3 ms·

I worked on a farm in high school. I was making $12/hr in the 90's -- pretty decent money. Sitting on your behind is easier, regardless of pay.

by Duff 15y ago

duncanj 15y ago
Given that the median farmworker (crops) made $8.98 in 2010, your experience would seem a little extraordinary. The better-paid median ranchworker made $10.56. $12 in 1999 had the same buying power as $15.71 in 2010. Sources: BLS http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#45-0000 http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#45-0000 http://146.142.4.24/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=12.00&year1=1999&year2=2010 http://146.142.4.24/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=12.00&year1...
- hugh3 15y ago
  There were fewer illegals in the 1990s, though, right?
  - knowtheory 15y ago
    Why do you believe that? The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that in the 1980s the net advance of the undocumented population was at the 130,000 per year, increasing to 450,000 per year from 1990–1994, and further increasing to 750,000 per year from 1995–1999, and staying at 700,000–850,000+ per year since about 2000 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrant_population_of_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrant_population_of... )
    - SamReidHughes 15y ago
      That Wikipedia page agrees with him.
      - knowtheory 15y ago
        Well i mean, sort of, but not really. The influx in immigration took place in the 90s and stabilized, and is now falling due to the economic collapse in the US. Either way, i think we're well served by including some specific claims (and that's why i cited the wikipedia page)
        SamReidHughes 15y ago
        hugh3 is talking about first derivative of the number of illegals, and you're talking about the second derivative.
    - Duff 15y ago
      NAFTA was the catalyst the created the waves of immigration from Mexico. Why? "Free trade" destroyed many US factory jobs, but it vaporized Mexican agriculture. Small proprietor farms were out of business overnight by the flood of cheap US corn. The human element in illegal immigration is usually completely ignored. People don't pull up stakes and walk across a desert because they think that working in a poultry slaughterhouse is a great life. They do so because it is a better life than complete destitution that they face at home.
- Duff 15y ago
  I started doing hay (which involves throwing and stacking 40-50 pound bales in a hot barn) at $6.00/hr. After a year or two I was doing a variety of jobs that were a higher value to my employer. Also worked for an awesome family who worked us very hard.

I worked on a farm in high school. I was making $12/hr in the 90's -- pretty decent money. Sitting on your behind is easier, regardless of pay.

by Duff 15y ago

I worked on a farm in high school. I was making $12/hr in the 90's -- pretty decent money. Sitting on your behind is easier, regardless of pay.

duncanj 15y ago

Given that the median farmworker (crops) made $8.98 in 2010, your experience would seem a little extraordinary. The better-paid median ranchworker made $10.56. $12 in 1999 had the same buying power as $15.71 in 2010. Sources: BLS http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#45-0000 http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#45-0000 http://146.142.4.24/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=12.00&year1=1999&year2=2010 http://146.142.4.24/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=12.00&year1...

hugh3 15y ago
There were fewer illegals in the 1990s, though, right?
- knowtheory 15y ago
  Why do you believe that? The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that in the 1980s the net advance of the undocumented population was at the 130,000 per year, increasing to 450,000 per year from 1990–1994, and further increasing to 750,000 per year from 1995–1999, and staying at 700,000–850,000+ per year since about 2000 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrant_population_of_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_immigrant_population_of... )
  - SamReidHughes 15y ago
    That Wikipedia page agrees with him.
    - knowtheory 15y ago
      Well i mean, sort of, but not really. The influx in immigration took place in the 90s and stabilized, and is now falling due to the economic collapse in the US. Either way, i think we're well served by including some specific claims (and that's why i cited the wikipedia page)
      - SamReidHughes 15y ago
        hugh3 is talking about first derivative of the number of illegals, and you're talking about the second derivative.
  - Duff 15y ago
    NAFTA was the catalyst the created the waves of immigration from Mexico. Why? "Free trade" destroyed many US factory jobs, but it vaporized Mexican agriculture. Small proprietor farms were out of business overnight by the flood of cheap US corn. The human element in illegal immigration is usually completely ignored. People don't pull up stakes and walk across a desert because they think that working in a poultry slaughterhouse is a great life. They do so because it is a better life than complete destitution that they face at home.
Duff 15y ago
I started doing hay (which involves throwing and stacking 40-50 pound bales in a hot barn) at $6.00/hr. After a year or two I was doing a variety of jobs that were a higher value to my employer. Also worked for an awesome family who worked us very hard.