Boy, there's a nice little tempest over at Blue Oregon, Kari Chisholm seems to think this picture has something to do with Ron Saxton's credibility. So we're clear on what this image is (I know, there's one below) this is the assessor's photo of "farm building" on Ron Saxton's Cherry Farm, er, Vineyard where migrants "lived" while they did something - Ron called it his cherry farm long after it was a vineyard - so who knows what they picked. (why it stayed a cherry orchard in verbiage when it had grapes in fact is not known - maybe orchard sounds better than vineyard). Since I don't pay by the foot, I can digress further - image plays a more important Saxton role than facts. Anyhow, Ron Saxton doesn't know if the migrants were im-migrants or not or illegal im-migrants, since "it wasn't an issue at the time" (apparently pre-1997). He does know it's an issue now, since he attacks the Governor and Sec State Bradbury on the illegal immigration issue. So we're still clear, Form I-9 is a US form, previously INS, rebranded to DHS (Homeland) which identifies the legal status of an employee and it was legally required, and carries some stiff penalties for mis-use or non-use, so it was an issue, then, as well as now.
So there are two issues about this housing, a) did it house legal or illegal workers and b) does this look like something a Governor of Oregon ought to find acceptable as housing for his employees. Now some folks have made an issue of Ron's $586,000 beach house, I don't care if it is a $40,000 beach house, he can afford a "vacation" home and he can afford a lot of things that do not include reasonable housing for employees.
So you see, something is not an issue when it makes Ron Saxton money, but it is an issue when it makes Ron Saxton votes. Alice, are you paying attention, there's more, Smile...
Here's the real rub, illegal workers depress legal worker's wages - badly. Now maybe a couple of these folks are stupid enough to try to vote, but that's an immaterial percentage. Every one of these illegal workers is taking a job and depressing wages and they're getting these jobs from *GASP* employers. Illegal employers. Now there is all manner of damage inflicted on society by an illegal subculture of disenfranchised serfs but quite simply, they come here to have those jobs. And while Ron wants to do things to those nasty illegal aliens he doesn't want to do anything to the Illegal Employers. Now here's two mutual criminal enterprises going on and Ron figures we need to whack the party who benefits least. Why? Well I do know they're primarily brown and don't speak English and they're not rich enough to donate to Republican campaigns (evidently they DO vote - the ad says so), that would seem to be the dividing line between the criminals. Do not misunderstand me, I say they're all criminals and deserve exactly that treatment. But I'm not a rich Republican running for Governor.
The Party's still on Alice - pass the tea, please.
Frequently migrant workers travel with their families - you know - spouse, kids - family. I'm not real sure I'd want my children in there. But Ron Saxton cares about the kiddies. Like School Board Chair cares about the kiddies. Ron knows how to save money in eddykashun, you bet he does, this is why his Board had to go crying to Portland for more money, lots of more money. Now, don't look away, the schools are all paid on a per-student basis, yes, all of them all over the state. I live in 5J School District - most of Baker County does - um - 3500 square miles of winter, mountains, intense sun, expensive gasoline, unpaved roads with a fairly small school population with all the same required programs and student needs and - Baker City doesn't give us money. So we make do. Remember the economies of scale and all the savings Ron can find - none of that here - well, evidently he couldn't find it in Portland either. So now he wants to do it for all the schools in all the State. Baker City can't bail out 5J from Ron's type of management. Just so you don't think Ron would skirt the rules for a favored few, he might go rent an apartment in another district with a school he likes for his kiddie and use the house in the other district to run for School Board. Legal? Yes. Like it? I think it stinks, but I'm not a rich Cherry Farmer, so maybe I just don't see.
Alice, if you will go following white rabbits...
Ron offered you 10 seconds to list Ted Kulongoski's accomplishments, you could list Ron's in less than one second, none. Ted has made the hard decisions, at times offending his base, for the good of the entire State. Ron is just plain offensive. He tells you he will cut taxes, and he tells you he will restore services. Now he can cut taxes (primarily for the rich - sound familiar?) but that means something has to go away. Don't forget, Initiatives have created some Constitutionally required expenditures- no give there. He doesn't tell you what goes away, he tells you eliminating waste and private contracting will take care of it, does anybody know who his Halliburton is?
