How do you reverse poverty when the people who need the help are not there?
on October 11th, 2005 at 2:02 amFor weeks now there has been a great amount of talk regarding the poor that once lived in the New Orleans area. Self-proclaimed advocates of the poor were quick to accuse the Federal government as the real reason why these individuals were not able to find good paying jobs.
Recently, someone asked me what were some of the main issues of today should black Americans focus pay close attention. On the top of my list was the rebuilding process that is now taking place in the gulf region. This is a huge opportunity for those in that region who were not able to find work as well as those who wish to start a business. The only problem is, many of those who are from that region are not there to take advantage of this great opportunity nor are they trying to go back…
From LATimes
Immigrants Rush to New Orleans as Contractors Fight for Workers
- As many evacuees stay away, Latin American workers move in, lured by soaring pay. They could change the face of the city.
By Peter Pae, Times Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS  Most of the signs are handwritten and simply worded, such as “Workers Wanted” or “Need 50 Laborers Now!”
Word has gotten out and each morning day laborers  who come from Central America and Mexico by way of California, Texas and Arizona  gather on street corners in the Kenner and Metairie neighborhoods on the western edge of the city.
Lured by jobs paying $15 to $17 an hour, the Spanish-speaking day laborers have flooded into New Orleans to haul out debris, clear downed trees, put in drywall and perform other tasks as rebuilding takes hold in the city. Specialized roofers can make $300 a day.
…”There is a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ mentality right now,” Custer said. He added that there didn’t seem to be any effort to crack down on illegal immigrants. “If they do who will rebuild New Orleans?”
…Burger King is also hurting. It has reopened about half of its 54 restaurants in the New Orleans area but still needs 500 more staffers. So Burger King is promising a $6,000 signing bonus, to be paid in monthly installments, to anyone who works a full year.
Even after the construction work dries up, which isn’t expected for a year or two, there will be a huge demand for waiters, cooks, janitors and maids  and Latinos are likely to fill many of those jobs.
…”I don’t know how many African Americans are left in the city, but it’s not that many,” Powell said. “There is not enough labor to rebuild the city, and filling the vacuum are the Hispanics.” (more…)
Nobody has to convince me here that hiring illegals is wrong, but if they don’t do the work then who will? Can the poor blacks still make the claim that there are no opportunities for them in that region? Jesse Jackson has been trying to rally blacks to join his bus caravan to take them back to New Orleans, but turnout has been lackluster at best. On the other hand South American workers from all over this country and South America have been finding all kinds of ways to travel to this region without a federalized coordinated effort.
Some of you will bring up the point that many of these South American workers are not getting any kind of benefits. My response to that point would be that if a person is truly poor (and I have been there) and wants to get out of that situation, they will take just about any job to move ahead. As time goes on, that person will be in a much better position bargain for better pay with benefits.
I would like to hear some feedback on this one.
