As I walked down our road this morning I noticed a bunch of apple bins in the orchard and apples still hanging on the trees. Awfully late in the season for them not to be picked. They may not be as I've heard their is a farm labor shortage.
I read a front page article in last weeks paper about how in Alabama, farmers are complaining they are losing money because there are no migrant workers to pick their crops due to tougher immigration laws in the state. I get that.
So why don't the unemployed legal people, white, black, brown, whatever, get out there and work? This would take care of two problems. Seems simple enough.
But of course it isn't. When non-migrants have been hired, farmers complain the work ethic isn't there, and many quit after a day or two because it is hard and doesn't pay well. Besides, they can make nearly the same... or more... on unemployment.
We need a complete shift in the way things are done to fix this. It doesn't seem that hard to me...
First, if you have been on unemployment for a set time... let's say six months... you need to take these jobs or lose eligibility for benefits. People should not be allowed to get so comfortable on unemployment. I know the job market is tough right now, but it may not turn around for a decade. It reaches a time where people need to take the jobs that are available. I'm not completely hard-nosed on this; I think the government can help by offering up credits for day care or other legitimate needs while the unemployed are working temporarily as farm laborers. And I think it is fair that they make as much, maybe more, than they were receiving in unemployment benefits too, meaning they might be offered a partial unemployment payment to make up the difference. Working as a farm hand isn't supposed to be punishment, but is a way to help the farmers, our economy and the unemployed.
The farmers are going to have to take on a bit more too. Basically they are going to have to ensure they have a safe, and decent work environment. (This is something that isn't always done when using illegal migrants because the illegal aliens won't complain.) They need to pay a fair wage. (This of course is dictated by the the market; I don't expect they should have to take it in the shorts.) Probably the biggest effect on farmers will be the work quality in the beginning. For sure much of society isn't used to having to work this hard and do these types of tasks, so they are going to be slow. But you know what? Everyone has to go through this initially; nobody is born good at anything.
Will this ever happen? It doesn't look good. Many in government are afraid to take something like this on. While those on the right might want to take unemployment benefits away after a set length of time, I don't think any of them have the courage to actually ask the unemployed to take a 'farm labor' job. Those on the left seem happy with extending benefits until... who knows... and don't seem to think the unemployed should ever take a job that is (thought to be) beneath them.
But you know what? The jobs aren't coming back quickly and the states and Feds are running out of money. Where is the unemployment benefit money going to come from? Our great Country will not... be a great Country... and may very well not even survive, if we don't make some logical changes.
But hey, that's just me.
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