December 10, 2005

More fretful farmers whining for you to pay for their labor

The N.C. Times' William Finn Bennett offers "Local farmers fret over rising cost of wages". That reporter is usually better than writing articles like this, and he or anyone else who believes anything these farmers say should first read "Jon Vessey, crops rotting in the fields, and pro-illegal immigration propaganda" or "The Mirage of Mexican Guest Workers".

While the article is full of disgusting bits, this might be the worst:

"American workers are not willing to work these types of jobs for this type of pay... Most young people (in this country) have never even held a shovel ---- Americans would not eat if they depended on other Americans to do farm labor."

Obviously, this country has done some mighty important and noteworthy things. Just off the top of my head, we've been to the moon, we've dammed mighty rivers, we've expanded the U.S. from thirteen colonies into a world collossus, we've fought world wars, and so on and so forth. And, some pissant grower dares say we'd starve without a foreign serf class? As politely as I can muster: up yours, buddy. Perhaps he should consider moving to another country, because he obviously doesn't belong here.

But, looking on the bright side of that noxious comment, it sounds like a good lesson could be had by both parties. Our (supposedly) spoiled and unskilled young people could learn shovel work. And, those growers who employ illegal aliens could learn a new skill as well: making license plates.

If these farmers' crops are really going to rot in the fields, perhaps they should stop trying to take advantage of illegal behavior and paying foreign serfs to do stoop labor in what is alleged to be an advanced First World country. Perhaps we should import strawberries rather than serfs. And, perhaps they should pay the full and fair price for that labor instead of expecting everyone else to pick up that cost. Or, perhaps those growers should push for research into farm mechanization with the same tenacity.

And, perhaps Dan Weintraub should look for the story behind the story (as evidenced by the second and third link above), rather than writing things like this:

First nurses, then teachers, now farmworkers. Labor shortages are becoming a big story in California.

Perhaps he should look into this in a bit more depth rather than falling for propaganda.

Posted to Immigration2005b at December 10, 2005 03:09 AM

Comments

"American workers are not willing to work these types of jobs for this type of pay."

At least I'll give him credit for more honesty than most MSM which would say simply that US workers won't do this type of work, period. If there were a true shortage of workers, wages would be going up. They're not.
And by all means, don't fall for the tired old "lettuce at $5 a head unless you let us import and exploit cheap labor". We are paying vastly more for lettuce and other produce but we are paying it indirectly instead of at the grocery store. We pay it in the form of K-12 education for these laborers children, in our hospitals and prisons, and a million other ways in quality of life.
The "farmers" are passing on the cost of their "cheap labor" to consumers indirectly instead of directly and pocketing the profit. If they had to pay the true cost of their "cheap labor" or a high enough salary that US workers could afford to do the work and the cost of lettuce went up, then consumers could decide individually whether the higher cost was worth paying. If enough of them decide that it isn't, the demand for lettuce goes down along with the need to grow it. If enough of them decide that it's worth the extra cost, then they buy it and it's worth the farmers effort to grow it. It's just that simple.
We keep our houses cooler in the winter than in the summer to save on electricity and gas. If we could find a way to make our neighbors pay our bills without even knowing that they are doing so and if we were totally unethical, we could sleep with some of the windows open all year and still be toasty warm in winter and cool all summer at our neighbors' expense.

Posted by: D Flinchum at December 11, 2005 05:15 AM