Undocumented workers ‘will be linchpin’ in Hurricane Ike cleanup efforts.
By on Sep 25th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Undocumented workers ‘will be linchpin’ in Hurricane Ike cleanup efforts.
The Houston Chronicle reports today that “Hurricane Ike’s destruction is sparking one of the largest rebuilding efforts the state has seen in decades but at the same time is highlighting a thorny facet of the region’s labor force: A lot of the recovery work will be done by illegal immigrants“:
Homeowners have already turned to day laborers — many of whom are undocumented — to help clear brush, tent roofs and repair other storm damage. Contractors have hired them to rebuild or restore businesses and the city’s infrastructure.
And the major work of rebuilding small towns along the Gulf Coast or big homes in Galveston will likely be aided by undocumented workers.
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See, now if they’d just build a two-mile-hight concrete wall along the Texas coastline, they’d keep out immigrants AND hurricanes.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:01 pmIf they need someone to pick lettuce for $50 bucks an hour, they could call McCain…
September 25th, 2008 at 2:02 pmUndocumented workers ‘will be linchpin’ in Hurricane Ike cleanup efforts.
– - Doing the jobs that Americans don’t want to do. Ya know, like rebuilding America,
September 25th, 2008 at 2:07 pmHow ironic
September 25th, 2008 at 2:12 pm.
… If they’re Irish, Senator Johnny McAmnesty will let them stay.
.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:12 pmPay people more than 3 bucks an hour.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:13 pmFirst, I hope the recovery will be better than what has happened, and is still happening, to the folks hit by Rita and Katrina. Next, I wonder how many of the folks that are rebuilding using ‘undocumented labor’ want to throw those laborers out of the country?
Why, none of course. That would be hypocritical.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:20 pmIt might do some of those out of work corporate CEO’s some good to do a little real work. Paulson could pick up storm trash and haul it to the dump.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:22 pmThe Federation for American Immigration Reform [...] said that those affected by the storm “should have first crack at the reconstruction jobs,”
If these morons were consistent with their own position, they’d want no illegal having a “crack” at any jobs, period.
Goes to show you reichwingers will go to any lengths to demonise illegals, until they need them.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:26 pmIt’s like the tail chasing the dog. I don’t think they can figure out which way to go anymore because everything is falling down around them so quickly.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:28 pmConservative talking point – “But they’re taking American Jobs”
If you are an American who cannot compete with someone who has little to no education, is poor and barefoot, who can’t speak english, then what the hell does that say about you?
September 25th, 2008 at 2:28 pmYou cannot rebuild these Texas coast towns without the help of these undocumented workers,because the labor market to supply such work force needed for the rebuilding effort for a crisis of such magnitude is simply not there.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:31 pmContractors and financially hit homeowners are both looking for a reasonable price to rebuid.
I can’t see how it can be done without the help of these undocumented workers, if it is needed to be done fast and with a reasonable cost.
Ah, but will Bush propose FEMA once again allow contractors to pay less than minimum wage?
September 25th, 2008 at 2:31 pmBuckie Boy says—If you are an American who cannot compete with someone who has little to no education, is poor and barefoot, who can’t speak english, then what the hell does that say about you?
I’m a Republican?
September 25th, 2008 at 2:31 pmFifty dollars an hour to clean up after Ike? You can’t do it, my friends! You just can’t.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:45 pmCould we hire them to clean up Washington D.C. & the White House?
I’ll bet we could do it for less than $700,000,000,000.00!
September 25th, 2008 at 2:49 pmI thought the caring left wanted everyone to make the same wages? The illegal’s are getting ripped off! Why would the left take a stand against fair labor? Could this be strictly politically motivated? Not the Lawyer party!
September 25th, 2008 at 2:50 pm“…but one local contractor said “he’s having trouble finding legal local workers to help with hurricane cleanup.”
That is easy to understand, the greedy lazy bastards want to get paid.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:55 pmCrusty Old Bastard Says:
If one contractor says it, then it must be the same for all the contractors on the gulf coast. when in doubt assume the answer that fits your political objective AKA propaganda!
