Alabama is a good test case for American workers. Anti immigrant laws drove out the bulk of the illegal migrant workers and how Americans did at the jobs they occupied give us some good hard data on just how well our US workers will be replacement workers.


The governor says it will work itself out. How are you ever going to train or make someone to do back breaking work that Americans are refusing to do.

Story.

For jobless Aberdonians, Alabama has work for you.

Some critical thinking is called for here.

Grow Alabama is a trade group for farmers. Farmers really like paying very low wages to people to whom they have no lingering responsibility, so it's unsurprising that the results of their test yielded that result.

Next year, a company which employs citizens and legal workers will bid to pick those crops. The price (and wages) will be much higher than what the farmers were accustomed to paying, but I don't care.

Field work IS hard - I did it as a young man, but it was a good formative experience that kids today are denied.

My prediction is that if Alabama continues this stupid course their farmers will go broke. No one is going to pay the prices for food that American workers will cause. Remember, not all states are as stupid and their costs are going to be lower. Also remember, the countryside around me is full of farms owned by American companies shipping produce to the USA. Those Mexicans will just start working in the same industry down here as demand grows in the US for cheaper food.

Americans like cheap food just like Americans like cheap Chinese goods. Unless Alabama can change that, their farmers are going to join the ranks of the unemployed.

I do care and so do the "poor" Americans, the 99% of Americans, who will be forced to pay $50 for a dozen strawberries. People get desperate enough you'll see pride break and 2 options form. Illegal activity OR bend your ass over and pick strawberries for $2 an hour and meet a quota. But the American free ride is over and the high cost of products that are caused by Union "Family Wage Jobs" will be over soon enough.

I'll buy you a shot of your favorite on that day too.

There is a third option as well. Quite bitching about Sancho and Pancho picking strawberries.

A small adjustment to your statement and I'll agree.

My solution and a growing number of Americans looking for solutions will find self sustainability. Increased crime will also occur. I know a lot of people don't have this option but I think sooner then later you're gonna see more utilitarian yards in Aberdeen and small towns across America.

Ultimately unless we break the unions that will try to form and cause the price increases of our food products, you're right, broke farmers.

Great topic.

Do you think Alabama farmers were paying the hispanic workers $2.00 per hour? If so, shame on them. Do you think the farmers should be allowed to pay legal workers $2.00 per hour? Our choice is $50 strawberries or work have legal American workers work for $2.00 per hour or accept illegal workers?

I agree it's a great topic. I also understand (don't confuse with agreement) you disdain for unions. But, I'm not sure what the unions have to do with this situation.



I suspect prices will continue to rise. Especially when we eliminate the corporate welfare of farm subsidies. But, maybe eliminating those subsidies would be considered a tax increase by the Norquist groveling Republicans have will stay.



If they are getting $2.00 per hour, then I hope the bitching doesn't stop.

We may like cheap food, but we gotta eat. If fifteen cents a pound for tomatoes is what it costs to hire legal workers, I'm fer it.

And put a tariff on imports.

I Agree
Thank you

Welcome to the dark side.

Removing text from a quote is bad form.

Wages directly affect product/service costs. If you owned a company and decided to contract or even hire employees wouldn't you want full control over their wages or contract price? How else are you going to be able to stay competitive?

How are you going to maximize and retain YOUR company's profits?

Oh well, shit, your employees just unionized! My company, non union, can under cut yours. Even using legal workers I can.

Unfortunately, I distracted from the original point, The test case wasn't on payment/wages it was on, ability. So to wrap it all up I'm guessing the Grow Alabama guy proved Americans are to Fat,out of shape, and (I say) over paid to pick our own crops.

Grow Alabama: Here we go, we'll just get 25 Americans, make sure they haven't picked a crop much less a McDonalds quarter pounder off the floor. Alrighty. Now we'll go get Pancho, Sancho, Jose, and Hector from the next field over. Now everyone, on your marks, get set, Pick!

Now a fair control group would have been 25 of our Mazatlan employees.

Tariffs for high wages? Do you think that is going to happen? We are signing free trade agreements not enacting tariffs.

Few Americans can do farm work. Stoop labor is rough on the body. We need illegals legalized.

Wages are an issue as well.

Do you know anyone that has exhausted their unemployment and every other source of income they could have. There are no jobs and yet there is need for people in the workplace. They simply cannot afford to hire them because the economy has cut so deeply into profits. Did you know that $5 an hour for 40 hours a week over a months time would get them a room in a flophouse and feed them for a month?

Yet it cannot happen. Instead they are unemployed, hungry and desperate. Some are reduced to working for that wage but are paid cash. I know some people doing this.

The minimum wage should be brought back into line. I'll bet that is ringing your liberal bells.

There is something to be said of the Mexican Indians. They are short (my 5 foot wife feels tall down here) and closer to the ground is good, they have been doing agricultural work for thousands of years and their bodies have adapted to it, and their work ethic is the only thing between them and starvation.

If farming wasn't such a hard life they would be envied for being superstars with some unique abilities. Unfortunately farmers, who grow everything we eat, are usually at the bottom of the human economic chain.