Yeah, but the point is that one of them talked about the necessity of doing so, the other was the guy who wrote the document that made it so.
USA Politics
- Thread starter Genghis Khan
- Start date
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
I don't have particularly strong views on U.S. immigration policy. Nor do I particularly care for Stephen Colbert. Nor do I appreciate glib responses to the very real unemployment problem in America. Nor do I typically admire obvious P.R. stunts. Yet, I found the following to be a stroke of genius:
Immigrant farm workers' challenge: Take our jobs
By JULIANA BARBASSA, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jun 24, 5:42 pm ET
SAN FRANCISCO – In a tongue-in-cheek call for immigration reform, farm workers are teaming up with comedian Stephen Colbert to challenge unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.
Farm workers are tired of being blamed by politicians and anti-immigrant activists for taking work that should go to Americans and dragging down the economy, said Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America.
So the group is encouraging the unemployed — and any Washington pundits or anti-immigrant activists who want to join them — to apply for the some of thousands of agricultural jobs being posted with state agencies as harvest season begins.
All applicants need to do is fill out an online form under the banner "I want to be a farm worker" at http://www.takeourjobs.org, and experienced field hands will train them and connect them to farms.
According to the Labor Department, three out of four farm workers were born abroad, and more than half are illegal immigrants.
Proponents of tougher immigration laws have argued that farmers have become used to cheap labor and don't want to raise wages enough to draw in other workers.
Those who have done the job have some words of advice for applicants: First, dress appropriately.
During summer, when the harvest of fruits and vegetables is in full swing in California's Central Valley, temperatures hover in the triple digits. Heat exhaustion is one of the reasons farm labor consistently makes the Bureau of Labor Statistics' top ten list of the nation's most dangerous jobs.
Second, expect long days. Growers have a small window to pick fruit before it is overripe.
And don't count on a big paycheck. Farm workers are excluded from federal overtime provisions, and small farms don't even have to pay the minimum wage. Fifteen states don't require farm labor to be covered by workers compensation laws.
Any takers?
"The reality is farmworkers who are here today aren't taking any American jobs away. They work in often unbearable situations," Rodriguez said. "I don't think there will be many takers, but the offer is being made. Let's see what happens."
To highlight how unlikely the prospect of Americans lining up to pick strawberries or grapes, Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" plans to feature the "Take Our Jobs" campaign on July 8.
The campaign is being played for jokes, but the need to secure the right to work for immigrants who are here is serious business, said Michael Rubio, supervisor in Kern County, one of the biggest ag producing counties in the nation.
"Our county, our economy, rely heavily on the work of immigrant and unauthorized workers," he said. "I would encourage all our national leaders to come visit Kern County and to spend one day, or even half a day, in the shoes of these farm workers."
Hopefully, the message will go down easier with some laughs, said Manuel Cunha, president of the California grower association Nisei Farmers League, who was not a part of the campaign.
"If you don't add some humor to this, it's enough to get you drinking, and I don't mean Pepsi," Cunha said, dismissing the idea that Americans would take up the farm workers' offer.
California's agriculture industry launched a similar campaign in 1998, hoping to recruit welfare recipients and unemployed workers to work on farms, he said. Three people showed up.
"Give us a legal, qualified work force. Right now, farmers don't know from day to day if they're going to get hammered by ICE," he said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "What happens to my labor pool?"
His organization supports AgJobs, a bill currently in the Senate which would allow those who have worked in U.S. agriculture for at least 150 days in the previous two years to get legal status.
The bill has been proposed in various forms since the late 1990s, with backing from the United Farm Workers of America and other farming groups, but has never passed.
Immigrant farm workers' challenge: Take our jobs
By JULIANA BARBASSA, Associated Press Writer
Thu Jun 24, 5:42 pm ET
SAN FRANCISCO – In a tongue-in-cheek call for immigration reform, farm workers are teaming up with comedian Stephen Colbert to challenge unemployed Americans: Come on, take our jobs.
Farm workers are tired of being blamed by politicians and anti-immigrant activists for taking work that should go to Americans and dragging down the economy, said Arturo Rodriguez, the president of the United Farm Workers of America.
So the group is encouraging the unemployed — and any Washington pundits or anti-immigrant activists who want to join them — to apply for the some of thousands of agricultural jobs being posted with state agencies as harvest season begins.
All applicants need to do is fill out an online form under the banner "I want to be a farm worker" at http://www.takeourjobs.org, and experienced field hands will train them and connect them to farms.
According to the Labor Department, three out of four farm workers were born abroad, and more than half are illegal immigrants.
Proponents of tougher immigration laws have argued that farmers have become used to cheap labor and don't want to raise wages enough to draw in other workers.
