Need a job? Georgia Farmers have 11,000 jobs unfilled.

Gov. Nathan Deal on Tuesday offered what he called a “partial solution” to Georgia’s farm labor shortage: put people on criminal probation to work picking fruits and vegetables in South Georgia.

I'd rather unemployed people trying to make ends meet that do not have criminal records get priority over those that do. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against all people that are on criminal probation, but just those that abuse the probation system and do not even want to work being forced to fill these jobs that they do not want to do, or appreciate.

The Republican governor’s idea is drawing concern from the head of the American Probation and Parole Association and getting mixed reviews from farmers and their organizations, who have complained that a new immigration law was scaring away migrant farmworkers they need.

Deal outlined his proposal the same day his office released the results of a state survey of farmers showing they have 11,080 jobs open, which is about 14 percent of the full-time positions that are filled annually. Deal asked for the survey last month.

This post probably teeters on the brink of being posted in US political madness. The anti illegal-immigration law is a double edged sword. On one side it is said to be saving Georgia money on jails, hospitals, etc, but on the other hand it's causing the farmers grief and will make Georgia produce go up in price.

The labor shortage is potentially putting hundreds of millions of dollars in crops at risk, say state agricultural industry leaders.

Proponents of HB 87 say they hope the law, which is scheduled to take effect July 1, will deter illegal immigrants from coming here and burdening the state's taxpayer-funded public schools, hospitals and jails.

State officials, meanwhile, said they don’t have any figures to compare today’s farm labor shortages with what was going on in Georgia’s $69 billion industry the same time last year. But having 11,080 open farming jobs is a cause for concern, given that Georgia food and fiber farmers produce 81,000 full-time equivalent positions annually, said John McKissick, who teaches and researches agricultural economics for the University of Georgia.

Farmers have been warning this problem could reach metro Atlanta as the labor gap could boost prices in local grocery stores. And some say the trouble with finding farmworkers could be a harbinger of shortages in other metro Atlanta industries that depend on Hispanic workers. That could drive up costs for construction work, restaurants, tourist spots and landscaping.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen. A lose lose situation. I guess they did not pay attention to what happened in Arizona when that state passed a similar law.

If you are in/near Georgia, have a strong back, or are able and willing to relocate. You could have a job farming. I heard on the radio that the wage rate for these jobs range from minimum wage to $16.00 an hour.

Source: AJC - State survey : 11,080 farm jobs unfilled

I'm so desperate for work right now that I actually got a little excited when clicking on this thread, lol. But it doesn't make sense to force people on probation to do work they don't appreciate, as you said. I would actually relocate to Georgia if I was confident I could get one of these jobs...

Criminals have everything paid for as it is. What about the people that don't?

Prisoners don't need the jobs to survive, honest taxpaying citizens do.

This would be another way for the privatized prisons to profit from the labor of the inmates. And where will this money go? Not in your pockets but to the corporations, again.

1) Put the able bodied people currently collecting welfare and not looking for employment to work. Or the free ride is cut off. Ease the drain on the system and many will be surprised at the sense of pride they find within themselves again.

2) Give the jobs to people that WANT to work. The ones that need to feed and shelter their kids, that are out looking for work.

I have no problem with ex cons picking cabbage or any other fruit or produce going bad. Or people in jail that want to work and get out in the sun.

I want to see how 11,000 workers equals "hundreds of millions" of dollars into labor verses lost crops.

I call..."B.S." on those numbers...

That's a lot of cabbage..

Originally posted by BirdOfillOmen
I'm so desperate for work right now that I actually got a little excited when clicking on this thread, lol. But it doesn't make sense to force people on probation to do work they don't appreciate, as you said. I would actually relocate to Georgia if I was confident I could get one of these jobs...

You sound like the kind of person I'd hire if I was in a position to do so.

Good Luck to you sir!

reply to post by jude11

Thanks. I'm just so bored with being unemployed and having no money to do anything, haha

Prisoners are a product of a poorly run society.

reply to post by majesticgent


Oh goody, we can all go down to Georgia and pick cotton for minimum wage while I just got done reading a book, "High on Arrival" by McKenzie Phillips, who along with a lot of other spoiled actors spend more per month in coc aine and heroine than most of us see in two years.

And you suckers are thankful and fall for this frap.

Wake the muck up America.

My post about wage distribution was ignored and so now the middle class is being reduced to menial jobs paying minimum wage which isn't even enough to put food on the table, a roof over your head or buy medicines.

Welcome to the American Dream.

ps: Bet those jobs are first given to people not even born on American soil.



And most of you are compliant sheep that don't see this will soon be the norm.

reply to post by majesticgent


I'm afraid what this shows is that our unemployed youth are too spoiled and special to do real work and would rather sit around whining than build up a work history that leads to better jobs. How sad that people consider the work that feeds us to only be fit for people they consider to be beneath them.

