The Senate is taking up the issue of border security this week. Unfortunately, late today, “temporary worker” provisions were inserted into what initially looked like a good bill. As readers of the Roundup may recall, I voted for and the House passed strong border security legislation last December that focuses on enforcement.
Xpat laments:
Oh, Randy! Your search for the perfect soundbite has finally led you in direct opposition to the needs of your district. See, all those farmers and ranchers in West Texas (you remember West Texas, Randy? It's where you're supposed to be from.) need temporary workers to work the fields. Apparently they were under the mistaken notion that you'd be willing to look out after their interests.
Being the product of a West Texas farming family, I can say that in West Texas they're referred to as "hired hands," and they are absolutely necessary for West Texas farms. They are generally looked down upon, but also very much needed, and they're all Mexican immigrants.
And my impression is that, as a general rule, they're illegal. And the farmers know damn well that they're illegal, but they need hired hands. Neugebauer can sit up on his high horse and talk about "enforcement of the law" all he wants, but farmers in Idalou and Floydada and Hale Center can't hire "enforcement" to get all their cotton picked. For Neugebauer to play politics with such an important issue for Texas farmers is to be almost criminally negligent toward the needs of his constituents.
And you may be asking, what gives with the title? Well, I imagine you know of Hank Hill from "King of the Hill":
Now just imagine him 20 years older and a million dollars richer, and what do you get?
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