I will admit the H2 program does have a place in the East. say in the sugarcane fields of Florida. where the work is so difficutl that a form of bondage is the only way a work force can be maintained. We in the West have progressive farming. and very competitive wages. for example the minimum wage in the vegetable fields of the Salinas Valley starts at over $6 per hour. If we had taken the path which I proposed. we would have achieved the objective of bringing order to our Immigration policies and at the same time we would have eliminated the regrettable situation of having a huge illegal population within our borders. I trust the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1982 will fail and the 98th Congress will have a responsibility to address the needs of the Mexican workers and western farmers in a more humane. and sensible manner. I plead with you to take the time to understand the cultural and economic situation of the Mexican worker. To get a clearer picture of the farmers perspective.
Keywords matched
Immigration