by Lori F.
Member since:
December 12, 2006

Iowa's Illegal Problem

November 25, 2007 06:10 PM EST
views: 65 | rating: 9.6/10 (18 votes) | comments: 32

I give full credit to Cheri Cabot.  Her latest thread and comments inspired me to write this.

Iowa has a problem with illegal immigrants.

As most people know Iowa is an agricultural state.  When I was in high school back in the 80's we earned our money during the summer walking beans and detasseling corn.  It was hard work.  You started at 7:00am and didnt get done until 6:00pm or later.  No one worried about child labor laws and us kids didnt complain.  Our parents thought it built character to work like this.  And I admit it....they were right.  Hard work doesnt scare me.

OK I got a little off the subject with that.

Yes Iowa has a huge illegal problem.  With all the seasonal ag work along with the hog and chicken farms we have here.

Iowa's big slaughter house business are raided all the time.  We have a business owner last name DeCoster who employes literally hundreds of illegals.

This man not only doesnt pay them a decent wage but as a "bonus" offers them housing and weekly trips to Walmart....all for the low price of $75.00 a week.  When you consider these people on the average only bring home $150.00 a week who do you think this benefits.

Not the state.

Not the communities.

Not the illegals.

DeCoster is one of the richest men in the midwest.

Now who do you think the government should go after in the war against illegal immigration?

link to this page
Bookmark this post:
Facebook
Twitter
Delicious
Buzz
More

Comments: 32

Bob B. Nov 25, 2007, 6:18pm EST
I have always been a proponent for going after business owners. Give them fines, and if they continue, jail them. It's a waste of taxpayer's money to go after the illegals.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:19pm EST
Very true Bob.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:24pm EST
Hey Julie....LOL yes you can detassel corn.

Corn is planted in rows of 3....two female and a male...you detassel the females so they dont pollinate the other female corn:)
Brian T. Nov 25, 2007, 6:26pm EST
I think they need to go after these employers, that's what has to be done.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:28pm EST
LOL Julie. I always wondered why there is 1 man row to every 2 woman rows of corn....that concept was probably thought of by a man.

Brian I agree.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:29pm EST
Thanks Michelle.
Chuck M. Nov 25, 2007, 6:35pm EST
We also have a huge illegal immigrant problem here in NE Ohio as well. In particular, my area. We have alot of nurseries and that brings in the illegal alients for cheap labor in the summer months. These companies that employ them say they don't know they are illegal, but I find that hard to believe.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:38pm EST
Lyndon I get the connection but do you think that will really help?

Chuck I have my doubts about that too. They know...they have to know. They just dont care.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:41pm EST
Gotcha Lyndon. Sounds good. Time for the business to give back to the people.
Col. George W. Nov 25, 2007, 6:45pm EST
In Iowa DeCoster first and the illegals he has working for him at the same time.

There are legal ways they can enter the US and work for a time. The hiring of illegals deprives the legal ones of work thus making it not worth the effort to be legal so they come illegally.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:51pm EST
Colonel yes but I admit when I heard that Decoster sends a school bus down to the border ....i have seen this coming back to town full of illegals....i blame this person first...I know it is their choice to get on the bus...but once they are here they are victimized....the women have been raped and then threatened by Decoster people that they will be deported if they report the rapes to the police...No one deserves that...ever.
denise e Nov 25, 2007, 6:53pm EST
excellent article
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 6:54pm EST
thanks denise.
Debra H. Nov 25, 2007, 7:06pm EST
Your article makes a lot of sense - if the government goes after the business owners instead of just fines they should seize the money made off the backs of the illegals work as well and give the business owners cause for pause before they flagrantly flaunt the hiring practice of illegals.
Barbara S. Nov 25, 2007, 7:07pm EST
Good job.
duane c. Nov 25, 2007, 7:32pm EST
Lori, good article. I remember when the story broke about the DeCoster bust in 2001. Lotsa crying in the papers about the kids left behind. Thing is...who used to do this? We did. I detasseled, walked beans, and baled hay too. Worked at Con-Agra, roofed houses, and swung a shovel for a construction company too. All this talk of work Americans won't do really is a slap in the face to us. DeCoster belongs in jail no doubt, but those who come here to work for him and guys like him don't belong here either. Jail or home to wherever they come from. What part of Iowa you from?
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 7:34pm EST
Thanks Debra and Barbara.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 7:35pm EST
duane you got it.