Those who have done the job have some words of advice for applicants: First, dress appropriately.
During summer, when the harvest of fruits and vegetables is in full swing in California's Central Valley, temperatures hover in the triple digits. Heat exhaustion is one of the reasons farm labor consistently makes the Bureau of Labor Statistics' top ten list of the nation's most dangerous jobs.
Second, expect long days. Growers have a small window to pick fruit before it is overripe.
And don't count on a big paycheck. Farm workers are excluded from federal overtime provisions, and small farms don't even have to pay the minimum wage. Fifteen states don't require farm labor to be covered by workers compensation laws.
Any takers?
"The reality is farmworkers who are here today aren't taking any American jobs away. They work in often unbearable situations," Rodriguez said. "I don't think there will be many takers, but the offer is being made. Let's see what happens."
To highlight how unlikely the prospect of Americans lining up to pick strawberries or grapes, Comedy Central's "Colbert Report" plans to feature the "Take Our Jobs" campaign on July 8.
The campaign is being played for jokes, but the need to secure the right to work for immigrants who are here is serious business, said Michael Rubio, supervisor in Kern County, one of the biggest ag producing counties in the nation.
"Our county, our economy, rely heavily on the work of immigrant and unauthorized workers," he said. "I would encourage all our national leaders to come visit Kern County and to spend one day, or even half a day, in the shoes of these farm workers."
Hopefully, the message will go down easier with some laughs, said Manuel Cunha, president of the California grower association Nisei Farmers League, who was not a part of the campaign.
"If you don't add some humor to this, it's enough to get you drinking, and I don't mean Pepsi," Cunha said, dismissing the idea that Americans would take up the farm workers' offer.
California's agriculture industry launched a similar campaign in 1998, hoping to recruit welfare recipients and unemployed workers to work on farms, he said. Three people showed up.
"Give us a legal, qualified work force. Right now, farmers don't know from day to day if they're going to get hammered by ICE," he said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "What happens to my labor pool?"
His organization supports AgJobs, a bill currently in the Senate which would allow those who have worked in U.S. agriculture for at least 150 days in the previous two years to get legal status.
The bill has been proposed in various forms since the late 1990s, with backing from the United Farm Workers of America and other farming groups, but has never passed.
Genghis Khan
Ancient Mariner
I second that!
char_da_harlot
Trooper
Great article as stated above, however there are somethings missing from it. Most of those jobs are seasonal. As for someone like me who was unemployed for 10 months I could never take a job that is not full time and be off for 3 months. Also, you don't get any full benefits because it's seasonal. The question is what would I do for 3 months out of the year when there is no work? I can't collect welfare because I own a home, car and have a savings account. So I would be screwed. It would have been insane to have given up my unemployment benefits for this kind of job! I am sure there are many Americans like me who fall into this catagory and I am sure there are plenty of immigrants who can work in this situation with out any problems. After 9 months of work they can either collect welfare or go back to their homeland for 3 months. Which is a controversy all on it's own. I know this outrages a lot of people but the fact is Agriculture is big business here in California and those jobs need to be filled! It's a catch 22 without a doubt and no one can seem to come up with a solution to solve the differences/problems. We need them (illegal immigrants) as much as they need us.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Well, they weren't shy about saying it is indeed a shitty job:
Of course the job is seasonal, what all these workers do is they go from farm to farm, from state to state at times following the crops to maintain employment.
Fact is people hate downsizing, even when facing a crisis people refuse to "go back" to living in an apartment after living in a house, riding the bus after owning a car, cooking more at home instead of eating at restaurants... etc. So indeed, if faced with cushy unemployment benefits over actually working, even if it means a shitty job, most people will be people and pick cushy unemployment.
cornfedhick said:
Of course the job is seasonal, what all these workers do is they go from farm to farm, from state to state at times following the crops to maintain employment.
Fact is people hate downsizing, even when facing a crisis people refuse to "go back" to living in an apartment after living in a house, riding the bus after owning a car, cooking more at home instead of eating at restaurants... etc. So indeed, if faced with cushy unemployment benefits over actually working, even if it means a shitty job, most people will be people and pick cushy unemployment.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
cornfedhick said:
Last night Colbert had the President of the Farmer's union, Arturo Rodriguez, talk about this and when he asked him how many had signed up for it Rodriguez told him, 3 people. Colbert told him, "Make it 4, I'll do it." I really hope he does it and indeed comes back with a story about it.
