Did Americans Take the Mexicans Jobs?

[Tyme2fish]

Why work when the government pays you to sit on your behind? Stop this stupid trend of free handouts and when these workers get good and hungry, then they'll work.

[coombro]

Why work when the government pays you to sit on your behind? Stop this stupid trend of free handouts and when these workers get good and hungry, then they'll work.

Have to disagree with you on that one. Lots of people out of work and yes the economy isn't helping matters. However why hire us when they can hire an illegal at a fraction of the cost? Agreed some people will take advantage of the hand outs yet there are countless numbers of illegals taking wages from us. I remember in the 80's living in Texas as my foreman was needing help on his farm. I told him I would work for $5per hour. He told me he could hire an illegal for $20 a day. There are dead beats no doubt. To make possibly $250 a day picking tomatoes I'm sure there are those who can do it. As stated they've been hiring them for the past forty years. There's a trick to every trade and I'm sure there's one for picking tomatoes. Nafta sent a lot of jobs to Mexico and a lot of illegals coming our way to work. And not just in the farms. Sure there working long hours making all they can. They have to they don't know when they'll get busted and shipped out.

[bassin_bug]

Have to disagree with you on that one. Lots of people out of work and yes the economy isn't helping matters. However why hire us when they can hire an illegal at a fraction of the cost? Agreed some people will take advantage of the hand outs yet there are countless numbers of illegals taking wages from us. I remember in the 80's living in Texas as my foreman was needing help on his farm. I told him I would work for $5per hour. He told me he could hire an illegal for $20 a day. There are dead beats no doubt. To make possibly $250 a day picking tomatoes I'm sure there are those who can do it. As stated they've been hiring them for the past forty years. There's a trick to every trade and I'm sure there's one for picking tomatoes. Nafta sent a lot of jobs to Mexico and a lot of illegals coming our way to work. And not just in the farms. Sure there working long hours making all they can. They have to they don't know when they'll get busted and shipped out.

Last year I hired a company to clear cut 40 acres of my timber and reforest it with longleaf pines. When it came time to set out the pine seedlings, 2 huge vans drove in and parked near the lake. I soon saw their "trick to the trade." I saw 12 Mexicans come out of those vans and they looked like a bunch of rabbits running in every direction, each with a small spade in their hand and a belt similar to a tool belt on their sides filled with seedlings and a backpack filled with more on their backs. I made the comment to a guy who was working in the yard, "OMG, Billy! I am scr3wed. Look at those Mexicans running in every direction so disorganized it makes me sick. My trees will be a mixed up mess when they finish and to think I'm paying the company $250/acre to get this done.

After they left we walked down a road to the back of the property. Those trees were planted in rows, in perfect alignment either way I looked. I have no idea how it happened because no two of those men were working together or alongside each other and how the trees ended up in perfect rows is still a mystery to me. I lost about a dozen trees six months later because a helicopter pilot set his plane down on top of them and the wind and fuel fumes killed them.

Until about a year and a half ago, I lived near a 2,000 acre farm that was famous for its Grainger County tomatoes. Their labor force was exclusively Mexicans. The farms were laid out in 5-10 row sections, then a space was left open for the tractors & trailers to pass through. The tomatoes were picked and placed into large baskets and left sitting by the tractor row until lunch time and the tractors & trailers came by to pick them up and carry them to the barns to be sorted and prepared for market. I think the Mexicans laborers have their own labor group and contract with the farmer to manage sections of his tomato farms. Once they were accepted, they had to work hard or would lose their contract. It is extremely laborious, back breaking work that few Americans could handle. Their hands are working so fast they look like they're battery operated and they pick in clusters instead of one tomato at a time. My theory on their salary is that they are paid by the pound instead of by the hour. Once they bend over and start picking, it looks like they never straighten up until it's time to drive through the fields and unload the baskets. Most sit down in the fields to eat their lunch and have some water and rest for a few minutes. I believe the reason they are able to accomplish so much is because they grew up working the farms and their bodies are acclimated to it. It's amazing to see them harvesting watermelons and pumpkins because some of those things are very heavy.

[GeoFisher]

We're mixing apples and oranges so to speak........I don't give a RIP about the sharecroppers, and tomato pickers......THAT is not the job that we're talking about.

It is not only tomato picking jobs that MEXICANS are doing illegally. There are a TON of factory jobs, and a TON of construction jobs that are lost to illegals. I know for a FACT that Mexican labor is hurting our home grown home builders. I know for a FACT that a bricklayer, or concrete man, or drywall man, or framer, or roofer cannot compete on price with a truckload of ILLEGALS that live together, eat together, work together, ride together, and SEND THEIR MONEY together back home.

THOSE are the ILLEGALS we need to worry about. I have a lot of friends in those industries that cannot compete, and it is a **** shame. KICK THEM ALL OUT.

Later,

Geo

[coombro]

Amen Geo!

[eddie_m]

I just read an article in the paper today (an Associated Press article picked up by the Courier) about farmers in Alabama hurting because illegals are fleeing left and right, and the Americans willing to work for the wages they pay either quit by lunchtime or aren't worth anything.

