Millions of dollars of produce rotting in Georgia

Discussion in 'West Mall' started by Bevo Incognito, Jul 2, 2011.

  1. Bevo Incognito

    Bevo Incognito 5,000+ Posts

    I guess this is the counterpoint to Cedar Park Fan's post about illegal immigration in Arizona.

    Millions of dollars worth of produce are rotting in Georgia's fields because, after the enactment of anti-illegal legislation, there's nobody to pick it:



     
  2. Namewithheld

    Namewithheld 2,500+ Posts

    We need a good guest worker program......that's it, not illegal aliens.
     
  3. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts


     
  4. THEU

    THEU 2,500+ Posts

    something like 14 million Americans are out of work... sounds like there are 11,000 jobs to be had in GA...
     
  5. NEWDOC2002

    NEWDOC2002 1,000+ Posts


     
  6. Horn6721

    Horn6721 10,000+ Posts

    What BS
    There is a visa for agri work. There is NO limit to the number of agri workers that can come to USA under this visa.

    No need for illegals when this visa covers as many agriworkers as needed:


    attempt at counterpoint, Failed
     
  7. Musburger

    Musburger 500+ Posts

    Simple solution. We have thousands of 99ers in Georgia (extended unemployment benefits) collecting money for doing nothing. Why not find a way to pay them for picking peaches instead of sitting on the sofa? They do something productive and the rest of us can buy good fruit at lower prices?
     
  8. Texex81

    Texex81 500+ Posts


     
  9. HornsInTheHouse

    HornsInTheHouse 500+ Posts

    Georgia's unemployment rate is 9.9 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So...why can't they pick the crops? Maybe the problem is undocumented immigrants were used to lower wages rather than fill positions no one else will. This is how the free market responds: when there is a labor shortage, you raise wages.
     
  10. Bevo Incognito

    Bevo Incognito 5,000+ Posts


     
  11. pasotex

    pasotex 2,500+ Posts

    There is some reason that agricultural visas are not being used despite their apparent availability for anyone and everyone. Maybe somebody could investigate why this is?
     
  12. HornsInTheHouse

    HornsInTheHouse 500+ Posts

    I was not aware of the agriculture visa, either. I wonder if they have to apply at a U.S. Consulate for one, in which case their risk of over-staying the visa is assessed.
     
  13. HornsInTheHouse

    HornsInTheHouse 500+ Posts

    Upon further research, there is an H-2A agriculture visa strictly for temporary ag workers. As with any visa, there is a lot of time-consuming paperwork required of both the employee and employee. Both probably just find it easier to work illegally.
     
  14. GT WT

    GT WT 1,000+ Posts

    Interesting NPR podcast about this issue -
    The Link

    Apparently the agribusiness folks and the state employment people tried hard to attract unemployed Georgians. The work is hard and the pay is low.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Bevo Incognito

    Bevo Incognito 5,000+ Posts


     
  16. THEU

    THEU 2,500+ Posts

    It's almost as if Americans have become so lazy that they would rather suckle from the teat of the government rather than to do hard work at low wages.
    If there is no other work, then you take the work you find. And for the record, I mowed yards in Texas as a teenager in order to have a 'summer' job as a jr. high and hs student. I say summer because we know in Texas it is more like March through Nov/Dec what with leaf raking and all. It was a good job which paid better than just about every job my friends had in HS, but the work was pretty hard, and most were simply not willing to work in a non A/Ced place.
    I also worked on a farm. I will confess it wasn't picking vegetables, but was more things like working cattle, using a weedeater, and also some work on a tractor using a shredder. I have rebuilt several barbed wire fences though, and hauled some square bales of hay. It was good work and I was glad to get the $5 an hour for it.
    Quite honestly, I admire illegal immigrants and other immigrants who are willing to work hard to better their circumstances. I am a proponent of an expanded visa, and guest worker program. I do NOT think immigrants take jobs from 'hard working' Americans. Simply because I don't think Americans are all that hard working. Let's open the gates to those who want to work, and have the government teats dry up. Long live those immigrants, who though here illegally are willing to work hard. F the American worker too entitled to do hard work.
     