I am in North central Iowa....between fort dodge and Mason city. and you?
Vicki W. Nov 25, 2007, 8:18pm EST
Excellent article, Lori.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 8:37pm EST
Thanks Vicki.
Elaine B. Nov 25, 2007, 9:20pm EST
They need to go after the owners or employers. But Lori is right, no one deserves to be rape.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 9:37pm EST
Elaine thanks. I realize that illegals have come here on their own free will and I dont agree with that one bit. But why just punish them...go after the employers too. The illegals wouldnt keep coming here if there werent employers willing to hire them. Both are culpable.
duane c. Nov 25, 2007, 10:05pm EST
Like the Song Says...We got trouble right here in River City...I guess you'd say I'm from North Central Iowa too. Between Ft. Dodge and Mason City? Thought so..detassleing, walking beans...that's right down home stuff to me. Gotta go for tonight. Talk Later.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 10:09pm EST
OK duane. Talk to you later:) River City LOL....you are right up the road from me.
Lori F. Nov 25, 2007, 11:11pm EST
David I dont know how to do that.
Juan J Martinez Nov 26, 2007, 9:42am EST
The Government , will never truly go after the illeal problem. Illegal immigrants benifits the Government and big business too much, for anyone in power to actualy and truthfully want to seek a solution. Even now those running for office, use the illegal immigrant issue to their benifit, talking about this and that, yet they have no intention of actually fixing the problem.
Cami C. Nov 26, 2007, 10:35am EST
Great article Lori! We've got major problems out in Cali too.
Vicky Duggins Nov 26, 2007, 12:38pm EST
Great article, Lori. It's so hypocritical of the rich fat cats to be whining about illegal immigration. How many of them used them to build their homes, clean their pools, work in their fields or factories, nanny their children and cook their meals? Bush's buddies in Texas - how many do you suppose have "legal" gardeners? It's the very people with the big bucks and the big whines that are enticing them across the border. They're exploiting these people on both sides of the border. They own the factories, the Maquilas, in Mexico, pay them dirt wages with no benefits whatsoever. Well, I'm about to go on a rant and I shouldn't do that on your thread. Good article!
Kayleigh M. Nov 27, 2007, 3:27pm EST
very intersting article!
Ellie !. Nov 27, 2007, 9:18pm EST
It is always the rich get richer and the poor get taken advantage of.

I don't have the answers, but I do know that farmers here let food rot on the vine and tree because they did not have enough people willing to pick. (THey had a big raid at a garment factory so a lot of people were scared off, and the spoiled American kids don't want to work that hard!)
My kids are too busy working for minimum wage ($7.80) or more! The 16-year-old makes $8.25 an hour. They aren't picking grapes or berries or anything like that.
Tho I do know that the hard work I did in the field for my dad helped me learn that hard work never hurt anyone!
Thanks for bringing it up. The more we think about problems and talk about them, the closer we nudge to a fair and just solution for all!
Timothy V. Nov 28, 2007, 12:49am EST
" The Government , will never truly go after the illeal problem. Illegal immigrants benifits the Government and big business too much, for anyone in power to actualy and truthfully want to seek a solution. Even now those running for office, use the illegal immigrant issue to their benifit, talking about this and that, yet they have no intention of actually fixing the problem. "

Damn Juan...Did you fall on your head or something? You're starting to make some sense after all these months!

Lori...Great article!
Dawn G. Nov 28, 2007, 9:03am EST
This is just more proof that the Government knows where the illegals are and choose to do nothing. When these people get caught hiring illegals they get a slap on the wrist and they go right back to business as usual.

Join the Conversation
Chime in! Become a Gather member to comment.
Already a member? Sign in
top
 
Gather | Friends | Groups | Share
About Gather | Engagement Marketing | Make New Friends | Gather Points | Advertise on Gather | Gather Press | Privacy | Terms of Service | Community Guidelines
Books | Celebs | Entertainment | Family | Food | Health | Moms | Money | News | Politics | Spirituality | Sports | Travel | Writing
Version 16865, "Oz"; Copyright © 2009 Gather Inc. All rights reserved.