Georgia Farm Bureau fires a warning shot in state immigration debate
Some tension is building over the Legislature’s push for an Arizona-style approach to illegal immigration. From Ray Henry and the Associated Press:
LYONS, Ga. — Georgia farmers, many of whom are dependent on immigrant labor, have fired a warning shot at state lawmakers considering ways to crack down on illegal immigrants.
Delegates to the Georgia Farm Bureau’s annual convention voted Tuesday to adopt a policy that opposes any state immigration measure that “discriminates against the farm worker” and puts farmers at a competitive disadvantage. The vote marks the first time the Farm Bureau has adopted an immigration policy directed specifically at Georgia state leaders.
“We think immigration is a federal issue, and it needs a federal solution,” said Jon Huffmaster, the Farm Bureau’s legislative director. “And we think a patchwork of state laws could cause more problems than it solves.”
Many farmers are heavily dependent on immigrant labor to harvest crops by hand, particularly vegetables and peaches that are easily bruised and damaged by machines. Huffmaster said farmers in vegetable-growing regions first pushed for the new policy, one of many that was created or revised during the convention at Jekyll Island.
Politicians in Georgia have signaled their willingness to adopt tougher sanctions against the estimated 475,000 illegal immigrants in the state, many of whom work in agriculture. Gov.-elect Nathan Deal, a Republican, said during the campaign that he would support an Arizona-style immigration law. That state approved a measure that requires police officers, when enforcing other laws, to question the immigration status of those they suspect are in the country illegally.
Meanwhile, a committee of Republican lawmakers was created in September to study illegal immigration and its effects on Georgia. The co-chair, Rep. Matt Ramsey, said members will try to fill gaps in state law and add enforcement tools to existing laws.
Ramsey said state officials have been forced to wade into immigration policy because of the federal government’s inaction.
“I would respectfully disagree with any statement that the state has no role in this,” the Peachtree City Republican said. “In my opinion, the status quo is unacceptable, and that is the consensus of the members of the immigration reform committee.”
State Sen. Jack Murphy, a Republican from Cumming and co-chair of the legislative committee on immigration, said he guarantees that farmers’ interests will be taken into account but that the committee would go ahead and propose legislation on immigration at the state level.
“We don’t want to do anything to harm them economically,” he said. “They don’t want a law that’s going to affect them adversely, and that’s understandable. But you can’t just say you don’t want a law, period.”
Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, said he was pleased to hear of the Farm Bureau’s vote. He has spoken before the legislative committee, where he argued that an Arizona-style law would seriously harm the state’s agriculture industry.
“I am glad that the Georgia Farm Bureau is looking at this issue very, very seriously,” he said. “Our legislators should focus their power and influence to urge our U.S. Congress to work on a comprehensive immigration package with President Obama. That’s the real solution.”
The political moves in the Statehouse have worried farmers, an important political constituency because agriculture is Georgia’s largest single economic sector. A University of Virginia study found that Prince William County, Va.’s hardball approach to illegal immigrants had reduced their numbers but created an ethnic divide in perceptions of the county.
The conflicts are easy to spot in Lyons, a small town in southeast Georgia where farmers raise Vidalia onions.
Even in the rural countryside, there are enough immigrant workers from Central and South America to support a grocery store and small restaurant on the town’s main drag. It sells phone cards and Spanish-language CDs.
Aries Haygood, 27, said his farm needs 65 field laborers and 50 people working in a packing house during the height of the onion harvest, which starts in late April. Although it’s unclear exactly what state leaders might do, Haygood said any law that scares away immigrant workers could harm the regional economy.
The farmer said he is willing to hire native workers, but not enough people will labor in the fields. He depends on a private company to send migrant workers with visas to man his farming operation.
“If this plan, whatever they decide to come up with, is not 100 percent right, it could cost some farmers their jobs,” Haygood said. “Anytime you start telling folks you can be pulled over and asked about your status and you could be asked to leave, folks will stop coming.”
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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96 comments Add your comment
Tom
December 8th, 2010
1:14 pm
Voice of Reason – I could not have said it better myself!!! LIBERTARIAN – Don’t think illegal migrant workers going to another state would be bad with approx 500,000 Georgian citizens out of work. Post these job opportunities and see how many of our fellow citizens show up to apply!!!
zinc
December 8th, 2010
1:18 pm
Conservatives: for capitalism, then against. for free markets, then against it. for the Constitution, then against it.
@Tom–sorry but your assumption is wrong. As a small business owner, I have a great deal of trouble filling positions that pay $8-10 despite unemployment in my area being nearly 12%. This is a combination of the declining American work ethic, people’s over-inflated value of themselves and extension of government programs to prop them up. I know for a fact that I could hire an immigrant for probably half of that wage and get a good employee.