Nigel Tufnel
Ancient Mariner
Unemployment benefits are'nt all that cushy. The max here in Maryland is $350 a week. I can understand people's view on unemployment, but I can't really live on it. Plus it was a complete pain in the ass to collect, especially now that DLLR is completely overwhelmed, it may take 2-3 months to get benefits approved. I collected for 7 months and was lucky enough to land a better paying job with a better work enviroment.
Unemployment is supposed to help ease the transition. I know it took time for you to collect but I imagine it helped a bit. Many economists point to a robust social security net as key to improving quality of life.
Nigel Tufnel
Ancient Mariner
Oh, it was alifesaver and did for me exactly as it was designed to. I did'nt have to take the first minimum wage job to come my way. I just don't know how people can afford to live on what it pays for a long duration. My electric bill alone was $300 bucks this month. Plus if you don't have the taxes deducted from it yo get nailed on all that income for the year. I got let go from my job pretty early on so I only waited a monthe, but my friend got laid off 6 months after me and he had to wait 3 months and almost lost the roof over his head.
infinitedreams7thson
Invader
LooseCannon said:
Maybe those economists are correct, but the Social Security system in the United States is dismally mismanaged and has been since the beginning. The problem is that they collect all this money for social security in taxes and then, because they are in debt all the time, they dip into the funds to pay for some pork barrel bullshit and then when time comes to pay Social Security to the people who are ready for it, they have to take out loans because they spent all the money, driving us further into debt. The same things can be said about mismanagement of Medicare/Medicaid and even the Veterans Administration.
This mismanagement is part of why some people are concerned about the public healthcare option idea. The Federal Government has set a precedent for instituting social protection policies, mucking everything up, and then just ignoring the problem. Whos to say they won't screw up the healthcare reform too?
Yes, there has been problems with Social Security, namely that various governments didn't plan for the future, and there will be hard times ahead as a result. However, Social Security was also a very important part of the United States that existed in the 1950s-1980s, which was the most vibrant, powerful, and self-healing economy that ever existed, ensuring that when jobs were lost, people could still buy things and push the economy forward.
Medicare has been mismanaged more through inflation of costs by insurance agencies and providers and through Medicare-D, an unpaid for 200b/year addition from the Bush Administration.
And the current health care plan that passed the US Congress and was signed into public law has no federal management in a Social Security or Medicare style. Instead, it requires everyone to buy insurance and provides tax credits in order to make that happen. It also regulates what the industry can do, and provides subsidies to help in the short term. Without an administration like SS or Medicare, it's hoped that it will actually reduce reliance on Medicaid/Medicare, turning tax credits and subsidies into a net reduction of services.
Medicare has been mismanaged more through inflation of costs by insurance agencies and providers and through Medicare-D, an unpaid for 200b/year addition from the Bush Administration.
And the current health care plan that passed the US Congress and was signed into public law has no federal management in a Social Security or Medicare style. Instead, it requires everyone to buy insurance and provides tax credits in order to make that happen. It also regulates what the industry can do, and provides subsidies to help in the short term. Without an administration like SS or Medicare, it's hoped that it will actually reduce reliance on Medicaid/Medicare, turning tax credits and subsidies into a net reduction of services.
infinitedreams7thson
Invader
I would agree with everything you said LC, EXCEPT that the United States economy was not all that vibrant in the 80s. We didnt have a surplus until during the Clinton Administration (which is why I think he was a pretty good president, poor taste in women aside.) During the 80s, the economy was relatively weak, which accounts for the Reaganomics and other attempts at stimulating the economy.
I more meant up until the early 80s, even with stagflation the actual economy was fairly strong, but I was also at work and concede the point.
infinitedreams7thson
Invader
Haha, not tryin to bring down the points you made though LC, you were completely right, I understand what you meant now.
Nigel Tufnel
Ancient Mariner
Biggest problem with Social Security is that the reiree's life span has climbed from 70 when it was first instituted to almost 80 today. That is 120 more payments per recipient, plus with the Babyboomers retiring immimently it is going to add millions and millions more. I would be willing to work until I am 70 0r even 75 if I am still in good health. Which is a nice sentiment seeing h ow Social Security will be broke when I will be eligible 
I honestly don't see a problem with increasing the retirement age; I also don't see a problem with making sure SS is available to people who have a medical need early.
Cornfed Hick
Ancient Mariner
Derek Smalls said:Social Security will be broke when I will be eligible
"Hope I die before I get old"
- Pete Townshend (now age 65)
LooseCannon said:
IIRC, One can acutally get SS at age 60 (62? I cant remember). However, by taking SS prior to 'actual retirement age', one takes in a smaller income per pay period. Theoretically, one would have to live to 85 (again, from memory) at the lower income to break even compared to the higher pay per period taken at 65. Its a complicated set up, but can work.