"In a conference call with reporters on Wednesday, Chertoff said that enforcing immigration law is resulting in a shortage of produce since many of the workers that are being deported work in produce fields.
“We’re living in a world in which lettuce and fruit is not being picked because we are enforcing the law,” Chertoff said."
Tancredo was outraged by the Secretary’s comments and sent a staffer to Chertoff’s office with the head of lettuce and a fruit basket. A card attached to the basket read: “Much, much more where this comes from.”
“The agriculture industry and the free market has managed to keep producing through floods, droughts and $3 per gallon gas,” Congressman Tancredo, R-Littleton, said. “I doubt very seriously that a nominal increase in labor costs is going to be the end of lettuce as we know it.”
What do you think?
2007-06-27 18:32:02 · 11 answers · asked by DAR 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
schazmd - the illegal immigrants don't want this work either once they get their feet on the ground and move to construction and such. THAT is why agribusiness wants the AgJobs portion of the bill. Servitude suits agribusiness fine, apparently.
2007-06-27 18:41:33 · update #1
Jason A, you are right about Tancredo, but on this one issue I feel free to enjoy him.
2007-06-27 18:42:45 · update #2
Nonsense! Pay Americans to do the work, or grant more work Visa's so the immigrants can do the work legally.
Like the thing about the lettuce in the basket.
2007-06-27 18:41:07 · answer #1 · answered by Thrice Blessed 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I wish they would get all the people begging on the streets and on entitlement programs to do some time on the fieldas a token show that they are looking for work. I still need to research Welfare, because the LA times said welfare has increase since Clinton fixed it, They just move onto other types of programs. As for the Homeless I was in Hollywood last week and was shocked at how much of a problem there is and we're at a shortage of laborer.
As for Chertoffs comment, Actually this labor shortage is a good thing for the farmers. I remember the flood that destroyed the lettuce cropa while back,. The farmers made a bundle on the lettuce that remains. Our country actually pump out too much food, and it's hard for farmers to make a profit on lettuce. At least that's what they said during the floods.
2007-06-28 02:34:08 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Sorry this isn't as true as Chertoff would like it to be. The farmers have had shortages of workers in the fields long before the enforcing of the laws went into effect. And those farmers are paying $9.00 and up to try to get any workers into the fields. Perhaps they could work the displaced senators, congress members, Bush, Cheney, and the Bush Administration (Chertoff included) in the fields to off-set the lack of workers needed.
As for produce, and fruits... I plant my own, and grow them year after year. I still save money in doing so. If more went back to growing their own food, the farmers would have to do something different, and rely on someone else to do the work they don't want to do.
cj sez - Chertoff got porked by Bush lol
2007-06-28 02:11:50 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Chertoff needs to be removed from office, along with Bush's Mexican crony Alberto Gonzalez.
I like Tancredo but he is a one trick pony / not broadly qualified to be president. Then again, Bush has NO qualifications so it would still be an improvement since Tancredo would enforce the laws on the books and respect the Constitution - the United States Constitution.
2007-06-28 01:38:26 · answer #4 · answered by Jason A 3 · 3⤊ 3⤋
On June 19th, Chertoff sent a letter to the senate stating that an amendment would remove tools for enforcements and was critical..Now he supports the bill..Wonder what pork he will receive.
2007-06-28 01:55:10 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
The more I hear out of Chertoff the more I dislike him and his sorry justification for NOT doing his job and securing our borders. Since only 25% of the workers in the fields are illegals he is full of crap. He is trying to justify the Amnesty bill and he is too weak on his argument.
2007-06-28 01:38:00 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 2⤋
I think Tancredo overestimates the numbers of people living in the right areas who are willing to take only seasonal work.
2007-06-28 01:36:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Tancredo is right on. Don't you just get sick of these phony's that try to convince everyone that everything is going to fall apart if the amnesty fails. My thoughts here are: Take all the people off welfare that plain don't want to work and if they won't work at this, they go hungry.
2007-06-28 01:39:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 3⤋
Chertoff is a friggin communist. he even looks exactly like Lenin.
Neocons don't want what's right for the United States. Luckily, their role and their influence took a fatal blow cuz of this Iraq debacle, and everyone knows that these creeps are loyal to themselves and Israel only, no one else.
The era of the NeoCon is almost over.
2007-06-28 01:42:21 · answer #9 · answered by PH 5 · 0⤊ 4⤋
i doubt very seriously that chertoff was speaking of an end to lettuce as we know it.
2007-06-28 01:39:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