Local farmers experiencing worker shortages want changes

[madamesilverspurs]

For the many farmers in the region and across the country who can’t find enough workers and are currently enduring another round of guest-worker law/E-verify program debates among federal legislators, similar expressions come to mind.

“Let’s come a solution that makes good, common sense and just move on,” said Dave Petrocco Sr., who farms hand-harvested vegetables in the Brighton and Greeley areas, and during harvests needs anywhere from 200 to 300 workers.

For the most part — he and other local farmers noted — lawmakers have been swinging and missing for years.

more: http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20111009/NEWS/710099992/1051&ParentProfile=1001

--------
This part of Colorado tends to be deep red. Can you tell?

[Skidmore]

1. Of course, it would never occur to them to pay a living wage

and hire locally as a viable solution.

[Scuba]

3. Bingo.

[bemildred]

4. They need the money to give to ADM and Monsanto. nt

[workinclasszero]

2. Let’s come a solution that makes good, common sense and just move on

Sure thing. Pay a living wage with benefits and you will have more employees than you know what to do with.

There, problem solved!

Next...

[denverbill]

5. I'd disagree with the 'deep red' note.

I drive by this guy's farm every day and my district has sent Ed Perlmutter to Congress the last few years. The rural areas of CO do tend to be more conservative though generally.

INS needs to hire more agents to process work visa requests, but that's not free. How about we charge farmer's like Petrocco $1000 for every work visa we have to issue, to cover the costs of the INS agent and health care for the worker?

[madamesilverspurs]

7. We need more Perlmutters!

Unfortunately, CD4 is presently "represented" by Cory Gardner.

[denverbill]

9. Well, Gardner replaced a Democrat, albeit a one-termer.

CD4 is redder than my district, but it's no Colorado Springs. At least there is hope.

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. There's NO JOB people WON'T DO.

Only wages people won't work for.

[Little Star]

10. Yep! n/t

[customerserviceguy]

8. Love to hear the farmers whine

They've been third-partying the true cost of illegal workers on to the communities for decades. That cheap head of lettuce you have is really being subsidized by the county budgets where education, healthcare, and law enforcement costs have shot up every harvest season. The farmers and ranchers are often politically powerful in the counties where this transfer is taking place, and it takes tough state laws to clean it up.

If you can't find someone to do something for a living wage, then somebody else will develop a machine to do it for a slave wage. Keeping the status quo with illegal immigrants is just pushing that day off further in the future.