Global Atlanta
July 2, 2012
Growing up in the country, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler learned just when to pluck fruit from the tree or put the sickle to a stalk.
“I’ve picked corn, I’ve picked tomatoes, I’ve picked apples, pears, watermelons, canteloupes, I mean you name it. I know how hard a work that is,” Mr. Butler said at an Indian business forum in Norcoss June 29.
“You can’t just throw somebody out there that’s never done it before and expect them to do it correctly, because there’s a difference between a ripe watermelon and an unripe watermelon,” he added.
Since Georgia cracked down on illegal immigration last April, there are fewer laborers in the fields who understand that distinction.
