Thread: Indiana Farmers: only hope for farms is for AG JOBS to pass

Lock & Load, people! Have you noticed the recent increase of articles in the MSM on farmers whining about the need for immigration reform and Ag Jobs? The massive Chamber of Commerce and Illegal Alien Advocacy groups are feeding garbage to the MSM who are hungrily lapping it up and these groups are stalking tha halls of Congress whining to politicians. Many un-holy alliances are being formed. RAMP IT UP, NOW!!! Start calling, e-mailing and faxing Congress before this dance gets to the Senate floor. We need to be extremely pro-active on this. Ag Jobs is coming soon and we must defeat it!!!

U.S. Government Crackdown On Illegal Workers Could Hurt Local Farmers
by Nora Gathings (hsgathings@wsbt.com)

YouNewsTVâ„¢Story Created: Oct 8, 2007 at 9:43 PM EDT
Story Updated: Oct 9, 2007 at 8:53 AM EDT
By WSBT News1

The unseasonably warm weather brought an early harvest. That means thousands of migrant workers have left our area. But many farmers are wondering whether they'll return next year.

Homeland Security told farmers in August they must ensure migrant workers provide proper documentation.

Employers have always been required to check for proper documentation. But often the worker's Social Security number does not match other documents. The Social Security Administration sends out what's called a mismatch letter.

Now, Homeland Security is forcing employers to notify the workers in question. They must then prove they are eligible to work in the U.S.

Farmers say the problem is most workers aren't and if the law is enforced, they fear they won't have workers or crops.

The grueling work makes harvesting an undesirable job for most Americans.

"After a few days, they are tired and want to move on to some other job," says Fred Leitz, owner of Leitz Farms in Sodus, Michigan.

Thousands of migrant workers arrive every summer willing to harvest local crops. And farmers, like Leitz, are ready to check their documents.

"As long as on face they are correct and look good, we hire them," he says.

Once the crops are harvested, the workers are gone. But it's then the employers are notified by the government that many Social Security numbers don't match.

"I have to go through my records and make sure it's not a clerical error and give it to them [the employees] to rectify the document problem," says Leitz.

He says around 70 percent of farm workers wouldn't be able to provide legal documentation.

"I will lose a lot of my work force. they won't be able to work for me. And in agriculture, we have no replacement workers. American people don't want jobs like that," says Leitz.

He's been traveling to Washington D.C. for the past eight years, lobbying for a guest worker program, something U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, (R) Florida, would also like to see.

"It's a necessary workforce," says Senator Martinez.

But he says current laws must be enforced first.

"One of the problems we have in passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill is a lack of confidence in the government's ability to enforce the laws," he says.

Already, Senator Martinez has seen labor shortages in Florida's citrus industry.

And local farmers fear it's a problem that will lead to more imported produce.

"We can do it cheaper and better than anyone else. But they are going to take our migrants away from us, and we can't do it," says Leitz.

A San Francisco judge has prevented Homeland Security from enforcing the law for now. But farmers and lawmakers anticipate that the stop order will be lifted.

Farmers say their only hope in keeping their farms open is for Congress to pass legislation.
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/10330222.html

We're seeing more and more of these MSM AgJOBS sob stories.

If you have the chance, call Sen. Thad Cochran's office -- a staffer said he has two employees on the Agricultural Committee.


______________

Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

WSBT?? LOL that station is a joke, and HIGHLY left wing. Pay no mind to them. That's located right in my home town. They are a child of the "South Bend Tribune" Hence the "WSBT". The "local farmers" here grow Soybean and corn, which is ALL harvested by machines.

I agree zeezil. Predictably, the MSM is basically using AgJOBS special interest press releases for their articles.

__________

Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

YEP I noticed and I am ready for them!!! Until they come up with a bill where they come in here temporarily and they go home when the job is done and not into other industries they can only blame themselves . If they were that desperate they would quit pushing amnesty and put forth a true temorary worker program. We are not stupid. 38 million people and they still can't get farm workers, give us a break!! insanity( they keep doing the same thing over expecting a different end to their problem).


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTION ALERTS! Please take action
(VIDEO)
William's interview with Rick Sanchez (Fantastic, lets promote it)!!!
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=86152
"CAPS ACTION ALERT......"Dream Act"
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=84966
"State Legistatures for Legal Immigration" PETITION
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=84944
Welcome to "AIIPAC"
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... ic&t=83274

Until they come up with a bill where they come in here temporarily and they go home when the job is done.

Sosad, I think Senator Sessions is proposing just such as plan, along with Chambliss and Hutchison (that includes NO amnesty). I've read about the broad outlines of this plan and not the details, but it sounds SOOO much better than Feinstein's huge AgJOBS amnesty scheme.