I have two families in my neighborhood on the brink of bankruptcy. No one in either family works. I straight up offered to help one of the fathers. Offered to hire him at $10 an hour to fill my vacancy. He said no thanks, the work was beneath him. All the while, he stresses about putting food on the table and wondering when someone will seize his house.
george
December 8th, 2010
1:26 pm
i can just imagine glen beck doing stoop labor in the fields. well he should have enough energy since he avoided military service like the cowardly blowhard he is.
Tom
December 8th, 2010
1:29 pm
ZINC – Thanks for the information. In the Metro Atlanta area we always see very long lines at jobs fairs or anytime companies post for jobs. Seen same thing on TV in Macon, Savannah, etc. Don’t understand why those individuals you spoke of wouldn’t jump at your offered opportunity unless they are collecting that free money(unemployment compensation). I believe it is about $300 per week, which will eventually run out, unless Obama and his Democrats can figure out a way to extend it forever!!
Last Man Standing
December 8th, 2010
1:30 pm
Woody Bass:
“This isnt about whether the labor can be found.. its about the almight-root-of-all-evil… MONEY”
I believe that. more accurately stated, the root of all evil is the LOVE of money
Peepeye
December 8th, 2010
1:34 pm
Listen, I need to have some complicated heart surgery early next year and I’ll NEED to travel to India to have it done.
There’s no one in the States or Canada that can do this surgery for me at the price that I can afford to pay.
How do I know that? Have I looked? Nope.
I just know that with all of its world class hospitals and doctors in the United States, they won’t have one single doctor willing or able to do my surgery.
So, I’m going to have to travel to India to have my surgery because there’s no doctors here who are worthwhile.
Sound familiar?
DannyX
December 8th, 2010
1:36 pm
“…about $300 per week, which will eventually run out, unless Obama and his Democrats can figure out a way to extend it forever!!”
Those are now the Obama tax cuts and the Republican unemployment extensions.
The party of NO, has suddenly become the party of “No Tea Party”
Btw, which bill extends unemployment past 99 weeks?
Tom
December 8th, 2010
1:38 pm
GEORGE – Thanks, I did not know that about Glenn Beck. Makes me think he is chickenpoop now, just like the Community Organizer Obama! Maybe Beck was an organizer too, will try to find out. Since I am retired from military/law enforcement, I feel I have right to comment on this issue. People or their families who have served in military are only persons with right to comment on military issues.
Zinc
December 8th, 2010
1:47 pm
@Tom–that is a very narrow view about American public opinion. I was a teacher for 3 years, should your opinion on education be discredited because you didn’t teach? Should you not comment on gay/racial/gender issues because you don’t belong to a particular sect? Your service is notable, your view on who should comment is misguided.
Tom
December 8th, 2010
1:51 pm
DannyX – This was not the OBAMA tax cuts, think it was former Pres Bush tax cuts. Just for conversation, I never made over $40,000 a year in working life of 45 years, I don’t consider $250,000 yearly for a family to be rich or wealthy. Perhaps one million would be much better figure for those terms OBAMA constantly throws out about Repubs favoring rich, by the way I am INDEPENDENT!!
Tom
December 8th, 2010
2:02 pm
ZINC – Good point about teachers! Since two of my adult children are currently teachers, I only have limited knowledge of their profession that they tell me about. Reference military, people who have never served(for whatever reason) also have very limited knowledge of military in my opinion. Gay/racial/gender issues that don’t effect my family or I, is none of my business!! This is fun, must have too much time on my hands. Almost time to go to gym, later dude!!
the original and still the best John Galt
December 8th, 2010
2:02 pm
Let’s see, $10 an hour by 40 hours equals: $400.00. Take off taxes of 30 percent, which would be a good estimate, by the time you figure in Federal, Social Security, and State, and you have a weekly net of $280.00. Basic unemployment pays more than that. It’s all about the money, but not in the way some people think.
Let’s discuss how one lives on $280.00 a week, which is $14,560.00 if you work all year long.
shaggy
December 8th, 2010
2:05 pm
You want America back to work? You want Americans doing the work that illegals scrape up?
Simple solution, stop entitlements for life. No workee – No eatee! If the work is “beneath you”, well I guess you will be one of the hungry ones, because you don’t want to work.
An illegal hispanic is the same as an illegal vietnamese…ILLEGAL!
DannyX
December 8th, 2010
2:07 pm
W started the tax cuts Obama owns them now.
Just as the previous “party of No” Republicans now share ownership of the unemployment extension, and all the other budget busting goodies in the compromised bill.
Republicans, “Party of NO!”…….. No longer.
Introducing your new and improved Republican…….