  17. GT WT

    GT WT 1,000+ Posts


     
  18. Longhorny630

    Longhorny630 1,000+ Posts

    Can't we just have a Grapes of Wrath II and have some okies move out there and pick it.
     
  19. THEU

    THEU 2,500+ Posts

    GT,
    I agree with you very much. One of the reasons I am so opposed to illegal immigrants working, is NOT to deny them the jobs they want and are willing to do, but rather so that they have some means to be legal so they have legal protections.
    I am opposed to illegal immigration because of coyotes and people dying in the back of trucks and in the desert. This is a vastly different reason than because I hate Mexicans or some such nonsense that often comes from the left.
    One issue that I think it most sensibly talked about here on WM is the issue of immigration. We might not agree on much, but we seem to have decent conversations about immigration matters.
     
  20. mop

    mop 2,500+ Posts

    GT and Theu….i am with you here too. my wife is half Mexican so i am certainly not anti-Mexican (well, i certainly could be regardless, but i am not!). i do think that there are some strange memes coming out on this issue as if by being against illegal immigration a person is automatically a racist.
     
  21. mop

    mop 2,500+ Posts

    GT and Theu i am with you here too. my wife is half Mexican so i am certainly not anti-Mexican (well, i certainly could be regardless, but i am not!). i do think that there are some strange memes coming out on this issue as if by being against illegal immigration a person is automatically a racist.
     
  22. AustinTejasFan

    AustinTejasFan 1,000+ Posts

    "Georgia's unemployment rate is 9.9 percent according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So...why can't they pick the crops?"

    So you think the unemployed in Georgia (and elsewhere) should voluntarily give up ~$400 a week (for doing nothing) to work in the blazing sun picking fruit for the same or less money?
     
  23. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts


     
  24. AustinTejasFan

    AustinTejasFan 1,000+ Posts

    "And I think if the ******** on unemployment refuse to do available work, then their benefits should immediately cease. "

    Just the ******** or everybody? Any available job?
     
  25. HornHuskerDad

    HornHuskerDad 5,000+ Posts


     
  26. EPThorn

    EPThorn 500+ Posts

    I also agree that we NEED a workers visa program. Its a shame that the 400 or 500K unemployed people in Georgia dont see this an oppurtunity to have some pride and get off the Uncle Sams tit.
    All these entitlements have turned americans in a bunch of prideless *******.

    I worked my *** off installing and fabricating HVAC systems to help put myself thru college for 3 years and i would do the same or similar if i needed to feed my family.
     
  27. ProdigalHorn

    ProdigalHorn 10,000+ Posts


     
  28. dheiman

    dheiman 1,000+ Posts

    We just need to unionize GA farms, then we will be sure to fill the positions. In fact, these jobs would never be vacant again. The farm unions could lobby for higher wages and more benefits. Other than the farmer going bankrupt, this is a win-win.
     
  29. BrothaHorn

    BrothaHorn 1,000+ Posts


     
  30. Crockett

    Crockett 5,000+ Posts

    It's been touched on here, but one obstacle to having American-born workers take agricultural jobs is that they would have expectations of safe, decent working conditions. Illegals, not so much.
    I stacked hay as a high school and college student during the summers and made really good money, often taking home $100 of 1977 money after spending 8-9 hours sweating and breathing hard. I loved it, though most of my friends preferred working at a air-conditioned grocery store for 1/2 the pay. The illegals have tranformed the workplaces though. No longer can you make decent money for unskilled work, no matter how hard. The American-born are pretty much excluded from the semi-skilled trades of construction where the inflow of folks from abject poverty in Mexico has depressed wages to the point that a roofer, mason or tile man can't make a middle class living. You have to be a union pipefitter or an electrician for that anymore.
     

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