Daren wrote on Feb 21, 2008 9:28 PM:This shelter needs to be visited by the Border Patrol & ICE. Every person who works this field and attempts to use this housing needs to have his/her legal status verified. If EVEN ONE person is found to be working this field or using this shelter, the entire opperation should be shut down.

Taxpayer wrote on Feb 22, 2008 4:57 AM:Has anyone checked the legal status of these "workers"? Or, like most situations, are the authorities just hiding from the problem? Now the city is going to use some of MY tax dollars to provide housing? Is Carlsbad going to declare itself a "sanctuary city"? If my tax dollars are going to be used to house these workers, an ID check should be conducted to ensure that these workers are here legally, have valid social security cards and are paying their taxes! What say you Carlsbad?

Hey, Daren wrote on Feb 22, 2008 8:37 AM:Let's carry your idea out and penalize everyone for the mistakes of others.

VoiceofReason wrote on Feb 22, 2008 11:17 AM:This is wonderful! I think we should all be given free housing near our work. I'm sick of driving so far to earn a living and pay taxes for the welfare of the less fortunate (and less responsible). Thanks comrade! And yes, these camps whould be checked daily by ICE. Anyone found to be here illegally shall be returned to their country of origin. It's time we the people secure our own borders. Don't rely on the government, they aren't here to help you.

To Voice of Reason wrote on Feb 22, 2008 11:24 AM:You sound anything but reasonable.

Citizen Ripoff wrote on Feb 22, 2008 11:28 AM:$2,000,000,000 to house 100 possible illegal aliens to work on farms?? This money will come from the buyers of the homes whose prices have been increased to build affordable housing for possible illegal aliens. How crazy is this! If the Catholic church wants the housing let the church pay for it, not the home buyer; and/or the farm owners should pay for the housing. The farm should pay a living wage to the workers so they can provide their own housing.

Mike wrote on Feb 22, 2008 1:55 PM:I rather enjoy eating strawberries. I suppose it is fair to give the people who pick the berries a warm place to sleep. I realize the CON ideal is to use up the workers, pay them next to nothing and let them sleep in the mud. We did fight a Civil War over their CONcept. The CON side lost. No more slaves in the United States. Too bad for the CONS.

I guess VoiceofReason felt the slaves on the old south plantations did not deserve slave shacks either.

Would Citizen Ripoff, Darren and Taxpayer or any other republiCON pick the strawberries after the "Migra" round up the workers? If not, then who will pick the berries? As for me, I am thankful for the hardworking Mexican Nationals who are willing to pick them for me. I can not think of a better use for taxes then to help those in need especially when those in need provide a substantial service to the rest of us.

Freethinker wrote on Feb 22, 2008 2:02 PM:If I weren't so busy with other things, I'd be screaming bloody murder about this unconstitutional gift of public "seed money" to a religiously-affiliated charity group. What -- has the Vatican and/or the San Diego Catholic Church been paying out so much money to settle child molestation cases that it can't now afford to spruce up the local homeless shelter? This is NOT an appropriate use of the public's money. I hope the City gets sued.

MAX wrote on Feb 22, 2008 3:41 PM:Well now, let's see what reaction a FEW little bloggers have to an humanitarian and decent effort by Carlsbad and others: Rampant racism and religious bigotry. The editorial says it right and so does "Mike." The issue of citizenship status and the legality of a city funding a charity are canards.

dave from oceanside wrote on Feb 22, 2008 4:13 PM:Vision Robotics, a San Diego company, is working on a pair of robots that would trundle through orchards plucking oranges, apples or other fruit from the trees. In a few years, troops of these machines could perform the tedious and labor-intensive task of fruit picking that currently employs thousands of migrant workers each season.
The robotic work has been funded entirely by agricultural associations. By the end of this year, the orange growers will have invested almost $1 million in the project, estimates are that it will take about $5 million more to get to the finished product.

Enrique wrote on Feb 22, 2008 7:32 PM:Providing housing in Carlsbad for illegal workers is a bad idea! We should be discouraging illegals not housing them! I'm sick and tired of subsidizing greedy employers..If they want to do business they should pay legal residences a living wage!
I would be in favor of the idea of renting busses and shipping these people back to their countries of origin!

Bob wrote on Feb 22, 2008 8:37 PM:I believe we have the technology to have robots do these labor tasks. We already do some farming through hydroponics. This housing situation is doing nothing to curb the flow of illegal aliens, the workers should all be here legally and have places to rent from their salary. Why do I not get a place to stay from my employer. This is a double standard and quite discriminating.

Tale of Two Cities wrote on Feb 23, 2008 7:27 AM: Carlsbad is trying to heal divisions and exercise compassion toward workers who are part of the economy and the community, while Escondido is pandering to prejudice and stirring up more trouble (A-1). My hat's off to Carlsbad, and to the North County Times for this well-reasoned editorial.

Pluto wrote on Feb 23, 2008 7:32 AM: I'm sick and tired of cold-hearted people who are sick and tired. Go back to Europe!

Daren wrote on Feb 23, 2008 8:08 AM:I would be very happy to pick my own strawberries-- if I ate them. As for everybody else, get a machine to pick the berries. That would increase the cost of the berry, but it would be a substantial savings over all the criminal illegals running around this country.

MAX wrote on Feb 23, 2008 10:58 AM:Robotic harvesters are nothing new. These are only variations on a theme. Field work is much more than just harvesting. Years ago robotic harvesters were developed to pick tomatoes ~ tomatoes were even hybrided to be square to fit the machine. Yet, none of this has really alleviated the need for human labor in the fields. Don't forget the invention of the cotton gin eons ago. This was ballyhooed as putting an end to slavery. It didn't.