The Wall Street Journal reports that workers have left Florida since it passed a Trump-like law a couple of years ago that cracked down on illegal immigrants:
Still, the law hasn’t resulted in huge disruptions to the state’s labor market, as some predicted.
Huh. Maybe the jobs they took were ones Americans were willing to do after all. Or—
Oh, wait. The Journal explains:
Certain provisions were watered down before the bill passed or in its implementation, and the state has done little to enforce the law.
Why does the Journal say that Florida "cracked down" on undocumented workers if they actually didn't? And why do they say the state’s experience is "instructive" when, in fact, it's meaningless?
Who knows? But in the end, maybe the law has worked as intended:
Anxiety among immigrants and their families has climbed.... “The distress levels were off the charts,” said the study’s lead author.
....Former Republican state Rep. Rick Roth, who voted for the law and operates a family farm in Belle Glade...said he believes the law has functioned as intended—sending a message that unauthorized migrants aren’t welcome in Florida and should stay away.
It's a win-win-win. Ron DeSantis gets something to brag about; Republican business owners aren't much affected; and undocumented workers are even more scared and docile. What's not to like?
Maybe that's instructive after all. My apologies to the Journal.
Wait, you're saying Republicans are lying???
These laws also make life more difficult for anyone who loses their ID or is otherwise poor or a minority... so yeah.
It looks like the goal wasn't to get rid of undocumented workers, it was meant to make them more compliant and tolerant of abusive labor practices. Sounds like a perfect law for Trump to take nation wide. He can have his cake and eat it too. He can keep the cheap labor his party loves and also look tough on illegal immigration.
The goal was performative cruelty. That is all DeSantis has ever done.
Maybe it is the plan...
https://youtu.be/ReUGBYRCUIo
That's how it's going to end up with Trump's threats of mass deportations, tariffs, tax cuts etc.
A lot of bluster, no action, then they'll claim credit for what Biden has already put in place.
Que sera, sera.
Well, no, the tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations *will* be extended.
Existing ones extended, yes. New ones probably not.
Of course, one can hope a Republican Congress shows as much skill at passing legislation as they did the last few times they had total control.
This is the one hope we have...between the bickering and sheer incompetence, they might not do as much damage as is feared.
The slave state ideology.
Florida orange crop down to ca. 10% of highs. Hurricanes and blight have done major damage.
Never mind that Anita Bryant died less than a month ago.!!!!!!!
A day without an orange is like a day without sunshine
Or, something like that
One of those times somebody you thought was long dead dies.
Remember, Kevin allows links in comments 🙂 https://citrusindustry.net/2024/05/07/florida-orange-production-plummeted-years/
No worry, the Brazilians will give more of their eponymous waxes to the Amazon and grow oranges to make-up the difference and we'll blithely drink along.
Pro Publica did a lengthy piece on this, highlighting Roth's changing position and his push for farmers to use H-2A visas. The mandatory e-Verify doesn't go into effect until this summer. I guess we'll see. At the very least, prices will go up with farmers complying with H-2A regulations.