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Immigration raids hurting farmers »

Posted by: ecotourusa 2 years, 1 month ago

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Torrey Farms, a 14-crop vegetable farm located an hour east of Buffalo, has been raided twice since last October, when she says immigration officials kicked in the doors of workers' housing and apprehended 34.

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ecotourusa

Peace to All!
I love sunsets, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking and alternative energy resources.

Organic foods are my first choice. and I try to grow as ...

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Comments: 280

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ecotourusa
Oct. 28, 2007, 8:55 a.m.
It's time to tap into our minimum security prisons. Prisoners could work the fields, get paid, and support themselves instead of being a constant drain on our system--put them to work! (no need for illegal, undocumented workers who carry all kinds of disease working our farmlands)
keep it American. Stop luring the uneducated, poor from Mexico. Let these people stay home and work farms in Mexico. No need for them to come here. we have our own surplus of workers in prison. Let's tap our own resources!
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Amazing1
Oct. 28, 2007, 9:58 a.m.
And what about teen agers. In Northern Maine, they used to start school in early August so they could take off in September for the potato harvest. As a teenager I have picked beans and raked blueberries. Might give our kids a chance to earn some money and be exposed to the idea of work.
I am sick of hearing the politicians talking about the jobs that Americans won't do. I have done those jobs and would do them again if I had to. Please stop insulting me. And the farmers need to pay a decent wage. When I had those kind of jobs, it was piece work. The more you picked, raked, packed, whatever, the more you got paid. Seemed fair to me.
Whatever, we need to toughen up on the illegal people who are here. We need to make sure we know who is coming across the border and into the ports. And we need to cut expenses by not paying for the health care and education of everyone who shows up illegally.
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fempatriot
Oct. 28, 2007, 12:06 p.m.
The USA isn't concerned with "legal" immigration, in fact, they're not concerned with immigration at all. Our government has sold us out in order that the United States of America will eventually become part of the "North American Union," an entity that will have no borders and will be comprised of Canada, the USA, and Mexico. That way, the free flow of goods and the uneducated poor can move through this once great nation. Get used to it. Nobody in Washington, D. C. is listening to the so-called legal American citizens any more. (I predict a civil war in the future and I hope I'm dead and gone before that happens.) The globalists who engineered the European Union are pushing for this. What we accomplished nearly 400 years ago in leaving Europe has been almost completely destroyed.
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harmlessoldman
Oct. 28, 2007, 12:34 p.m.
Here is a case of an employer with their hand caught in the cookie jar. She knew full well the potential problems from her decision to 1) Break the Law and 2) reduce her costs. I feel no worse for her than the speculator that lost their shirt because they shorted the wrong stock. She is the reason that we have a flood of illegal aliens. If there were no employers that act totally in self interst, there would be no attraction for illegals. Poor Baby, we should all send her money. Let the congregation as AMEN!
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wallyone
Oct. 28, 2007, 12:42 p.m.
fempatriot, the way the US is heading i doubt if any canadians will be anxious to cross the border. if they do it is for warmer weather not because the US is a better place to live. low wages and farming go hand in hand.. most people probably would not work in the farms for 10 dollars an hour and there lies the dilemma.
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ecotourusa
Oct. 28, 2007, 1:11 p.m.
I totally feel that by turning our prisons into businesses, FARMS, can be a productive means to an end. No longer would our taxpayers be burdened for housing prisoners.
Prisoners could then choose which area of the business they have their strongest points, and contribute.
they should be compensated, so that when done doing time, they have an established bank account.
they also become shareholders in the farm.
I'm sorry, but, I think business is an excellent resolve to taxpayer's money woes. It builds skills, teaches money management. Hello...teaches people to support themselves. and that's where we all could learn autonomy.
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DarkWizard
Oct. 28, 2007, 2:25 p.m.
Most prisoners that serve their time and are released will find their way back into the prison system. ecotourusa is giving a viable alternative to this scenario.
mntman444, I understand where you are coming from, but the system isn't working as is and you are correct in the ungodly percentage of Americans in jail per capita.
A combination of prisoners and welfare recipients working for decent wages and benefits in lower end job market jobs would both increase the taxpayer base and alleviate some of the taxpayer cost that goes into supporting these two groups.
Plus, if prisoners were given an "opportunity" to work for money and time off for services rendered, it might decrease the amount of inmates in prison, over time, and bring a decline in inmates going back to prison after a short time back in the public.
This could also reform the welfare into less government money as only a "supplement" toward wages earned. You don't work...you get less government aid.
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NelsonR
Oct. 28, 2007, 3:48 p.m.
Too Bad, my heart bleeds for those who break the law.
Illegals are illegal, get it. Trying to be cheap and arrive at a higher profit for themselves does not garner any sympathy from me. Go to your corrupt representative in Congress if America is being dumped upon by lower priced products from other countries. Although you will not get anywhere since they listen to those who are referred to as Money grubbers. In conclusion obey the law, change the law or go out of business, simple.
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tampicoMX
Oct. 28, 2007, 4:49 p.m.
Ok, why are we talking about having Prisoners to work ? (slavery is over)
Do you want to discuss the posted "news" ?
From the article:
Pay is not the problem
"Employers and their advocates say that the fact that wages have increased so much and workers are still scarce is evidence that pay is not the problem. "This is not just about wages," says Regelbrugge. "Who wants to get up 3 a.m. and milk the cows? It's not a lifestyle many Americans opt for, especially when there are more comfortable alternatives."
