http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... ut063.html

Taxpayers footing the labor bill

Nov. 6, 2005 12:00 AM

Regarding "Who will work the fields?: Frustrated state farmers lose workers, profits to border sweeps," (Republic, Thursday):

Arizona taxpayers, not farmers, foot the bill for illegal immigrant labor.

Illegal immigrant Angel Guillien Velasco said it all, "I want to get away, find (a job in) something better like construction, but I need to save some money first."

This statement, coupled with the fact that Arizona has more than 500,000 illegal immigrants and needs only 56,000 migrant workers (this number from the same issue of The Republic) pinpoints the problem. Only 11 percent of our current illegal immigrant population is needed to fill our seasonal job needs.

The real problem is that the illegal immigrants don't want to pick chilies or lettuce. They want jobs in service industries or higher-paying construction jobs, i.e., jobs that U.S. citizens do want! - Ronald M. Vennell, Paulden