(no subject)

[eracerhead.livejournal.com]

Ok, so we all know illegal immigrants are taking our jobs. So if you are out of work an/or unemployed, here's your chance to take away a job from an illegal immigrant.

http://takeourjobs.org/

This is pure genius. The right should like this because it will allow all those wallowing in the generosity of unemployment to find jobs. The left should like it because it is a program of the Communist United Farm Workers Union.

So here is my question: Do you know anybody who has signed up? I would ask this group personally, but if you were a farm worker, you would not have time to read this community because you'd be working 12 hours a day without overtime and would not have wi-fi access.

Comments

[policraticus.livejournal.com]

Not for nothing, but do you know how many illegal immigrants have quit their jobs at my business because I don't work them 12 hours a day and insist on paying them overtime?

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

What are you doing hiring illegal immigrants?
They're illegal. Or are you in favor of amnesty for them?

[majortom-thecat.livejournal.com]

I saw this on Colbert last night. The guy said that they'd had a total of three people sign up and then Colbert said he would take the challenge, and then I don't know what they said next because I was in the other room.

I used to pick berries when I was a kid. I picked up to 30 pounds of strawberries in an hour but there's no way I could have kept up with the professionals, especially not in a warm climate like Arizona. Where are we going to get our food from if they don't let people come and harvest it?

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

" Where are we going to get our food from if they don't let people come and harvest it?"

Was this a serious question?
Actually the Bracero program worked pretty well.
Migrant farm working is not the big draw of illegals to Az.

[chron-job.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of anger at "illegal immigrants taking our jobs" doesn't have any specificity... it isn't at all about "I don't have a job, because some illegal has it instead!!!"

It's more a vague presumption of class placement in the gravy train line.

[dwer.livejournal.com]

lol. The type of people who complain about immigrants taking american jobs aren't going to work as FARMERS...

[drcruel.livejournal.com]

Or motel maids, meat packers or dishwashers, for that matter.

[lovefromgirl.livejournal.com]

My cynical side thinks this would solve America's obesity issues, at least.

I'd take a job myself, but I'm unemployed because even an office job is daunting, physically speaking. Stupid pain and fatigue issues.

[rasilio.livejournal.com]

No it won't.

The only thing that will solve America's Obesity issue is ending Farm Subsidies, particularly corn subsidies.

The Obesity 'epidemic' is 100% the result of government policy.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/07/news/economy/farm_worker_jobs/index.htm


Some of the comments attempting to justify why they'd never do that kind of work yet immigrants are still taking their jobs are very creative.

[mrbogey.livejournal.com]

The hiring of workers who are ineligible for legal employment distends the job market and affects real wages across the industry.

The reason why farm pay is so low is because of the illegals. The low pay disinterests legal employees from pursuing it.

[jblaque.livejournal.com]

"The reason why farm pay is so low is because of the illegals. The low pay disinterests legal employees from pursuing it."

Yeah, except you missed one glaring fact. No one in this country is willing to pay $4.00 for a head of lettuce, and it's that reason alone that keeps farm wages as low as they are (and migrant workers in high demand). No different than shipping American jobs off to China so we can buy cheap imported crap at Wal-Mart, except for the fact that the labor itself is being performed here and not on foreign soil.

P.S. UFW president Arturo Rodriguez was on Colbert's program the other night, and when asked how many people had taken advantage of the job offer mentioned in the OP, his answer was "three." Now surely in this economy, one would think there would be more applicants, even at the prevailing wage.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

'Cuz depressed wages *couldn't* just be because the executive officers of the corporations want another million or so in their pay envelope each year. Naw, no way that's it.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Isn't farm pay exempt from most rules around wages? I seem to remember there being special exceptions for that type of work. If so, that likely pre-dates the illegal workers issue.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

I've been looking to get into an entry-level farm job.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

I can think of some other farm crops that are much more lucrative and generally require much less back-breaking work.

Bucking barley...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

... is one of my favorite farm chores. I love reading Steinbeck's farming stories from the dust bowl days. Of course, now we have crop dusting hazards.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

I love when I see something on the Colbert Report and I already know it's gonna work it's way into an LJ post somehow.

If Colbert goes through with it, as he said on TV he would, I'd be shocked. He'll probably do his usual shtick and make it into a segment for his show where he mock works.

And I didn't know the UFW was Commie....

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Also, their homepage is poorly designed. Well, partially at least.

Click on the "About AgJobs" and the picture that shows up on their homepage looks oddly Hitler-esque; and I'm not trying to slam them, just an honest critique.

[korean-guy-01.livejournal.com]

United Farm Workers union


They better change their name. They're embarrassing obama & the liberals.

Back in the day...

[sophia-sadek.livejournal.com]

In the previous century, I hired technical professionals to work in Silicon Valley. We tried to get Americans to move to our are and work, but they didn't like the place because they couldn't profit as much as they did living in Colorado or Texas. (They didn't say it, but they probably didn't like the cosmopolitan nature of the populace either.)

In skilled professions, native professionals have many advantages over foreign help. Their communication proficiency translates to greater efficiency. There are also fewer adjustment issues.

BTW, I tried to access the site, but it was apparently down at the time.

Re: Back in the day...

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

I've never wanted to work/live in Silicon Valley, it's too crowded and I don't like cities. I'll stay in San Diego thanks.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

People want to watch Mike Rowe do it, not do it themselves.

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

And yet there's always someone already doing what he does...

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

Just a curiosity question, what is the upside for me to work any kind of minimum wage job, when between welfare, food-stamps, school lunches, housing subsidies, etc; since I am a citizen I can net more a month without doing anything?

[eracerhead.livejournal.com]

Well then, I suppose we need to raise the minimum wage.

[rogerdr.livejournal.com]

Go ahead, try it and see how many legal residents and citizens jump at the chance to work the fields, clean the floors, scrape the roofs, dig out the sewers, and wipe the asses of the rich. I'll sit here with my popcorn and wait for the mob rush.