Sun Sets on Sunrise

We left this OCR story out of today's summary as it deserves it's own post: Farm closes for lack of legal labor.

For the first and likely last time this year, we have to give the government a hand -- the clap, if you will.  Jeff Rowe reports that Sunrise Growers (SD County) is closing its 498 acre "ranch" as it "couldn't get enough legal workers".  Further,

Tighter restrictions at the border cut the flow of workers to San Clemente and to farms around the state. But what really made it nearly impossible for Sunrise was the intensifying security at the base, which excluded workers lacking documentation - and that included many of the workers at San Clemente. Entrance to the ranch is through the base gate, and military commanders no longer wanted to allow illegal-immigrant workers to enter. Typically, 250 workers a day labored at the site, picking, planting and tending to other chores.

Cry me a river.  Illegal aliens are barred from transiting through an active military base.  Rednecks must live there.  Over four years after the worst attack on our country in its 200+ year history, someone (presumably a Marine officer) at Pendleton, apparently (finally?) realized that a foreign criminal element was crossing through the base.  Perhaps they also learned of statistics which say that over 100,000 of the illegals already in the country are felons or are wanted for crimes other than just unlawfully crossing the border -- and an unknown, but at least single digit percentage of them are "OTMs" (other than Mexican).

What's missing from this article are the other numbers -- and who the real "bad guys" are here.  What was Sunrise paying its workers -- the artificially manipulated, loved-by-the-liberals minimum wage?  For stoop work?  Obviously, they weren't paying what the picker market is now demanding for back-breaking work (which is also forcing its workers into other trades, like construction).  What were they paying the illegals before they saw (or were made to see) the light? 

Sunrise can't attract the legal workers it must hire because its competition is hiring illegal alien workers and isn't paying wages that would be required if they were lawfully operating.  Business is war, Sunrise, and you're a casualty -- not of the government that in your case forces you to hire legal workers, but the government that doesn't prevent your competition from hiring illegal ones. 

If your competition was forced to legally hire also, you'd still be in business.  AND, as has been pointed out by others, if the agriculture industry in general was compelled by market forces to automate as all other labor-intensive industries have since they have no illegal labor pool, may you'd still be pickin'.

Let's not be tearing up for the Ag business either.  Dan Weintraub at the Sacramento Bee posted this great piece about ten days ago on the SUCCESS that AGRICULTURE is having in California: California Insider - Agriculture.  In part,

California agriculture is booming.  The value of the production from California's farms soared between 2003 and 2004, from $30.2 billion to $34.3 billion. About half of that increase came from crop output and the other half from animals, though the value of crop production overall is three times greater than that from animals. Net farm income, meanwhile, increased by 45 percent, from $8.4 billion to $12.2 billion. Farm income was $5.9 billion in 2002.  The one-thousand word picture:

So, sayanora, Sunrise.  Until your friends (or enemies) in your business compete on the proverbial level playing field, you must pay what the picker market demands for legal employees, or you build a parking lot.  We don't care what a box of strawberries costs when our security and a fair, legal market are at stake.

Comments

[Lurk]

You're banned from my posts, Blog Watcher. Try the Koz, they'll take your comments in crayon.

[Phil Paule]

Since Camp P is in the 49th Congressional District I am very aware of the issue with Sunrise Growers. Let's just say Lurks post was right on target. Congressman Issa did in fact help Sunrise exit the base in the best manner possible for both their business and the USMC

[Hanna]

You are welcome, Lurk.

As for Blog Watcher, I don't know what he said but this is the way you guys operate, right? You can't handle the truth so you ban people. And then you debate them on other boards - like the El Toro info , http://www.eltoroairport.org/discus/board.html where no one is banned, except for real profanity. Right, Jubal?

BW, take your iBook to Panera or other places with Wi-Fi to at least reply to thin skinned Lurk.

Also, come to DU http://www.democraticunderground.com/ where many have fun trashing Orange County Republicans.

[Miriam Bertram]

Hanna, I got kicked off daily kos and DU within 30 minutes to an hour. Just stating facts that did not conform with their obscenity laced stupidity. This forum at least allows contrary opinions, DU and Kos don't.

[Jubal]

Hanna:

Thanks for linking to our back-and-forth on the El Toro site. It will make it that much easier for others to see how hollow your complaints are.

No one is banned from OC Blog for their opinions. Period. If you maintain otherwise, you are a liar.

[NoName]

Miriam, Jubal, and friends:
I have had comments, questions, and opinions erased from this discussion within minutes of posting.
While I have yet to be banned, you folks should clarify to your readers that yours is an edited blog.

[NickM]

Democratic Underground singlehandedly keeps Kool-Aid in business. BlogWatcher won't fit in there.

Nick