Thread: Farmers Call Crackdown on Illegal Workers Unfair

August 11, 2007
Farmers Call Crackdown on Illegal Workers Unfair
By JULIA PRESTON
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/11/us/11immig.html

Facing the prospect of major layoffs of farmworkers during harvest season, growers and lawmakers from agricultural states spoke in dire terms yesterday about new measures by the Bush administration to crack down on employers of illegal immigrants.

“This is not just painful, this is death to the American farmer,â€

Just hire Americans; pay them a decent wage; raise your prices.

We'll pay it. We always have. Americans are not going to starve themselves because you hired American Workers.

"Unfair". Right, now they will not be able to buy a new Cadillac Escalade every year, or buy that bigger vacation cabin at Lake Tahoe.

You know when the H2A program first came out they talked about how great it was. Now they cannot stand it?

If the employers cannot obtain valid Social Security information for an employee within three months after receiving a notice of any discrepancies, they must fire the worker. Illegal immigrants often present false Social Security numbers on job applications.

It was my understanding that Social Security Administration didn't send these so-called discrepancy lists out but once a year. So does this mean an illegal could have 12-months of job security? Okay, let's assume a company does have some employers with false Social Security numbers - why are they being asked to fire the illegal? Why can't they notify ICE and have the illegals apprehended? Oh, that's right, ICE doesn't have the resources.

Ms. Torrey warned that dairy cows would die from lack of milking if New York farmers had to fire immigrant dairy workers.

Geez, being a little melodramatic aren't you Ms. Torrey? Trust me, the farmers will improve wages before they'll allow their cows to die. If they can't care for their cows legally, perhaps they should sell them to someone that can. If that's not an option - send 'em to the slaughter house. NYC could always use some more stew meat for their soup kitchens. The unemployed illegals have got to eat, don't they?

They have been allowed to get away with this so long they refuse to change and will hound our congress until they pass a bill in their favor instead of changing their ways.

Another example of businesses running or government.With 300 million people in the US wouldn't you think they could find a work force ?

Give Me A Break !!

Ms. Torrey warned that dairy cows would die from lack of milking if New York farmers had to fire immigrant dairy workers.

Umm Ms. Torrey, those tall rubber boots are for irrigating alfalfa, not spreading BS propoganda. My brother in law works for a dairy in invaded Tulare CA. Yet their milkers are legals! It's not a hard job, you just hook the cow up to the suction tubes, but it pays $15 to $20 an hour. Illegals are not needed.

Why are we worrying about our Famers

I thought most of our funky food comes from China and South of the border

mmmmm Farm Fresh Catfish with anti-body's

Ecolli ...... gimme a bite of that "Yummy"

Famers want low cost "Cheap Labor" so they can export good food to countries that have a FDA that protects it's citizens and get a higher return ... here ... we are just a number that consumes, consumes, consumes and gets fat

So what if the some of the workers have Hepititis A or B and takes a dump in the carrot patch ... common, take a chance... the hell with Los Vega's ... your food supply is risky enough

While we at home are subject to nasty cheap products flooding our oconomy All I got was a belly ache :P

Cheap Labor and Crap in the Crop.

Don't forget the $5 Tomatoes!

All these farmers that are whinning don't pay a prevailing wage, nor do they run ads in the paper looking for farm labor. Waaaaaaa!

Dixie