Quote:
Originally posted by Sidd Finch
But I don't buy this "taking jobs that americans don't want anyway" argument. If we stopped lettuce farmers in the Imperial Valley from hiring illegals to pick their lettuce crop, they will either have to increase wages (and, thus, prices) enough to attract legal residents to pick the lettuce, or they will have to let the crop rot.
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In the short run, you're probably right. In the long run, the following will happen.
1) Mexico, and central america, will start growing lettuce and exporting it to the US at lower prices, because they can pay lower wages, putting the california farms out of business.
2) We will have to subsidize further the lettuce farmers of california so that they can compete.
3) We will realize that it would be cheaper to slap a tariff on lettuce imports, resulting in a trade war.
4) Meanwhile, someone will come up with a "grown in america" label for lettuce, and you'll be able to buy it at whole foods, paying $9.99 a head, instead of $1.29 a head at Safeway/Giant/etc. for the foreign lettuce.
The problem that you and Ty have (and others) is not the economics. In principle you're right. But in practice, as sebby points out, americans aren't going to fill those jobs at wages that make the business economically viable. So you end up sending teh business to a place where it is economically viable. Ask anyone in Pittsburgh. In a few years you can ask anyone in Detroit (if not already).