I'm actually interested in looking for work there I'm currently located in the panhandle in Florida and would have a very short drive like 15 minutes to be in Georgia. I'm also interested in fruit picking in Australia for a year, so this experience would be good so that I can make some real money in Aus potential for like 300 a day seeing as I can only have 1 working holiday visa per lifetime because I'm an American. I have been waiting for a response from a few seafood processing jobs in Alaska when I saw this go across the news however I'm having a hard time finding the fruit picking jobs listed anywhere and am going to be calling the Georgia Department of Agriculture for some leads tomorrow. If anyone has any information on how to actually get these jobs it would be appreciated my google searches aren't turning up much and I won't be able to call till tomorrow Also if anyone has any leads about Alaska I'm keen for that as well.

You'd think the news would provide a place for people to apply for work for these positions since they constantly talk about the unemployed and the job issue were having but it's all bull# and these jobs are probably mainly filled by illegals. I remember living in Dundee, Florida there were orange groves everywhere and that place was filled with illegals living 20-30 to a house working in the orange groves.


BTW any aussie women aged 18- 80 that might happen upon this and want a 24yo boy toy I'm down for marriage ++




found some for anyone interested

www.dol.state.ga.us...

reply to post by majesticgent


16 an hour? I would apply if I was there.

Here's what all you free market people want. I can't wait until the prices skyrocket cuz farmers don't want to pay a decent wage for toiling in their fields. Shame on them for hiring all those illegals (and probably paying them illegal wages) in the first place. And as for our esteemed governor, who as you all know left the house of representatives under investigation, can take his plan for cheap labor from inmates and stick it. They wanted no illegals, now enjoy what that means.

And don't plan on 16 an hour unless you have expertise in repairing farm machinery or specialized ag skills. You coming to pick and weed? You're getting minimum not a cent more. And farmers will let their crops rot and take their "welfare" better known as subsidies, than lose money on providing food.

THey are looking for cheap labor- and it could be dangerous to freedom itself to imprison people to provide it.

It worries me, the US having such a large prison population and then using those populations for labor.

Does that NOT worry anyone else?

But, I do think that working with plants is good for the soul. It can break the back though.

Originally posted by jude11
Criminals have everything paid for as it is. What about the people that don't?

Prisoners don't need the jobs to survive, honest taxpaying citizens do.

This would be another way for the privatized prisons to profit from the labor of the inmates. And where will this money go? Not in your pockets but to the corporations, again.

1) Put the able bodied people currently collecting welfare and not looking for employment to work. Or the free ride is cut off. Ease the drain on the system and many will be surprised at the sense of pride they find within themselves again.

2) Give the jobs to people that WANT to work. The ones that need to feed and shelter their kids, that are out looking for work.

edit on 15-6-2011 by jude11 because: (no reason given)

You know I dont disagree with anything you say. But with gas prices being horrendous and many unemployed without transportation to rural areas to DO the labor, therein lies the rub. After paying for transportation and possibly day care, toiling for some rich farmer for minimum wage just isn't worth it.

reply to post by wtbauspsprt


Being from farming and ranching families, they don't run ads. Just walk up to the Farmer and ask for work. That is how it is done. No need for anything else other than a desire to work. Ignore the blisters, they go away and after you get used to it you will like how a day at it makes you feel. Good luck with that

Originally posted by Blaine91555
reply to post by majesticgent

 

I'm afraid what this shows is that our unemployed youth are too spoiled and special to do real work and would rather sit around whining than build up a work history that leads to better jobs. How sad that people consider the work that feeds us to only be fit for people they consider to be beneath them.

Many Americans don't want to work for lower paying jobs and what they feel as 'Beneath' them...but when immigrants (both legal and illegal) start taking those jobs and are thankful for the opportunity, guess who'll complain then?

Then the problem gets to be the price of that food on the table because of the high wages that will be demanded by non-immigrants. More complaints.




Sorry, can't have it both ways.

Would those be corporate farms or privately owned farms?

reply to post by TKDRL


he also said minimum wage

...(Reuters) - President Barack Obama called for the elimination of farm subsidies to the wealthiest farmers in his new budget plan on Monday, arguing that the payments distort the farm sector and even pay some farmers that grow no crops....
...Obama said his plan would save $2.5 billion, or 5 percent of the cost of subsidies over 10 years, while preserving a farm safety net to protect against low prices or crop failures.....

...In addition, Obama said the maximum in so-called direct payment to farmers should be cut to $60,000 per farm from the current $80,000. Some $5 billion a year goes to cotton, grain and soybean farmers through these payments, regardless of need.

www.reuters.com...

the cost of labour is not the big problem...

Originally posted by Danbones

...(Reuters) - President Barack Obama called for the elimination of farm subsidies to the wealthiest farmers in his new budget plan on Monday, arguing that the payments distort the farm sector and even pay some farmers that grow no crops....
...Obama said his plan would save $2.5 billion, or 5 percent of the cost of subsidies over 10 years, while preserving a farm safety net to protect against low prices or crop failures.....

...In addition, Obama said the maximum in so-called direct payment to farmers should be cut to $60,000 per farm from the current $80,000. Some $5 billion a year goes to cotton, grain and soybean farmers through these payments, regardless of need.

www.reuters.com...

the cost of labour is not the big problem...

It will never pass. They scare the farmers every few years with taking away their handouts, but it never happens.