So.. who's gonna do the work illegals used to do, if they're driven out?

[Lanius]

http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/06/17/gas-farm-labor-crisis-playing-out-as-planned/

NOTE: This post includes substantial material published earlier on this blog. It is published here as the electronic version of today’s AJC column.

After enacting House Bill 87, a law designed to drive illegal immigrants out of Georgia, state officials appear shocked to discover that HB 87 is, well, driving a lot of illegal immigrants out of Georgia.

It might be funny if it wasn’t so sad.

Thanks to the resulting labor shortage, Georgia farmers have been forced to leave millions of dollars’ worth of blueberries, onions, melons and other crops unharvested and rotting in the fields. It has also put state officials into something of a panic at the damage they’ve done to Georgia’s largest industry.

Is it mostly true, the article?

[coppertales]

The folks on welfare when they have to start earning all that free money they got in the past...............................chris3

[AJ Dual]

The folks on welfare when they have to start earning all that free money they got in the past...............................chris3

There's not much else to say here.

Our own domestic underclass needs to be pushed back into the labor market.

[Lanius]

The article said that prisoners refused that kind of work... and there's not enough of them anyway.

BTW, doesn't Georgia have something like a 15% real unemployment rate?

[Balog]

When the state stops unemployment benefits and refers the folks to the farmers, that's when.

[dogmush]

BTW, doesn't Georgia have something like a 15% real unemployment rate?

So Georgia has a bunch of jobs without workers, and a bunch of workers without jobs?

I'm having trouble understanding how these two problems don't solve themselves.

[Hawkmoon]

As an editorial in the Valdosta Daily Times notes, “Maybe this should have been prepared for, with farmers’ input. Maybe the state should have discussed the ramifications with those directly affected. Maybe the immigration issue is not as easy as ’send them home,’ but is a far more complex one in that maybe Georgia needs them, relies on them, and cannot successfully support the state’s No. 1 economic engine without them.”

Or ... maybe a problem the government of the United States has allowed to be created over a period of decades should not be expected to correct itself in a period of two weeks, or even two months.

Nationally, unemployment is nearly 10 percent. Out of all those people, plus the slackers taking home welfare, there must be enough warm bodies with the physical and mental capacity to pick blueberries.

[Hawkmoon]

So Georgia has a bunch of jobs without workers, and a bunch of workers without jobs?

I'm having trouble understanding how these two problems don't solve themselves.

I suspect one of the problems is that illegals have depressed the wage rate. The truth is that it isn't a question of illegals doing work that Americans won't do ... the truth is that illegals do the work for less than Americans want to be paid, because the illegals don't pay taxes on the income.

[dogmush]

I suspect one of the problems is that illegals have depressed the wage rate. The truth is that it isn't a question of illegals doing work that Americans won't do ... the truth is that illegals do the work for less than Americans want to be paid, because the illegals don't pay taxes on the income.

Want being the key word here.

As we already discussed the jobs in question apparentlly average $12.50/hr.  I understand that many folks don't want to work in the hot sun for that kind of money.  When I did outside, hard work for less then that there were difinantly days I didn't want to.  However they don't want to starve either.

The fact of the matter is that, in GA, $12.50/hr ain't bad money.  Anyone in that state currentlly reciving .gov assitance for not having a job needs to get their lazy ass to work, as there's obviously jobs to be had.  The choice should be returned to work or starve.

[41magsnub]

To help I bet the grower coops could charter the summer idled school buses to get labor from the cities out to the fields.

I fully support making it mandatory that if they collect welfare and are physically capable of picking produce that they do so.  I agree that the wages are artificially depressed.  It is not an entirely free market solution, but I imagine that something could be worked out so that if a person on welfare does this they still collect a reduced welfare benefit plus their farm wages the end result of which is a slightly higher income.  Everybody would win in that scenario..  the welfare folks get more cash, the farmers get their harvests done for a similar cost if slightly higher, and the state would spend less on welfare.  Ideally it would be a transitional program until wages became normalized and the welfare component could be eased out.

Of course they are screwed now....  the time to have been figuring all this out was last fall and over the winter.

Also...  it will be called racist.  Resurgence of slavery or something.

[MillCreek]

Or as another alternative, I think this would be just the ticket for prison work gangs.  I know that if I was in the joint, I would sure rather be doing some productive work rather than just staring at gray walls all day. 

[henschman]

I guess I fail to see how it violates anyone's rightful liberty for someone to come here from another country and try to engage in voluntary association with someone here.  I don't think there should be laws against things that do not amount to a violation of someone's liberty. 

[AZRedhawk44]

The article said that prisoners refused that kind of work... and there's not enough of them anyway.

BTW, doesn't Georgia have something like a 15% real unemployment rate?

Prisoners are in prison due to misaligned moral compasses.

Agricultural work is hard work.  It involves standing, walking, kneeling, lifting, carrying, picking, harvesting and other physical activities.  I did it for 5 years in high school and college, in the 90's.  Harvesting hay, peas, strawberries and carrots.

The problem is that high school kids think they are above doing this work.

[roo_ster]

So.. who's gonna do the work illegals used to do, if they're driven out?

People who the farmers pay to do the job.

Or ... maybe a problem the government of the United States has allowed to be created over a period of decades should not be expected to correct itself in a period of two weeks, or even two months.

Yep

Eventually, farmers will have to pay a bit more for labor (in total) or invest capital on mechanization & automation. The cost will be passed on to the consumer.  Luckily, the migrant farm labor cost component of fruits & veggies is very small at the consumer end.  Fluctuations in the dollar's value and weather patterns will dwarf the $0.01 to $0.02 increase per head of lettuce that would be required to get enogh Americans to do the job.

I guess I fail to see how it violates anyone's rightful liberty for someone to come here from another country and try to engage in voluntary association with someone here.  I don't think there should be laws against things that do not amount to a violation of someone's liberty.  

Well, being an American, I take issue when someone violates my nation's sovereignty and the very clear and unambiguous will of the citizenry.

Then, their employers inflict upon me the costs required to provide medical care (9000 anchor babies are born in Dallas County's public hospital per year), gov't schooling, policing, welfare benefits to the families of anchor babies, etc.  IOW, employers of illegal aliens privatize the profits and socialize the costs.  This is wrong when mega-corps do it and it is wrong when small business shitbirds with business models that require breaking federal law and screwing their neighbors do it.

[Jamisjockey]

When you can stay on unemployment nearly indefintely....why bother doing menial labor?

And, as mentioned, this is a repost.

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=29840.0

I guess I fail to see how it violates anyone's rightful liberty for someone to come here from another country and try to engage in voluntary association with someone here.  I don't think there should be laws against things that do not amount to a violation of someone's liberty.  

Because those people are often paid under the table, or steal the identities of legal citizens so they can work "legally". Also, anchor babies are eligible for a host of benefits from wic to school lunches and free healthcare.
A welfare state cannot exist with open borders.
If you think our country allows free-market association and that you have liberty to conduct business at your discretion, you're sorely mistaken.  


Already under discussion at the above link.  Continue the discussion there.