__________

Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

Originally Posted by Populist

Until they come up with a bill where they come in here temporarily and they go home when the job is done.

Sosad, I think Senator Sessions is proposing just such as plan, along with Chambliss and Hutchison (that includes NO amnesty). I've read about the broad outlines of this plan and not the details, but it sounds SOOO much better than Feinstein's huge AgJOBS amnesty scheme.

__________

Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

WOW populist its about time huh, I hope you are right because I am sick of hearing these farmers complain. Why aren't the day workers out there doing the Ag work, I just heard they can not get more than 2 days a week worth of work. Thats probably where they started out in the first place.

IDK this is making no sense. We allow our tech, manufacturing, higher paid service jobs to go away. Now we've millions of unemployed/underemployed citizens. Our concern is propping up Third World hand pick agriculture jobs and importing workers to do that? What's Costa Rica going to sell us that they wanted in CAFTA? This whole AGJOBS is just invasion cover.

Sosad,
Here is an excerpt from the Houston Chronicle dated 9/17/07 that describes that basic principles of Sen. Sessions' et al. plan. Predictably, the OBL and other greedy interests aren't pleased with it:
-------------

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison may find herself in the thick of that debate as she and other Republicans search for a way to deal with agriculture's labor shortages without providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

The Texan is working with a trio of fellow Republicans — Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Jon Kyl of Arizona and Jeff Sessions of Alabama — on a guest worker program for agriculture and other industries.

Hutchison made clear the GOP plan, shaping up as the rival to Feinstein's AgJobs bill, would not offer citizenship to the temporary workers.

"The problem we had in the last bill was the controversy over amnesty," Hutchison said when asked how her legislation could avoid the fate of the proposed comprehensive immigration fix.

Sessions, who called AgJobs a "massive amnesty," is pressing for a program that would allow foreign workers to stay in the U.S. for as long as 10 months and then return home before applying to re-enter for another temporary work cycle.

The idea is unacceptable to immigrant-rights advocates and many in agriculture, which is heavily dependent on a work force estimated to be at least 70 percent illegal.

"Everyone knows (the GOP plan) is designed to kill AgJobs," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant-advocacy group. "And it will not pass."

Hutchison is making no promises. "I don't know if we are going to be successful," she said. But, she added, "Let's try taking it in smaller pieces and do what, really, Congresses in the past should have done."

Feinstein has said she has more than 60 Democratic and Republican backers for her bill — which, if correct, could provide a filibuster-proof majority. The measure, embraced by most agriculture interests, also has widespread support in the House, where it has yet to be scheduled for a vote.

But no one is rushing to claim victory just yet.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5139911.html

_________

Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

Originally Posted by Populist

Sosad,
Here is an excerpt from the Houston Chronicle dated 9/17/07 that describes that basic principles of Sen. Sessions' et al. plan. Predictably, the OBL and other greedy interests aren't pleased with it:
-------------

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison may find herself in the thick of that debate as she and other Republicans search for a way to deal with agriculture's labor shortages without providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.

The Texan is working with a trio of fellow Republicans — Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Jon Kyl of Arizona and Jeff Sessions of Alabama — on a guest worker program for agriculture and other industries.

Hutchison made clear the GOP plan, shaping up as the rival to Feinstein's AgJobs bill, would not offer citizenship to the temporary workers.

"The problem we had in the last bill was the controversy over amnesty," Hutchison said when asked how her legislation could avoid the fate of the proposed comprehensive immigration fix.

Sessions, who called AgJobs a "massive amnesty," is pressing for a program that would allow foreign workers to stay in the U.S. for as long as 10 months and then return home before applying to re-enter for another temporary work cycle.

The idea is unacceptable to immigrant-rights advocates and many in agriculture, which is heavily dependent on a work force estimated to be at least 70 percent illegal.

"Everyone knows (the GOP plan) is designed to kill AgJobs," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant-advocacy group. "And it will not pass."

Hutchison is making no promises. "I don't know if we are going to be successful," she said. But, she added, "Let's try taking it in smaller pieces and do what, really, Congresses in the past should have done."

Feinstein has said she has more than 60 Democratic and Republican backers for her bill — which, if correct, could provide a filibuster-proof majority. The measure, embraced by most agriculture interests, also has widespread support in the House, where it has yet to be scheduled for a vote.

But no one is rushing to claim victory just yet.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5139911.html

_________

Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

Thanks Populist, thats not good though is Feinstein thinks she has 60 votes already. We better get to work on these people real soon. Isn't this suppost to come to the floor next week? do you know? Now I could go along with Sessions as I trust him to do the right thing.