Originally posted by Sandman
I'm not sure... are farmers subsidized in California and Texas?
Sure they are. You know that vast area of California that was irrigated decades ago? That, for example, is a major subsidization. It still doesn't pay for itself. There is serious subsidization of farming in every state.
Hey, I know farmers, some of my best friends are farmers. But there's a lot of them drawing huge subsidies, and a lot of them using illegals for labor. We don't owe them the subsidies OR the use of low priced labor everyone else subsidizes. Now the farmers I know around here don't use them, they are family run farms.
Around here we have them in construction and landscaping. And the price of having a home built or landscaping is going UP, not down. We have serious crime issues with illegals. We have them driving drunk and unlicensed, and commiting felonies. So we're paying higher prices for work being done, PLUS we're subsidizing the existence of the illegals, and putting up with their crime. So tell me again where the upside to all of that is.
Not to mention the pay scale for the local skilled labor residents in construction and landscaping is being dragged down. How would you like to have your pay scale dragged down AND have to pay for all of the services the illegal alien who is dragging your pay scale down is using? Sound fair?
My paternal grandfather was a LEGAL immigrant from Germany in the late 1800's. I'm all for LEGAL immigration. But allowing illegal aliens to become citizens as a reward for committing an illegal act is WRONG. Any way you look at it.