So reality is we need them
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jbear12
Oct. 28, 2007, 7:12 p.m.
say in mexico ;;;;;; ok
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jbear12
Oct. 28, 2007, 7:13 p.m.
stay in mexico;;;;;; ok
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jbear12
Oct. 28, 2007, 7:16 p.m.
call bush
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decipher
Oct. 28, 2007, 8:31 p.m.
another potential problem with this approach is the fact that the number mexico's poor who benefit from legally being allowed to work here, unless they chose to be arrested, would diminish. clearly mexico is doing nothing to help educate and help these people. so ask yourself what happens when the cycle of poverty continues in mexico... how do you say ala acbar (sp) in spanish? we owe it to ourselves and our future to do all we can to help raise the quality of life for our neighbors as well as ourselves.
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Klarissa
Oct. 28, 2007, 8:33 p.m.
One thing that really bothers me about illegal immigrants (from ANY country) is that they are not instructed in our constitutional system. They do not learn how our country came to be. We believe in the rule of law, not bribery. Not to say that bribery doesn't happen here, but it is not our way of life.
I worry that there will be a big block of voters (who were told they did'nt need documents) who will vote how someone else tells them to vote.
I worry about the social security system when there are 3 or 4 on the same card, who gets the retirement number.
There are so many problems when foreigners bring their laws with them and never learn ours.
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karsam
Oct. 28, 2007, 8:51 p.m.
In MY opinion having worked in the fields,the problem is not the work,but in most occasion are the supervisors and managers in the fields.I do not look mexican but my parents are and they are field workers.I have witness many times when high school kids black and white have gone to ask for work and are rejected because the manager won't hired them because they do not want "monkeys or crackers" in their crews.From what I have seen Mexicans are the most prejudice,and the ones that whine the most, when they someone is prejudice at them. They want us to believe that we have no other solution BUT to bite our tongues and take their invasion.My grandparents were born here but my grandmother said that her mother waited hours in line to get her green card. Because she wanted to do things the right way.I do not understand why illegals come here breaking the law.And then cry about being deported.
If given the chance I would go back to the fields it is good money, hard earned.
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slate
Oct. 28, 2007, 9:39 p.m.
When I was a teen I did all the jobs people now claim Americans won't do. I cut grass, hauled hay, picked crops and other odd jobs for near to nothing. Also, in the days of yore, prisons in Texas were self sufficient and the prisoners had jobs to produce goods or food to pay for the penile system. Oh fro the days of old,,,,,
Hispanics are great people and work hard for the most part; if they would have some here legally I'd not have a problem. There are so many things that have caused problems with them coming here illegally. One, the reduced wages have actually cut out others here from plying their trades. You come to Houston and look at any construction job (good paying jobs), if you can't speak Spanish you'll have a difficult time communicating with those on the job site.
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surething
Oct. 28, 2007, 9:45 p.m.
Why don't Mexicans get a work pass, a "green card," to work in America. Then, they won't have to go through the trouble of getting arrested and released back into the general population.
Think ahead... Get a "green card." And later, when the North American Union is complete, we'll all be carded!
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ex-conjj
Oct. 28, 2007, 10:33 p.m.
Mntman: I like your ideas and comments. They are very sensible. I would like to add that I served eight years in federal prison and worked on a farm camp to provide veggies to the prison. It would be great to have some sort of positive programs to engage the average inmate, but the truth of the matter is that it would complicate and probably and more turmoil to our flawed system than bring sense to it. What I mean is that you would privatise the work of inmates causing corporate america to ask for a piece of the pie. Soon you would have more unjust sentences just to keep a huge money maker going. It would be legalized slavery.
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ex-conjj
Oct. 28, 2007, 10:39 p.m.
the problem is very simple but complex due to the beauracracy of our govt. It's simple economics. You could get rid of all the mexicans, but the following day you would just have a differnt race or people doing those same jobs. Lets get a little extreme: what if we just got rid of all these farms and sent them to mexico or anywhere else in the world, what would happen then? We would be paying more for our veggies, and pumping less money into our economy because we just outsourced thousands of ag.jobs in which all the immigrants would spend their money here.
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Endoscopy
Oct. 29, 2007, 12:40 a.m.
Something seems to get lost in the shuffle. People legally here will line up for the jobs if they are advertised correctly. It has been demonstrated all over the country.
I notice they use the euphemism of "undocumented immigrant workers" instead of illegal immigrants. Makes it sound like they just lost their papers. Obviously a pro illegal story. But I say hurray.
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Rinty
Oct. 29, 2007, 1:06 a.m.
I think tapping minimum security prisons is a good idea for cheap farm / fisheries labour ... Or get someone from Prince Edward Island for $9.00 per hr ... same difference.
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aceofspades1
Oct. 29, 2007, 1:16 a.m.
I think all posters on threads like this who complain about illegal migrants should volunteer to pick a cabbage or 2
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jtboobers
Oct. 29, 2007, 9:29 a.m.
I do not feel sorry for all those who complain about the raids on their farms or their factories or any other place that knowingly hire illegals. If they just hired documented workers, they would not have a problem. We've had no problem in the past hiring migrant documented workers. They would work the fields during harvest and then go home. Today, they hire undocumented workers that don't go home. They stay here and bleed our welfare, food stamp and health care systems dry. If France can round up and deport 27,000 illegals from their country in a week, what is our problem?