Farm Workers
* Re “Don’t Open the Door to Guest Workers,” by Rep. Howard Berman, Commentary, July 13: Berman feels there is a surplus of workers willing to toil on U.S. farms. What he fails to recognize is that many unskilled workers are not willing to perform these back-breaking tasks in the harsh elements sometimes provided by Mother Nature.
Even if they were, do you really think they will do it for minimum wages? No, they will want more money because it’s hard work. It’s easier to work at McDonald’s.
Berman believes many workers will enter the work force as a result of welfare reform programs. Do you really think that someone who is used to being indoors, watching television all day, will want to get dirty and sweaty? Again, no. We do not need to open up the borders, but then it’s silly to think the average unskilled worker will want to work in a strawberry field.
JOSE L. PEREZ
La Habra Heights
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
