McCain Slams American Workers

[mrbowler]

This really ticks me off...I guess McCain has a low opinion of the working class folks in America.


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And when McCain spoke about immigration at the BCTD conference yesterday, the crowd began booing, with one participant honing in on the real issue, shouting: “Pay a decent wage!”

McCain’s response? Immigrants were taking jobs nobody else wanted.

But that wasn’t enough of an insult. McCain then offered anybody in the crowd $50 an hour to pick lettuce in Arizona.

When some union leaders said they’d accept his offer, the expensive-suited Washington, D.C., politician insisted none of them would do such menial labor for a complete season.

Said McCain: “You can’t do it, my friends.”

Anyone taking bets on whether McCain or building and construction trades guys would last longer working in the hot sun for 12 hours a day?

[mrbowler]

I just love this response...supply & demand except when it comes to having to pay a higher wage if you can import labor

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"The problem isn't that Americans won't perform so-called menial labor (read: honest work), John, it's that American companies won't pay Americans a living wage. If even one of your Arizona lettuce farmers would pay living wage, they'd have Americans queuing up for jobs. Or perhaps you didn't know that nearly half of America lives below the poverty line?

Honest work, John, is something Americans are looking for but honest employers willing to pay a living wage are few and far between."

[whitequeen96]

Yes, it all makes sense. BUT what would the price of lettuce be if workers were paid the amount it would take to get Americans to work these jobs? It's not like the lettuce farmers are going to absorb the increased costs; they'll pass it on to you and me! This is not a simple problem!

Understand that I am not against people making a living wage. But most of us could not afford the standard of living we now enjoy if illegal immigrant labor was paid what is the current minimum wage here. So there are many facts to look at, and choices to be made. And here's another slant to things; if people are willing to come here for the wages they are paid (low as the may be), it's because they are desperate. Who are we to tell them that they shouldn't accept the deal? I can't see telling someone, "Yes, I understand your children may starve to death, or will never get an education if you don't work here and send the money back home. But the wages are too low, and it's not really fair to you, so we can't let you make that decision!" That's awfully patriarchal and arrogant, isn't it?

So I just don't know what we should do. But I do know there isn't a simple answer.

[mrbowler]

Originally Posted by whitequeen96

Yes, it all makes sense. BUT what would the price of lettuce be if workers were paid the amount it would take to get Americans to work these jobs? It's not like the lettuce farmers are going to absorb the increased costs; they'll pass it on to you and me! This is not a simple problem!

Only educated guesses about what effect it would have on the price of lettuce, but you are only looking at the cost of products that are affecting your pocketbook directly-you also need to factor in the indirect costs that americans pay to have illegal immigrants. You could argue that the price of lettuce would not change at all-since lettuce farmers in the United States would have to figure a way to compete-tech. improvements, higher productivity, higher efficiency to compete on a global scale or go out of business, and the growers would look to other areas/locations to grow produce. IMO the key is to go after employers.

[mrbowler]

Originally Posted by whitequeen96

But most of us could not afford the standard of living we now enjoy if illegal immigrant labor was paid what is the current minimum wage here. So there are many facts to look at, and choices to be made. And here's another slant to things; if people are willing to come here for the wages they are paid (low as the may be), it's because they are desperate. Who are we to tell them that they shouldn't accept the deal? I can't see telling someone, "Yes, I understand your children may starve to death, or will never get an education if you don't work here and send the money back home. But the wages are too low, and it's not really fair to you, so we can't let you make that decision!" That's awfully patriarchal and arrogant, isn't it?

So I just don't know what we should do. But I do know there isn't a simple answer.

I would rather have corporations/employers have a higher standard of a shared employer/employee relationship. IMO we are on a drive to a lower standard of living for more americans unless you are among the top percentage that are the ownership society(corporate stockholders). The drive for lower wages reaches across more and more ladders of employment.


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Many American towns have been kept alive by the wave of illegal immigrants. But this has given American businesses little incentive to raise wages on the low end of the scale. And many will tell you that illegal immigrants are only doing the jobs Americans don’t want.

"They are taking jobs that Americans will not take at that wage. Let me give you an example. Janitors in Century City and Beverly Hills, 10 years ago, were all making $11 an hour," says Anderson. "All of those companies got rid of the Americans, broke the union, brought in illegal aliens from Mexico and El Salvador. Paid them five bucks an hour. You gonna tell me those black janitors don’t still want those $11 jobs? Sure they do. They would probably be $15 jobs now. But guess what happened? They weren’t gonna take ‘em at $4 and $5 an hour."