Republicans, “NO Tea Party!”
DannyX
December 8th, 2010
2:12 pm
“An illegal hispanic is the same as an illegal vietnamese…ILLEGAL!”
I tend to view our Hispanic workers as “Christian immigrants.” Just think, Jesus loves them more than our rich. How ironic. (Its in the Bible.)
shaggy
December 8th, 2010
2:17 pm
OK DannyX, for your mental simplicity, we can both refer to them as “ILLEGAL Christian immigramts”.
Get it Straight
December 8th, 2010
2:21 pm
MONEY is not the root of all evil…it’s the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil.
shaggy
December 8th, 2010
2:31 pm
Woohoo! Get it Straight has cleared that up.
So the lazy ones, that won’t work and don’t have to work, because their expectations of the American dream amount to a check, food stamps (usually both) and staying home watching the big screen, with Judge Judy, won’t mind if we end their temptation to root some evil…right?
Independent
December 8th, 2010
2:35 pm
I don’t see a lot of people on this blog saying ” I am unemployed, I think I will move my family to south Georgia so I can pick onions at $7.25 per hour…I thought there would be a lot. By the way, I am a north georgia native (so were my parents, their parents, don’t know how far back); my use of the term “Gringo” was just for fun.
ON AN ON
December 8th, 2010
2:35 pm
These jobs pay 9+ dollars per hour and I know several people that would love to have these jobs and they are American citizens, young men and women who cant find work who have not gone to college, high school students who need money in their pockets. Dont tell me all that want these jobs are illegals because that is a all out lie. What they are doing is keeping americans away from these jobs by hiring illegals because americans dont trust them and dont want to work around them.
Need to get the facts straight here before you give our jobs to illegals. Just dont lie ok. You simply dont want to pay taxes on these people.
Tom
December 8th, 2010
2:36 pm
Hey, I like Judge Judy!! Just a retired law enforcement thing!!!
Michael
December 8th, 2010
2:37 pm
Actually, Americans call Americans gringos. Mexicans call us gabachos.
DannyX
December 8th, 2010
2:43 pm
“…and staying home watching the big screen, with Judge Judy”
Can you be anymore prejudice? Our Christian immigrants just happen to be at home watching “El Gordo y la Flaca” on Univision.
Independent
December 8th, 2010
2:50 pm
I am sure I stereotyped both sides in my earlier post. We had many “Gringoes” who were hard-working and we had a few Hispanics who were “sorry”. At that time and place, though, most Americans (young) would rather work at McDonal’s for less where the job was easier and cleaner than at our location. Don’t give me that about not paying taxes on illegals – that works just as well with Americans. Remember after the BP oil spill when it came out that a lot of (American) fishermen could not claim loss of income since they were being paid under the table in the years prior? Not paying taxes on your workers is a matter for IRS enforcement and is not about immigration. I really do think that all businesses (including farmers) should have to document workers (new and existing) through e-verify. Why has that law not been passed? If not at the Federal level, then pass it at the Georgia State level. That would be more useful than the pull over and stop all Hispanic-looking people.
BrokeBotttom45
December 8th, 2010
2:53 pm
I recently dumped my Farm Bureau insurance coverage and went with a more competitive company. Say what you will but the American public is not willing to work for a living but will bend over backwards to get an entitlement from the guv-ment for housing, food, clothes and any other necessity. We have become a nation of whiners and we expect free handouts while we sit on our butts and make babies in order to increase the size of our entitlement. As for those companies that have left our borders to build factories on foreign soild, their goods reentering this country should be taxed so high that it would deter companies from moving to other countries for cheap labor. Like the Fram oil filter commercial says, pay me now or pay me later.
shaggy
December 8th, 2010
2:54 pm
DannyX,
Wow, you are a genius, except if you could actualy comprehend writing, I wasn’t refering to the illegals in that post. It was directed at well, lazy and on the dole people that I am tired of hearing whine.
shaggy
December 8th, 2010
3:00 pm
BrokeBottom 45,
Most of what you say is correct, except those import tariffs work both ways, with other trade partners responding in kind, by charging sky high import tariffs. .
If you really want an answer, think Fair Tax. If we enacted Fair Tax, the US of A would be THE place for business in the world. Those offshored jobs would quickly return to our soil.
create a answer to illegal farming problems
December 8th, 2010
3:01 pm
Take all the people who are on welfare and taking government assistance. Let them work the fields for their benefit. All the people who are collecting unemployment past the 26 weeks, let them also work for the pay they get from the new welfare program called unemployment compensation. I think after two years, people who are unemployed should work for their checks. Watch how many refuse to work for the money out tax funds are now giving them.
