “Oranges are rotting on trees in Florida, and our crops are being moved and grown south of the border. If we want food security and food safety, we should be providing as much food as we can here, and we can’t do that with our current labor
How can this be??? I thought there was a line of our own home rown kids waiting to do this jobs...
This is part of the problem with a great deal of the population; not being willing to perform this type of labor. The period of increasing one's wealth on paper, borrowing against it and spending it has come home to roost in many western countries.
People becoming aware of a need to be willing to manufacture at home, produce agriculture with legal residents is essential moving forward.
Yes, higher prices will occur, but as a society, once everything is evaluated, we'll be in better shape. It is expedient and not clear thinking to pay less for something, looking so closely at one's food bill, while not realizing what other impacts and expenses occur from this.
There will be legal U.S. residents increasingly willing to do this work and it will be interesting how all this ends up being resolved as an economy of plentiful jobs dries up and people need to examine a need to work and provide for their families.
This story is quite old and I believe that politicians will need to face the reality that importing workers is not a palatable concept as unemployment will continue to rise. Individual citizens will need to examine a mentality of avoiding physical labor or menial jobs. There is honestly nothing wrong with them. I've done a lot of physical labor myself; enjoy it and despite being sore afterwards, there is a pride in seeing what one has produced, whether picking fruit or mowing 10 acres.
I hope that society moves forward with taking care of itself with legal U.S. residents stepping up, taking responsibility and providing the range of services and labor needed within the country. Income will need to be adjusted reasonably; but with not paying all of the associated costs with having non-legal residents supply this labor, society will improve and benefit.
This is part of the problem with a great deal of the population; not being willing to perform this type of labor. The period of increasing one's wealth on paper, borrowing against it and spending it has come home to roost in many western countries.
People becoming aware of a need to be willing to manufacture at home, produce agriculture with legal residents is essential moving forward.
Yes, higher prices will occur, but as a society, once everything is evaluated, we'll be in better shape. It is expedient and not clear thinking to pay less for something, looking so closely at one's food bill, while not realizing what other impacts and expenses occur from this.
There will be legal U.S. residents increasingly willing to do this work and it will be interesting how all this ends up being resolved as an economy of plentiful jobs dries up and people need to examine a need to work and provide for their families.
This story is quite old and I believe that politicians will need to face the reality that importing workers is not a palatable concept as unemployment will continue to rise. Individual citizens will need to examine a mentality of avoiding physical labor or menial jobs. There is honestly nothing wrong with them. I've done a lot of physical labor myself; enjoy it and despite being sore afterwards, there is a pride in seeing what one has produced, whether picking fruit or mowing 10 acres.
I hope that society moves forward with taking care of itself with legal U.S. residents stepping up, taking responsibility and providing the range of services and labor needed within the country. Income will need to be adjusted reasonably; but with not paying all of the associated costs with having non-legal residents supply this labor, society will improve and benefit.
Great post, want to run for Congress?
"Income will need to be adjusted reasonably" - I believe the minimum wage already doesnt apply to legal agricultural workers. But I too suspect wages will be adjusted further downward.
What a load that article is. The biggest reason farms, especially in the Midwest, were folding was the high cost of fuel. When diesel is 5 bucks a gallon you can't make a profit even if wheat is 5 bucks a bushel. Most farm equipment has a horrendous burn rate and the gas powered machinery is even worse.
"Income will need to be adjusted reasonably" - I believe the minimum wage already doesnt apply to legal agricultural workers. But I too suspect wages will be adjusted further downward.
Wages in the Yuppie class are deteriorating with so many Wall Street types, etc. losing their jobs------------possibly forever.
Note that many of us blue collar types have already been decimated financially between real word wages drops courtesy of inflation and the need for more and more of us to carry our own health insurance (no more employer help).
This is part of the problem with a great deal of the population; not being willing to perform this type of labor. The period of increasing one's wealth on paper, borrowing against it and spending it has come home to roost in many western countries.
People becoming aware of a need to be willing to manufacture at home, produce agriculture with legal residents is essential moving forward.
Yes, higher prices will occur, but as a society, once everything is evaluated, we'll be in better shape. It is expedient and not clear thinking to pay less for something, looking so closely at one's food bill, while not realizing what other impacts and expenses occur from this.
There will be legal U.S. residents increasingly willing to do this work and it will be interesting how all this ends up being resolved as an economy of plentiful jobs dries up and people need to examine a need to work and provide for their families.
This story is quite old and I believe that politicians will need to face the reality that importing workers is not a palatable concept as unemployment will continue to rise. Individual citizens will need to examine a mentality of avoiding physical labor or menial jobs. There is honestly nothing wrong with them. I've done a lot of physical labor myself; enjoy it and despite being sore afterwards, there is a pride in seeing what one has produced, whether picking fruit or mowing 10 acres.
I hope that society moves forward with taking care of itself with legal U.S. residents stepping up, taking responsibility and providing the range of services and labor needed within the country. Income will need to be adjusted reasonably; but with not paying all of the associated costs with having non-legal residents supply this labor, society will improve and benefit.
This is what this economy needs, a good dose of inflation in the middle
of deep recession, to take us straight into hyperinflation/depression.
How can this be??? I thought there was a line of our own home rown kids waiting to do this jobs...
No, there is a line of our home grown kids to do all the other jobs illegals are doing these days. It is hard to find anyone in this day and age willing to do the "real" work which farming entails. Why do you think agriculture is suffering? It is because all those migrant workers we allowed in to work in the fields have moved on to the better paying, less labor-intensive jobs that Americans would most assuredly do. So the obvious solution according to our government is to bring in even more migrant workers while not doing a thing about the 20 or 30 million illegals we already have here taking up what could be real American citizen's jobs.
This country is getting utterly ridiculous and instead of standing up for our laws and sovereign freedom we have countless illegal apologists running around trying to further this depressing agenda. Please, stop supporting the economy of our neighboring country and start supporting the home team here. Our economy is in shambles and now there seem to be some crazy politicians who want to bring in more foreign laborers. If this continues you will all eventually be out of a job and you will be saying, "But I am not a farmer or a construction worker, how did this happen?"
So now you have no excuses. I have laid it out for you as simply as I know how. More migrant workers means fewer American jobs will be filled by citizens. It is as simple as that.
PS I would also like to add that I myself have seen how things go when someone other than an immigrant goes looking for farm work.
My father in law is a roofer, and he has been virtually put out of business by the illegal labor force and their ridiculously low prices. The only thing keeping him afloat right now is the repair work he's been doing behind these immigrant crews. But a few months ago he had nothing, and despairing for his home he went looking for anything to make money. He talked with 3 separate farmers about possibly doing some labor work for them.
They all replied in the same way: "Sorry, but I usually use the Mexicans."
So, would it really matter if there was a line of home grown kids waiting for those jobs. No. Because in the minds of the farmers, those positions can only be filled by immigrants.
They all replied in the same way: "Sorry, but I usually use the Mexicans." So, would it really matter if there was a line of home grown kids waiting for those jobs. No. Because in the minds of the farmers, those positions can only be filled by immigrants.[/quote]
Yeah, sure, but why?, it has been generations of lazy ones that have created this bad reputation about home-grown labor, it will take some effort to convince employers that we, the home grown, are employable.
Last edited by Mori-vivi; 01-11-2009 at 11:56 AM..
Reason: grammar
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
