Paying More for Tomatoes and Lettuce -- I'm Willing To Do It to Get Rid of Illegals?

Question

People always come up with these doomsday scenarios about $10 lettuce and $5 tomatoes. First of all, a price increase is inevitable even with a guest worker program, because once these people come from out of the shadows they will be making at least minimum wage instead of the $30-40 a day they currently make (about $3 an hour). Secondly, the U.S. economy will survive. It was only 10 years ago that we were paying 99 cents for a gallon of regular gas, now $3 a gallon is "normal" and $4 a gallon is expected. I see that people are still taking family vacations and buying SUV's despite the gas increase. You also have to take into account innovation (which we U.S. citizens are good at). If there's a labor shortage, look for someone to create an "assembly line farm" which produces a maximum amount of product using minimal labor. Pro-illegals try and scare people into thinking there will be some sort of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes scenario. Pleeeeease. The U.S. economy will survive.

Someone also pointed out that the price roofing and home construction would increase. You know, I see plenty of black and white guys on the roofs doing construction, so I don't really see a problem there.

KOGIRL, let me ask you this. Bill Gates is the richest man in the world. I want a mansion like him, a private jet like him, and a $200,000 Bentley like him. But does that give me the right to break into his home illegally and rob him of everything he worked hard for? No it doesn't.

'prettypussykat' (hmm ... i'm sure your name is an accurate descrpition -- holla back ;), black and white immigrants from the Caribbean, Africa and Europe on;y makeup about 25% of all illegal immigrantss. The rest are either from Mexico (48% overall) or Central/South America (27% between two continents, not too much really). 48% of the overall illegal immigrants come from one single nation -- Mexico. That's a lot of people.

Answer 1

THAT'S RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am MORE than willing to pay a few extra CENTS for my veggies!!!!!!!!!!!! DEPORTATION will save us BILLIONS of dollars in social services, so HELL YEAH, i'll pay more for lettuce!!!!!!

Answer 2

to you and to LONE STAR...just wondering, how did America become YOUR home?
Also, what makes you think you have the right to deny anyone else the same privileges you and your family have enjoyed?
Again, just wondering.

In addition, America is not a private dwelling.

In addition again... so your family has been here since 1817...do you want a cookie? "Illegals" want to live the American Dream too. Nothing makes them any different from your family, except for the fact that they got here almost 200 years later. Please forgive them for not having been born yet!

If your argument is "finders keepers" or "first come, first serve"...then why aren't you upset that natives aren't represented in any capacity in this country's governing body?

It is common knowledge (or it should be) that many parts of the Southern USA were once Mexico...so I'd get a little more educated about the topic before you started pointing fingers at anyone.

Answer 3

If we lose all our illegal immigrants, farmers would start using H2A visa to get laborers. They already start doing so last year. The illegal immigrants make over $10 an hour. Legal immigrants with all the benefits might cost us $14 an hour. Part of the reason we started using legal immigrants was that illegal immigrants were demanding higher pay and it was making it more cost effective to use legal immigrants. SO as to the cost of food going up would be minimal, especially since it was going to go up anyways. As to lettuce prices, it won't change. They were overpriced after the flood a while back. Other fruits and vegetables would see a slight increase.

Answer 4

I have said the same thing so many times. I know that the farmers might not have the high profit margins after they start paying minimum wage, oh well. They are getting wealthy on illegals, and that is not acceptable. I won't pay higher prices, I expect the rich farmers to eat the additional cost of legal wages, they have made millions already!! Hell, I can always grow any veggie I need. Your analogy of Bill Gates was excellent!!!

Answer 5

Yes the Economy will survive.

There is no reason whatsoever to allow an illegal alien to stay in this country. Americans have been picking there own toms & lettuce for hundreds of years why is it now so important to allow Illegals to work the fields.

when I was a kid I use to buck bails I had friends that would go down and pick lettuce.....these were jobs that plenty of Americans would do....of course we didn't have X-box's either, and we had to work if we wanted money.

Answer 6

The American Economy might, but thousands of others will not. The U.S has an amazing number of people in poverty. Setting prices so high would not only reduce the moral of the people, but also kill hundreds even thousands of people who are not as blessed as others when it comes to their pocket-books. If we set prices that high, we're looking at riots, over throwing of government....etc. The country could never bring the prices down again, because then your 'illegals' will start to pour in.
There is a more effective & smarter way to solve this problem some where out there. This is not one of them.

Answer 7

ROUND THEM UP AND SEND THEM HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! And jail for anybody who hires them.

And to kogirl, My people have been here since 1817, and my ancestors fought in the Civil War to keep this one country. I have a right to be here---these ILLEGALS DON'T. There is a legal way to get in, and it doesn't involve swimming the Rio Grande.

You still don't get it kogirl--the issue is not immigration. I welcome those who come in under the rules, but you can't break our laws and then expect to get to take advantage of them. As for Mexico owning the Southwest, Spain had it before them--do we give it back to Spain? Grow up--nations get established by their ability to take and hold territory, and then prosper. The Mexicans should stay in their own country and make a dream there. It is potentially a very rich place, if they would end the corruption.

Answer 8

I agree, we will survive! And we are willing to pay more too! Americans are strong and we are pros in changes of all sorts, so let them go back home, and help their country's ecomonic and fight for their rights, just like the first Americans have to, women and child labor laws were not a given in this country, we had to fight our government for changes, we did not go to another country to start over. Even today we continue, I think we should be a example for other countries, not a horse back ride.
Bye, Marie

Answer 9

got 4 tomato plants I pick now and more lettuce than I can eat
got a daughter who lives in and apartment with 2 tomato plants in 8" pots .trying to give me tomatoes
PS 2 pack of seeds lettuce /tomato $.59 each.still have half the seed left.our forefathers cleared the land and built this nation without any Illegals help

Answer 10

Another thing to think about, why don't we only buy American made cars and no foreign cars that would give good paying jobs to the citizens that are legal in this country because these car makers don't hire just anyone.

Answer 11

maybe if the people of the united states would be willing to get off their lazy behinds and do the work that the illegals are doing, then they would not have an incentive to come here. i am not against anyone bettering themselves or their lives. i am against anyone doing it illegally. but, there would not be as many if they were not working here and the people hiring them would be prosecuted properly.