Fire Eater
December 8th, 2010
3:06 pm
As a Farm Bureau member I am OUTRAGED at their demand for a taxpayer-subsidized slave labor force for a few wealthy “agribusinessmen.” I will review my insurance policies and see if I can get a better deal elsewhere.
No, no sir, the illegals must be driven from Georgia…if a job is too degrading or menial for Americans, it should not be done at all. Removal of the half-million or more illegal immigrants from this state would go a long way in reducing unemployment, crime, welfare, school overcrowding and other problems.
We need to get back to the F
Fire Eater
December 8th, 2010
3:09 pm
We need to get back to the Founding Fathers on immigration and other subjects. See the Immigration Act of 1790 for their definition of the type of immigrants desired…the current crop of invaders certainly do not measure up to their standards.
The sleazy characters who demand a cheap illegal alien labor pool are not producers but are PARASITES.
Tom
December 8th, 2010
3:17 pm
FIRE EATER – Good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eddie
December 8th, 2010
4:00 pm
Okay, some some farms need 100 or so laborers. Let’s say 30,000 labors for 4 moths of the year. Why do we have to allow the other estimated 485,000 stay while these 15,000 do work that people say Americans won’t do?
jen
December 8th, 2010
4:03 pm
“Anytime you start telling folks you can be pulled over and asked about your status and you could be asked to leave, folks will stop coming” – isn’t this the idea sir??? if all your workers are “with visa ” why would you or them worry? . He know’s he’s hiring illegals and is talking out both sides of his mouth.
Confused
December 8th, 2010
4:09 pm
Tom, the maximum uenemployment weekly benefit is 330.00 in Georgia even if the person was making a million dollars a year. Most people who are collecting unemployment benefits in Georgia do not collect 330.00/wk. Some people collect 50, 30, 25, 150, 220 etc. based on the their total earnings in the past five quarters. If their total earnings are not ten times their highest quater wages they do not qualify for uenemployment benefits. North Carolina and Florida pay more in unemployment benefits than Georgia. I believe the southeast as a whole lags the rest of the nation in maximum weekly unemployment benefits. Go to http://www.dol.state.ga.us and click the link that reads “Learn About Unemployment Benefits.”
Tom
December 8th, 2010
5:36 pm
Sorry Ga Farm Bureau. I contacted both of my Legislative members. This law has strong support and will fly through the Assembly. I guess your members are gonna have to live with hiring legal workers
SILENCE FROM THE RIGHT?
December 8th, 2010
5:41 pm
backtracking? compromise? wait until the hospitality and construction industries weigh in.
dear tea party – your hardline tactics are going to make you obsolete. join the movement to the middle or perish
SILENCE FROM THE RIGHT?
December 8th, 2010
5:42 pm
http://www.takeourjobs.org
I’ve heard that this effort has actually placed 11 white workers in the fields so far. only 3-4 million to go!
who's gonna pick your veggies tom?
December 8th, 2010
5:43 pm
and who’s gonna support all of the farmers who go out of business? you are!
congrats on increasing the welfare rolls
who's gonna pick your veggies tom?
December 8th, 2010
5:43 pm
Hey Fire eater – that’s all you are gonna have to eat – Fire.
BitterEXdemocrackkk
December 8th, 2010
6:23 pm
I hope I dont have to callout Farm Bureau in multiple states to embarrass them on ILLEGAL labor…
Dick
December 9th, 2010
9:49 pm
Cut out some of the give away programs and eventually the dead beat sorry people will get off the porch and go make wages on the farm. No one, state or federal, has even mentioned the word medicaid, food stamps, or welfare in their cuts. Leaders had rather pick on the working people. BTW farmers you can’t have your way on everything.
Dick
December 9th, 2010
9:50 pm
interested in farming data? go to http://WWW.EWG.ORG. Select farm data base and see what we tax payers are paying farmers to farm. Remember as you look, the figures shown DONOT include what farmer sold the product for.
deegee
December 10th, 2010
10:08 am
Let’s all go back to 1790. We can grow our vegetables in the backyard alongside our chickens and milk cow. We can sell what we don’t need at the market in the square. Quaint, isn’t it?
Responder
December 10th, 2010
12:55 pm
Voice of Reason, Dec 8, 1pm. I haven’t read everything posted yet, but your post sums it all up.
All of the legal immigrants I know are not happy that they are “lumped in” with those who are illegal simply because of the color of their skin OR their name. Sounds like another US problem we are still trying to overcome!
pete
December 11th, 2010
7:43 am
gas prices are on the rise already $3.00 gallon soon we will be up to $5.00.Cant beleive people voted for this again!
pete
December 11th, 2010
7:47 am
as cool hand luke says , you cant go around locking up people because they are brown!thats illegal.