Is it the Mexicans fault that they are such better workers at the low end of the pay scale? Are government subsidies to blame? Is it greedy farmers (I can assure you that this is NOT it!)? Why do we buy only items made in China from Wal-Mart then complain about cheap labor helping an American farmer?

[Honestly, I'm not a supporter of opening our borders, but I see both sides. I also see Mexicans holding what has always been considered good jobs, like roofers, that certainly results in lost jobs and depressed wages to Americans. I just don't know, but there's more than one side to the discussion.]

[Tom523]

I just read an article in the paper today (an Associated Press article picked up by the Courier) about farmers in Alabama hurting because illegals are fleeing left and right, and the Americans willing to work for the wages they pay either quit by lunchtime or aren't worth anything.

Is it the Mexicans fault that they are such better workers at the low end of the pay scale? Are government subsidies to blame? Is it greedy farmers (I can assure you that this is NOT it!)? Why do we buy only items made in China from Wal-Mart then complain about cheap labor helping an American farmer?

[Honestly, I'm not a supporter of opening our borders, but I see both sides. I also see Mexicans holding what has always been considered good jobs, like roofers, that certainly results in lost jobs and depressed wages to Americans. I just don't know, but there's more than one side to the discussion.]

It's gonna get worse before it gets better. There's gonna be alot of pain until this economy gets back on its feet. I don't fault a man (Illegal immigrants) for trying to provide for his family. I fault the government for allowing him (promoting) to come to this country. Face it , if you had to feed your family and you knew there were jobs in Canada, knowing that you would have free medical care, the punishment is being sent back home, you would do what you have to do. My wife's 2 nieces are married to illegal immigrants. One has his own moving business in Arizona, he just moved there from Indiana. He's been awaiting a deportation hearing for 3 years now. The other lives in Colorado and his wife works while he stays at home all day because he says he can't work. I say send them back and secure the border. Create a migrant worker program to allow them to work and pay taxes on what they make. This way they can pay for their use of our infrastructure and farmers can take advantage of the inexpensive labor. Felony convictions would disqualify them from the program. I don't like the illegal immigration of millions of people in this country but I still must remember that they are people just like you and me. Just have them do it the legal way.

[Nicholas Goddard]

I feel very sorry for these disadvantaged people. In the modern world, there is a big gap between poor and rich people. It’s harder and harder for poor people to reach a new level and earn a large amount of money. I respect those people who make every effort to find a job and earn money for their bread, instead of stealing. Such topics should be more often raised in society and write interesting articles and essays that will affect all aspects of such people lives. Let's help poor people earn more and tell them how to do it. I will wait for your boom essays review on this subject.

[dragmerc]

stop the free rides in this country.
i know a 30 year old guy on 100% disability supposedly because he has to take medicine to sleep.
he fishes almost every day or night and wins most tournaments.
if he can do that, he's not disabled.
food stamps, welfare, earned income credit, etc. should all be stopped.
if parents would quit giving so much money to their kids, they would do work like i did.
i hauled hay, cut tobacco, spread manure, etc. before i could drive legally.
i was in the tobacco patch when i was 6 years old.
i would have gladly picked tomatoes if they had that kind of work near me when i was young.
as soon as i could drive, i got a job at the hardware store.
train a kid to work when they become of age and they'll always want to work.
i'm an old man and i feel useless if i'm not doing something productive.
our current system trains kids not to work.

[DJD]

stop the free rides in this country.
i know a 30 year old guy on 100% disability supposedly because he has to take medicine to sleep.
he fishes almost every day or night and wins most tournaments.
if he can do that, he's not disabled.
food stamps, welfare, earned income credit, etc. should all be stopped.
if parents would quit giving so much money to their kids, they would do work like i did.
i hauled hay, cut tobacco, spread manure, etc. before i could drive legally.
i was in the tobacco patch when i was 6 years old.
i would have gladly picked tomatoes if they had that kind of work near me when i was young.
as soon as i could drive, i got a job at the hardware store.
train a kid to work when they become of age and they'll always want to work.
i'm an old man and i feel useless if i'm not doing something productive.
our current system trains kids not to work.

Regardless of the original post or Mexicans....I agree that people who scam the system should not be allowed too....regardless of the scam. My buddy worked for an insurance agency (maybe deeper in that he let on) that would investigate scammers if they were reported. Its a dirty job and he quit from the stress and danger but things like this should be reported if possible.
Another example....my old neighbor who was a veteran asked me if I was getting the hearing benefit? He explained to me that he complained about his hearing and the ringing in his ears to the VA....he had no issues but this was his scam. So after the testing and deliberate lies he received an amount each month for hearing loss from the gubment. He laughed when I said I wouldn't do it even though I have some health issues (back issues from a Tank accident) from my time in the Military but things like that piss me off. I'm old school to the bone....earn your keep, **** it up and move on.

[dragmerc]

i wonder if any form of government can survive without some degree of morality???

[DJD]

i wonder if any form of government can survive without some degree of morality???

I think it can and does but percentages of people get hurt from the greed and immoral acts of others. If, and thats an enormous if..... the crooks would be held accountable things would be a little better. Unfortunate thing is when money and power mix some people get the itch to take more than they should. I see it everyday in construction.