September 25th, 2008 at 2:59 pmthem_libs Says:
I thought the caring left wanted everyone to make the same wages? The illegal’s are getting ripped off! Why would the left take a stand against fair labor? Could this be strictly politically motivated? Not the Lawyer party
Why doesn’t your chimpy do something about it? Why are the repugs allowed to bring in illegal foreigners and then claim the US public (African-Americans) won’t do what the foreigners will do. repugs are known for building walls to keep out brown people and then asking for their help. They use these same workers for wildfires too.
Next…do you realize how stupid you sound? how utterly pissed poor you look? We expect much more for our trolls. You’re the type that would ask dahmer if he wants gravy.
STFU dummy.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:04 pmYou are going to hate me again, but when I lived back east (many many years ago) I made 40k in the construction business. I moved to CA and my wages went down to $7.00 per hour.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:05 pmLook, the money to rebuild is still going to go to some major contractor (who could easily pay a livable wage) who will sub it out to another, who will sub it out to another until it hits bottom and the lowest contractor can only make money by employing illegals.
The money is still being spent and people will get rich off of it, just not the people who do the work. And by the way how many people just filed for unemployment? How many have this year?
To borrow someone else’s tage line.
Just asking.
the Lone Voice of Reason Says:
I’m a Republican?
I don’t know, but I wasn’t responding to your post anyway…sorry if you thought that… :-)
September 25th, 2008 at 3:07 pmIllegal immigrants were a key in the Bush economy post 9/11 period while the housing boom was still on as they did much of the heavy lifting for light wages.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:19 pmWell, why don’t we, the U.S. government, do something very innovative with the undocumented aliens?
It might be in our best interests, theirs too, to document them. Yes, that’s right, fingerprint them, get their histories, take their photographs, sign them up for taxes or necessary medical care, enroll their children in school and their parents as well, issue driver licenses, whatever it takes to not pretend that these people actually do exist.
What the hell is wrong with America where you have to go through fifteen layers of bureaucracy, hire an attorney or two, wait ten years for a flunky to rubber-stamp a permit to work or live in this country?
September 25th, 2008 at 3:21 pmthem_libs Says:
The Lawyer Party? You are such an ignorant piece of human garbage. You are beneath contempt. Moronic weasels everywhere pity you for your ignorance. Why dont you go away and let the adults talk. You have never once added anything but abject stupidity to this site in any post you have ever made. IF you had an ounce of decency you would be ashamed
September 25th, 2008 at 4:10 pmDid anyone else out there ever see Fraggle Rock when they were a kid? Remember how the Doozers quietly did all the work while the rich, lazy Fraggles played and then destroyed all that the Doozers had built whenever they felt like it?
We aren’t a nation of whiners. We’re a nation of Fraggles!
September 25th, 2008 at 4:17 pmDidn’t McCain send a team of LAWYERS up to Alaska to try and supress Palin Gate???
What ever happened to the border (sieve) fence anyway? Coulda hired Illegals to build it!
September 25th, 2008 at 4:40 pmbut one local contractor said “he’s having trouble finding legal local workers to help with hurricane cleanup.” How much is he paying per hour?
September 25th, 2008 at 4:47 pmAfter Katrina, the first two things Dubya did were to issue executive orders that the prevailing wage rule did not have to be met and that polution standards did not have to be met.
Many illegal workers in the Katrina cleanup got paid NOTHING! They couldn’t complain—they were illegal.
Ceasar Chavez in 1968 was opposed to illegal workers because it lowered wages for everybody. There is no work Americans won’t do if you pay them the correct wage.
Conservatives will give you rhetoric about illegal immigrants, but want them because they want wages as low as possible.
September 25th, 2008 at 7:44 pmThe largest rebuilding in Houston since the S&L scandal 20 years ago (see Neil Bush).
Neil’s dad, H.W. Bush did his best to wreck the economy.
How much money is George Dumbya Bush going to cost us?
Didn’t Prescott Bush launder Nazi money well into 1942? The very same grandpa Bush who was part of a conspiracy to overthrow the US government in 1933?
September 25th, 2008 at 8:20 pmThey are paying between 9 per hour and 15$. Like always negotiate your pay. You meet at a bus they take you to Galeston and first come first work. Guess what I don’t think any of you guys were there.
October 1st, 2008 at 8:04 pm