All that's left is the Cat's smile,
It's smoke and mirrors, folks, all of it. That's the real shame, six years of George Bush's smoke and mirrors and Oregon comes late to the table? All the same old tired rhetoric and double dealing features in every one of Ron Saxton's so called policy positions. It wouldn't be so bad if he were goofy on just one thing, but analyze his whole deal and it's goofy (sorry Walt - this was supposed to be Alice's deal)
Here's a PS
Ron Saxton has more campaign funds than the incumbent governor, TK was a shoo-in, not now. There are a whole bunch of "liberals" that don't care for Ted, well maybe you haven't been paying attention, but this much ought to be clear, Ron Saxton is a train wreck and you don't want to be a part of it. Link to Ted's site and see what he's actually been up to. If you like GeorgeII and Waldenbush, then Ron Saxton is for you, but there's no hope for you anyhow, so flame away, you certainly can't make that decision look more stupid.
6 comments:
I love your posts...you don't need any comenteers, you do it all yourself!! LOL
Nah, I like "comenteers," when I get flamed I know I've done something right, same when I get kudos. Thanks, BTW
I really enjoyed your comments on Saxton. I cringe at the thought of that man being our governor. Has anyone thought of painting Hitler like mustache on that man besides me?
Ron Saxton has provided plenty of negative issues all by himself, that's probably not neccesary. you may note I engage in a tad bit of the facial fur, myself.
I know many wonderful owners of cherry orchards. None would allow the help they so DEPEND on to live in what appears a converted garage. Do you have a plan that you believe would be good for this country and still have equal rights and humane treatment? Keep in mind my last name is Marquez. I'm an Oregonian from birth and live in a community the depends on an influx of workers for a short hardworking harvest. Bushes im-migration policy was the only thing about him that had visions of a real human. What's your opinion on the new fence? Humm.... I've got the think on that myself.
Marquez,
Until a little while ago, one of my employee's surname was Hispanic, his father was a Reagan amnesty. He's a good guy, did good work, and made more than he ever had, see, I don't care as long as the hire is legal. And we're friends still, because I do give a damn.
What I care about, and if you read back through this Blog's history, what I've written is about flooding the labor market and depressing wages. There is labor avaliable, legally, now. What isn't available is wages and it's not available because the cheating forces the market down. In actual reality, real wage impact on prices is small, the effect on farmers, ranchers, construction contractors, and anyone else in competition with illegal hiring is catastrophic. If the criminal hiring were ended, orchardists (for ex) would be playing on a level field, everyone's wage costs would increase as would the price of the end product - but there's the catch - the effect on the end product's price at the store is small, the catastrophy occurs on the production end if the field is not level. I am in the business of providing labor - framing, roofing, siding, finish carpentry and I am paid per square foot, I get what is left over after everybody is paid wages, insurance is paid, etc. I have no place to go with my prices, my company is replacable with one that is cheaper. My guy's wages are impacted and so am I.
GWB's plan is to "legally" flood the labor market to keep wages down. This is why minimum wage increases at the Federal level haven't happened. If we have an actual labor shortage, it's no trick to raise the limits for immigration. That's why this is BS. It's legally addressable already.
The fence is nonsense. The fence that will work is serious sanctions on illegal hiring - with a verification system - and serious action regarding document fraud - real jail time followed by immediate deportation.
If "I" believed that I could get out of the corruption, racism, and feudal plutocracy that's Mexico into the US I'd find a way around that 700 mile fence. The cure for what ails Mexico (and other states) is for those people to have to change that place not run away to our place. I really don't care if they find 1776 a good example, either. GWB&CO are despicable, but those guys make them look good. It needs changed and it won't be as long as the US is the safety valve. That would certainly be hard on those who would come here instead, but the responsibility does not lie with the blue collar workers they replace or whose wages are depressed. It's one of those choices between two ills.
Do the 12-20 million illegal aliens here need to leave? Yes. I prefer a voluntary exit with some form of inducement and the alternative of immediate deportation and confiscation of all assets, a second offense carrying jail time. It is easier to induce people to leave when their employment has evaporated and other avenues are closed.
An argument is made that they've earned or deserve something, they deserve to be treated humanely, they've earned the money they've gotten. Humane means allowing them time to wind up their affairs and go, with a chance to sign up for a "first up" for work visas or something like that.
It is not a simple thing, nor is it an easy thing, but the alternative is throwing up our hands and saying, "oh well" and thus demonstrating that all you have to do is get here to all those who aren't already here. As long as this is a better alternative, they will come, until parity is achieved - not good for the US.
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