Thread: GOP hopefuls nix guest workers

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/103272

By Howard Fischer
CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.19.2005

PHOENIX - All three key Republican candidates for governor say guest-worker programs depress wages and take jobs from U.S. citizens and should be curtailed or scrapped entirely.

John Greene, a former state Senate president, said Friday that current programs to bring in foreign workers - and new plans proposed in Congress - are due to politicians' "bending to the pressure of special interests that benefit by paying substandard wages to illegal immigrants."

Greene said that makes no sense while U.S. citizens are unemployed or making low wages.

Jan Florez, a former Appeals Court judge, said countries like Canada and Australia have proven it is possible to farm and ranch without bringing in low-paid workers from other countries.

She said farmers may need an additional season or two to wean themselves from foreign workers - legal and illegal - but after that the door should close.

And Don Goldwater, nephew of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, said U.S. citizens will be willing to do those jobs "if you raise the price enough and pay people enough."

But the president of the Arizona Farm Bureau said few legal residents are willing to do the kind of work that has to be done on farms and ranches, like baling hay at 2 a.m.

"There are just not enough bodies in this country who want to pick lettuce even for $10 an hour, or for $15 an hour," said Kevin Rogers, who grows cotton, alfalfa and wheat at several Maricopa County sites.

"We need 30,000 people a day in Yuma right now to do our lettuce harvest," he said. "There's not 30,000 people in Yuma who want to work, that are available to work, to come do those jobs."

Goldwater said he's willing to accept some foreign workers if farmers can prove that even with higher wages they can't get help. "We can't let the crops die in the field."

Florez said eliminating guest workers would mean some things "are going to become more expensive." But she said it is "not a fantasy" to assume that people who want work will do all sorts of jobs - if the price is right.
And Greene said, "Americans are willing to do that kind of work as long as they're paid fairly for it."

He also said Arizonans are subsidizing employers who pay substandard wages, as the state is stuck with byproduct costs of immigrant labor ranging from health care and education for the workers and their families to increased crime and people driving uninsured vehicles.

Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat who will face off against whoever wins the GOP primary, said a proposal co-sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is "a realistic solution" to illegal border crossing.

It includes not only more law enforcement, "which we sorely need," but also a new guest worker program as well as letting an estimated 11 million people in this country already here illegally remain.

But Greene, who raised the guest worker issue Friday in releasing a border security and immigration plan, said that is unnecessary if employers pay "free market" wages.

Jan Florez, a former Appeals Court judge, said countries like Canada and Australia have proven it is possible to farm and ranch without bringing in low-paid workers from other countries.

Now if Canadian and Australian farmers and ranchers can figure this out, Why can't the Americian farmers and ranchers?

And Don Goldwater, nephew of the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, said U.S. citizens will be willing to do those jobs "if you raise the price enough and pay people enough."

Don might be on to something here.

"There are just not enough bodies in this country who want to pick lettuce even for $10 an hour, or for $15 an hour," said Kevin Rogers, who grows cotton, alfalfa and wheat at several Maricopa County sites.

$15 per hour plus benefits? Maybe some displaced construction workers who still have families to support.

"We need 30,000 people a day in Yuma right now to do our lettuce harvest," he said. "There's not 30,000 people in Yuma who want to work, that are available to work, to come do those jobs."

I'm going to help them out here. They can mark off 2 heads of lettuce per week that we were buying.

He also said Arizonans are subsidizing employers who pay substandard wages, as the state is stuck with byproduct costs of immigrant labor ranging from health care and education for the workers and their families to increased crime and people driving uninsured vehicles.

Same for NC and throw in housing, welfare, free breakfast/lunch program, ESL teachers, driving drunk, NO insurance, NO vehicle registration, NO license even though they're pretty easy to get here, court cost, jail cost, cost for additional law enforcement, etc.

It includes not only more law enforcement, "which we sorely need," but also a new guest worker program as well as letting an estimated 11 million people in this country already here illegally remain.

Well at least she got more law enforcement right I guess!

Considering the number of nonviolent criminals who have been incarcerated highest in the developed world we should also look at conditional parole.