Black SC lawmaker: Immigrants are hardest workers

Source: W. Post

An African-American lawmaker in South Carolina said Tuesday that stricter illegal immigration laws would hurt the state because blacks and whites don't work as hard as Hispanics.

State Sen. Robert Ford made his remarks during a Senate committee debate over an Arizona-style immigration law, eliciting a smattering of nervous laughter in the chamber after he said "brothers" don't work as hard as Mexicans. He continued that his "blue-eyed brothers" don't either.

Once his ancestors were freed from slavery, he said, they didn't want to do any more hard work, so they were replaced by Chinese and Japanese.

"We need these workers here. A lot of people aren't going to do certain type of work in this country," said Ford, D-Charleston. "The brothers are going to find ways to take a break. Ever since this country was built, we've had somebody do the work for us."

He recalled to senators that four workers in the country illegally showed up on his lawn and finished mowing, edging and other work in 30 minutes that would take others much longer, and only wanted $10 for the job. He went on to say he recommended the workers to his neighbors, and one local lawn care businessman lost work - a story one senator remarked was hurting, not helping, his case.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/08/AR2011020805187.html

assuming this is a true story...

"(my) blue-eyed brothers" Really? Did he actually say that?





I'm all turned around.

The Irish come over and the British bitch about them. The Italians come over and the Irish and British get together and bitch about the Italians. The Vietnamese come over and everybody complains about them.

Engel said that the US would never achieve socialism as long as the bosses could divide and conquer people based upon their immigration status.

And that's all.

so that's why they work extra hard to achieve the American Dream compared to citizens who already have class privilege.

Uncle Sam dumped them at the gates of the nearby airbase with $2500 in cash, the sincerest thanks of our nation and an address of a house rented on their behalf, these were families evacuated from Iran and South Vietnam at the fall of their respective regimes for fear of being executed as American collaborators. Our neighbors watched the CIA torch their house and everything in it, 48 hours later they were in a crappy bungalow in Orange County reflecting on how terribly disgusting TV dinners are. These families worked their asses off and prospered - what great advantage did they have over native born, native anglophone and dare I say it white Americans?

My parents are still in contact with many of these families, primarily because we were one of the few families who weren't racist assholes to them.

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From the article: "Once his ancestors were freed from slavery, he said, they didn't want to do any more hard work, so they were replaced by Chinese and Japanese."

with this one.

Remember, racism in the US is ALWAYS about keepingthe wages of certain working class groups low. ALWAYS.

Which goes to show, I guess, that stupid does sometimes overflow from the other party.

not sure how it relates to the GOP.

Democrats can also be idiots, and racists, and unworthy of the office they hold.

What the hell does race or ethnicity have to do with anything?

In our shop, we have nearly 50 years worth of professional experience between our top 6 employees. Whom, since were calling out race and ethnicity are CAUCASIAN males...

I'm so sick and tired of the landscape services industry taking a hit as a transient, low wage, low skill job that Americans will not do.

The reason that it has become a low wage, 'transient' industry is because of this meme and the exploitation of a workforce who is willing to take these jobs at wages that boggle my mind with no benefits due to their immigration status.

If it weren't for my sympathy towards these employees and the damage that it may do to my own bottom line, I could call immigration services and turn in a dozen contractors off the top of my head without even breaking a mental sweat ...and this is in the Northeast U.S.

Bullsh*t sir! I live it everyday!

Call me cynical, but it would be easy to find the businesses that employ undocumented workers: they just are not looking. I doubt a tip would help, either, especially since you're competing with these firms.

I worked one summer in college as a landscape laborer for a local nursery that did landscaping for new developments. I did mainly grading and planting. It was in a rural area, and I was the only white non-supervisory employee: everyone else was black and also native-born. I think this was by choice: our employer paid $2.00 better than minimum wage, and it was hard work. There were guys on our crew who had been doing that job for ten years, though most of them were off and on, because it was highly seasonal. Both of the guys who supervised us were farmers hired by our boss on a part-time basis. It was hard work, but it wasn't terrible.

I have no idea why people insult American workers by saying that there are jobs we just won't take: I've done many of these jobs myself, in some cases alongside immigrants. As far as I can see, immigrants don't work any harder than native-born Americans, but they will work for less. Why? Because, much like my summer job, they know it's temporary. Immigrants are also willing to save money by having a lot of roommates, something most adult Americans will not do. We have to raise our kids in this economy, feeding and clothing them at US prices, whereas many immigrants keep their families at home, at least to start, which is much cheaper.

once at got employ along with about 16 others to plant about 200 trees on a hill for a new housing development, there was no access to bulldozers or forklifts everything had to be done with shovels and picks, by the second day all native-born Americans were gone the only ones left were the truck drivers, forklift and other machinery operators, the Mexicans did finish the job.

From ONE experience? NO, no racism here. No sirreeee!!! :puke: <ignore>

what makes you think only white Americans are native-born Americans?
don't you think there are also hispanic native-born Americans?

That goes to show you that racism is an equal opportunity ism.

:wtf:

This sharecropper's granddaughter has a few choice words for him.

Ford noted his background as a civil rights leader, trained by Martin Luther King Jr. He said he has spent his life devoted to peaceful causes.

The point of his remarks was to oppose the illegal immigration legislation.

The matter is best left up to the federal government, he said.



Read more: http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/02/10/2823442/senator-clarifies-remarks-about.html#ixzz1DZcfARgmhttp://www.heraldonline.com/2011/02/10/2823442/senator-clarifies-remarks-about.html

He's always making ignorant comments like this. In 2008 he backed Hillary Clinton in the primary. He even had the nerve to run for governor here. Not much of a step up from Alvin Greene, or Sanford/Haley for that matter.

I grew up on a farm in rural Oklahoma and have been working ever since I could carry a feed bucket and break open a bale of hay, from around the time I was around 5 years old or so.

I'm 47 now and I have worked my ass off all my goddamn life. I've shoveled shit out of semi trailers used to haul livestock, done millwright work, sandblasted, cleaned out oil storage tanks, you name it. Hot hard nasty and sometimes downright dangerous as hell work and I never backed off. When I was younger it was enough to wear somebody out just trying to follow me around a job site for half a day.

I'm sick of hearing this shit about how supposedly lazy I am just because I won't work my ass off for pennies to make some asshole even richer . Pay me well and I'll bust my ass, that's my " work ethic".

I don't care if he is a democrat, he can go piss up a fucking rope! :grr: