AG JOBS ALERT! Immigration laws dry up farming work force

AG JOBS ALERT!
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Immigration laws dry up farming work force
By: Samuel Loewenberg
October 24, 2007 04:40 PM EST

Emerging from the offices of a Midwestern senator last Friday, Sharon Hughes and Bruce Goldstein made for an unlikely couple. Hughes is the chief lobbyist for a coalition of agribusiness interests. Goldstein is a longtime advocate for farm worker rights. For much of the past two decades, the two were on opposite sides of the negotiating table.

Now they are allies in a heated, and hurried, campaign to pass legislation offering legal status to more than 1.2 million immigrant workers. They face tough opposition from members of Congress who favor strict restrictions on immigration.

The Hughes/Goldstein partnership is an unusual story in Washington: seemingly intractable foes deciding to work together toward a common goal.

“It is a little weird. We do still disagree on a lot of major issues,â€

There are prisoners....who can work...

[quote]Without AgJOBS, there will be shortages, crops will rot and American agriculture could face significant disruption,â€

How is giving amensty to 1.2 million who are here going to get those 1.2 million to work on the farms that are experiencing shortages? :?:

Johnson, Thune tout Senate farm bill
Gannett News Service
10/24/2007

WASHINGTON - The Senate Agriculture Committee rolled out its version of the farm bill Tuesday, which includes provisions that would preserve South Dakota's native grasslands, protect its beef producers and promote its ethanol industry.

South Dakota Sens. Tim Johnson, a Democrat, and John Thune, a Republican, said a number of their proposals are included in the legislation. Thune sits on the committee, which is scheduled to begin debating the five-year bill today.

The Senate could get the bill by next week. The House approved its version in July.

But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has promised to attach legislation making it easier to legally hire immigrant farm workers. The AgJobs measure is opposed by conservatives who say it would provide amnesty to illegal workers.

"I would really like to keep that whole debate separate, if we can. If the immigration issue rears its head during the debate on the farm bill, that's very problematic for us passing a bill," Thune said.

The bill includes Thune's Biofuels Innovation Program legislation, which he introduced in May along with Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. The program would provide $200 million in incentives to farmers who deliver crops - such as switchgrass - that could be turned into cellulosic ethanol.

"The whole intent of this particular program is essentially to jump-start the cellulosic industry," Thune said.

Johnson and Thune praised the bill for having a provision that would require the Agriculture Department to enforce a country-of-origin meat labels law. They're disappointed a proposal to disallow farm payments to those making more than $250,000 a year did not make it into the bill.

"I'm optimistic that it will be revisited on the floor of the Senate," Johnson said. "There is much work ahead ... but today marks a significant step toward moving South Dakota's agricultural community forward."

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 40309/1001

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"I would really like to keep that whole debate separate, if we can. If the immigration issue rears its head during the debate on the farm bill, that's very problematic for us passing a bill," Thune said.

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Feinstein without a doubt, with Reid's compliance, will try attaching her AgJobs Amendment to the Farm Bill. Contact your Senators now before we need to ratchet up in high gear to fight Ag Jobs. Tell them absolutely NO AMNESTY and NO PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP for illegal aliens, farmworkers or not.

I am going to Fax them and say "NO DAMN IT" WHAT PART OF NO OR NO AMNESTY DO YOU NOT GET!!!! :evil:

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Originally Posted by zeezil

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"I would really like to keep that whole debate separate, if we can. If the immigration issue rears its head during the debate on the farm bill, that's very problematic for us passing a bill," Thune said.

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Feinstein without a doubt, with Reid's compliance, will try attaching her AgJobs Amendment to the Farm Bill. Contact your Senators now before we need to ratchet up in high gear to fight Ag Jobs. Tell them absolutely NO AMNESTY and NO PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP for illegal aliens, farmworkers or not.

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I agree zeezil, and will phone tomorrow on this -- others, please help out if you can. The AgJOBS amnesty proposal would be even larger than the bad Dream Act amnesty proposal.

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Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

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Originally Posted by zeezil

Feinstein without a doubt, with Reid's compliance, will try attaching her AgJobs Amendment to the Farm Bill. Contact your Senators now before we need to ratchet up in high gear to fight Ag Jobs. Tell them absolutely NO AMNESTY and NO PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP for illegal aliens, farmworkers or not.

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Yup, this is from another news source:

"The overall farm bill could become even more difficult to resolve, however, if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is correct in telling the AP other senators may offer an amendment to give legal status to some temporary migrant farm workers."

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"The overall farm bill could become even more difficult to resolve, however, if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is correct in telling the AP other senators may offer an amendment to give legal status to some temporary migrant farm workers."

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Insanity: Doing the same thing (amnesty proposals) over and over again and expecting different results.

Harry Reid IS insane. Let's ratchet up again folks...and this time send Harry back to asylum for final lockup.