western growers

western growers: Page 1

Discussed in (click each link for the full post):

Ben Powell promotes Red Card plan, H1Bs using shaky economics (immigration, Forbes) - 10/19/13

In Forbes, Ben Powell of Texas Tech University offers "A U.S. Worker Shortage Calls For 'Red Card' Immigration Reform" ( peekURL.com/zKuax6f ). A discussion of how the article is wrong follows this excerpt:

John Flesher of AP rehashes decades-old article to help growers get cheap labor (Michigan, Pat McGuire, rotting crops) - 07/08/13

John Flesher of the Associated Press offers "Farmers worry about fate of immigration bills" [1], a rehash of the same, decades-old article that dozens of news sources have used to get growers cheap, exploitable farm labor. Only the names, locations, and crops have changed this time around:

McCain still supports amnesty, says probably won't pass; Western Growers wants subsidized labor - 01/22/10

John McCain spoke to Western Growers on the 14th, at a meeting that he initiated (link). He still (of course) supports comprehensive immigration reform but he says it's not likely in 2010 due to it being an election year. He also said that passing AgJOBS is impossible to pass in 2010 as a standalone bill but only as a part of a CIR bill. And: (Tom Nassif) said the Western Growers provided McCain with policy papers on the group’s concerns, including health care costs for seasonal workers and undocumented workers. Western Growers would prefer that part-time seasonal workers be exempt from...

Western Growers promoted Napolitano as DHS secretary - 12/11/08

Back on November 20, 2008, Western Growers issued this press release: Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama today commending him on his election victory and encouraging him to choose Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to serve in his administration as Secretary of Department of Homeland Security. ...Indeed, over the years, Western Growers, whose members primarily operate in Arizona and California, has worked with the Governor on myriad immigration related policy issues including the Arizona employer sanctions law, port-of-entry...

Follow the lettuce: Western Growers endorses John McCain - 03/18/08

From their press release (link): Western Growers' Board of Directors has voted to endorse Arizona's John McCain in his bid to become the 44th president of the United States. "Senator McCain has shown courage, determination and exceptional leadership skills in support of policies and principles important to Western Growers' members in Arizona and California," said Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif. "He has steadfastly promoted free markets, sensible fiscal policies, repairs of our immigration laws, and knows how important to our economy are the fruit, vegetable and nut producers...

Agrigeddon! WSJ says fewer cukes being grown this year - 07/20/07

The Wall Street Journal offers "Immigration Non-Harvest" (PDF), which is designed to promote the AgJOBS amnesty. The tale is not to be taken seriously and is presented here only because it's so funny: ...This spring, labor shortages forced Michigan growers to leave asparagus rotting in the fields, while farmers in North Carolina lost nearly a third of their cucumber crop last year. They're growing fewer cukes this summer... Growers who can't find enough workers to pick cantaloupe and eggplant are already substituting row crops such as wheat, corn or soybeans that are more highly mechanized....

White House listening to pork producers, La Raza, Mexico-linked NALEO, NRA... just not you - 06/21/07

The White House offers a PDF entitled "What They're Saying: Border Security And Immigration Reform Agreement" and subtitled 'Business And Agriculture Groups Say "It Is Critical That The Process Moves Forward"' (PDF) [1]. It's just a collection of quotes from press releases from those few groups that support the Bush/Senate massive illegal immigration amnesty, and it contains no accompaning text other than the titles. As simply a collection of quotes, it's not that shocking. However, it's interesting that these are the special interest groups that the White House chooses to use to bolster...

Illegal aliens disappointed over Senate bill; boycott threatened; Tara Burghart - 06/08/07

Always willing to do their part to support illegal immigration, the AP offers "Immigrants Disappointed Over Defeat" by Tara Burghart. That appears to be the AP-supplied headline and, of course, "Illegal Aliens" would be the more accurate subject group. It quotes two disappointed illegal aliens, then this: Jorge Mujica, a spokesman for Chicago's March 10th movement, said one possibility is a boycott by illegal immigrants and their supporters against certain companies — perhaps national restaurants — to demonstrate the community's economic might. "It's not that we want to radicalize the...

Deja moo: Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform on Capitol Hill May 15 - 05/14/07

Didn't I read this press release a few months ago? Yet, it's got today's date on it, and tomorrow the "Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform" will be meeting with "Senator Larry Craig [R-ID] and Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA)" [sic] to advance their cheap labor agenda: A group of lawmakers and farmers will gather to ask Congress to pass responsible immigration reform. Labor shortages are being reported on American farms across the country, leaving crops rotting in the field. Agriculture Needs Action Now from Congress to secure access to a legal and stable workforce. Those coming by...

Western Growers gives Senator Feinstein a big green thumbs up - 10/19/06

From their press release: Western Growers, one of California's largest and most prominent agricultural trade associations, today announced its endorsement of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) for reelection to the United States Senate. "Senator Feinstein has represented California with great integrity, honor and skill," said Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers. "She has been an outstanding member of the United States Senate and has proven that she is a true friend of our industry. Senator Feinstein has consistently supported California agriculture and has been a strong leader...

Jon Vessey, crops rotting in the fields, and pro-illegal immigration propaganda - 12/05/05

Jon Vessey is a California grower who's been quoted in a few recent articles about how crops will rot in the fields unless growers get more cheap labor to pick it. (UPDATE: see crops rotting in the fields). On 11/21, the WaPo featured him in "Shortage of Immigrant Workers Alarms Growers in West" (link), and today the Los Angeles Times features him in "Picking a Battle Over Shortage of Farmworkers" (link). And, he was apparently also featured saying similar things in Copley News Service and USA Today. And, the CSM article (link) I discussed in "America's produce industry is facing a crisis"...

"America's produce industry is facing a crisis" - 12/02/05

Nothing says propaganda like the annual whine from growers demanding more serf labor lest their crops rot in the fields. There have been a few recent newspaper articles about it, and the latest is "A drought of farm labor" (csmonitor.com/2005/1202/p01s03-usec.html).