Monday, January 4, 2010

Many day laborers are now homeless

From the NY Times:

Carlos Ruano was down to his last $50 when his landlord kicked him out in September because he could no longer pay rent. He sent the money to his wife and children in Guatemala and spent the night riding the E train, which has a nickname among his fellow day laborers in Woodside, Queens: “hotel ambulante,” Spanish for roving hotel.

Mr. Ruano, 38, who had drawn his living from 69th Street and Broadway for six years, has been on the streets since. He and other hard-luck day laborers have slept wherever they can: in the emergency room at Elmhurst Hospital Center, in unfinished buildings abandoned by bankrupt developers and under bridges along the freight railroad tracks that slice through western Queens, where dirty mattresses and work boots lay on the rocky ground one recent morning.

With their isolation and day-to-day existence, the laborers are perhaps the most invisible and hardest-to-reach victims of the recession, advocates and city officials say.

No one knows for sure how many have become homeless since the downturn brought construction projects to a virtual standstill and sapped them of jobs that once paid as much as $200 a day. Most of them are illegal immigrants who may be on the streets one day and off the next, depending on their work.

The rules of the shelter system do not suit them, they said. They might be placed too far from the job pickup site or miss curfew if a job runs too late or is too far from the shelter.

Afraid that their immigration status might be exposed — outreach workers might ask for identification, though the shelters are open to everyone — they say they would rather sleep outside.


I guess this was written in response to the outrage at the soup kitchen that's been set up at Hart Park. Your heart is supposed to bleed for them instead of being pissed off about how they've ruined our quality of life.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a tip for Carlos and his friends.

On Long Island the illegal foreign nationals have been getting boozed up, walking up to police cars for rides back home.
---Home to Mexico and Central America that is !

They have started kicking the crap out of the police, taking panst off and standing in traffic circles to get deported.
---Not kidding
http://www2.timesreview.com/NR/stories/R050709_laborers_bh

Anonymous said...

Not very christian of you not to support them.

Joe said...

Its in the Bible.
"Do on to others as they do to you but do it to them first"

If some crazy nuns, fryers or Pope want them that bad they can come get and ship them all to Rome or France.

Im sick of this BS.
These parasites stole my Weber Kettle and tried to poach my pet chickens out in Mattituck.
I lost track of how many buy cars and hurt people DWI. Most are bad drunks and perverts

Anonymous said...

When people and governments use terms like illegals, alien, the real meaning of these words is meant to label them as something less than human beings.

Yes, in large groups, they bring quality of life issues, but they are here and deriding them is not an answer. America was not founded as a caste system.

I hope none of you will ever suffer their plight: living in a foreign country that speaks a language not your own, standing out in the cold everyday hoping for any kind of work, working laborious and sometimes dangerous jobs for little money, supporting a family and living away from them for years at a time, and dealing with intolerance by other residents who themselves are only second and third generation families of immigrants.

I wonder how many of us could do the same?

PizzaBagel said...

Afraid that their immigration status might be exposed — outreach workers might ask for identification, though the shelters are open to everyone — they say they would rather sleep outside.

Please do sleep outside -- outside the U.S. borders, that is.

Queens Crapper said...

If I was to move to a foreign country that did not speak English, I would learn the language. I also would take the steps necessary to make sure I was there lawfully. They CHOSE to come here - illegally. Therefore the term "illegal alien" is the proper term. They are NOT immigrants. When my forebears came here in the 19th century, they had sponsors that made sure they did not become a burden on the taxpayers. They came here with paperwork identifying themselves and were screened for disease and to make sure they were not enemies of the country. They, too, worked for long hours at dangerous jobs for very little money. They also dealt with intolerance because of where they came from, not because of the behaviors they exhibited. They did not rape, rob and murder anyone. They did not drive drunk. They had too much respect for the country they came to make a new life in. They did not seek to suck the country dry and return to "my country".

"Yes, in large groups, they bring quality of life issues..."

No, in small groups or even individually they bring quality of life issues. See above.

Anonymous said...

Illegal is the correct term. If someone entered the US without papers, they are Illegal. So if they immigrated here without papers they are illegal immigrants.

This is calling a spade a spade. Nothing derogatory except for the fact that a law abiding citizen does not or should not tolerate folks whom are moving about undocumented and creating an environment that poses risks to our national security. If 911 is not enough motivation to insure it "never again" happens, then illegal folks enable a terrorist to take on the same path to enable more destruction of our families, friends and yes illegal folks too.

FlooshingRezident said...

Correction for "Joe Said"...

I think you meant to write friars, not fryers. Thanks for my AM laugh, unless you meant the short-order cooks (or the chickens) at the Vatican.

Anonymous said...

I think they are gearing up for putting these people into the empty towers they are madly abuilding in LIC/Dutch Kills and under the el in Astoria.

I want to plunk down a few hundred thousand there too, dont you?

Anonymous said...

Well, once we grant them amnesty, they'll be eligible for such government-funded amenities. There's your affordable housing! And they'll then bring their familias and amigos from back home to come live here - on our dime.

Anonymous said...

Future news headline: Large meteor to destroy Earth! Day laborers and minorities to be hit hardest!

Anonymous said...

I hope none of you will ever suffer their plight: living in a foreign country that speaks a language not your own, standing out in the cold everyday hoping for any kind of work, working laborious and sometimes dangerous jobs for little money, supporting a family and living away from them for years at a time, and dealing with intolerance by other residents who themselves are only second and third generation families of immigrants.
----------------------------------
We treat our "guests" A HELL OF ALOT BETTER than theri countries would EVER treat any of us if we found ourselves in that very unlikely scenario, so please don't preach to us abouot how merciful and kind we SHOULD be. We have been generous to a fault, and continuing to do so will be our downfall.

Anonymous said...

"...living in a foreign country that speaks a language not your own..."

Why would i ever be in that situation? Why would i ever want to leave? You have to be pretty worthless to ever abandon your country.

Yes, conditions may be poor "back home." Guess what? FIX IT.

Bad government? Throw it out. Mob control? fight back. Bad economy? Read a book, get an education, and help out.

America is so good because we did EXACTLY THAT.

we built our nation. go build yours. Don't take the easy way out and run away from it.


I don't call them lazy because they are lazy workers. They are lazy in spirit, pride, and in mind.

Anonymous said...

PADLOCK OUR BORDERS!

We don't have enough problems with terrorists attempting to set off bombs on American aircraft?

These ILLEGALS are causing an increase in crime in those affected nabes!

FU bleeding hearts!

Just what is it about "ILLEGAL" status that you don't understand?

If you're here ILLEGALLY...you're breaking the law...PERIOD...end of story!

Comprende?

-Joe said...

Amnesty aint gonna happen.
You can bet on that democrat senate getting tossed on it ass come mid term elections.
(Obama also in 3 years).

Any person that puts false hope in these criminals heads should be deported with them.
That new health bill being rifled through is going to immediately cut loads of Bloombergs services that lure them to NYC.

For now keep your doors & locks in mind.
Get ready for trouble when these parasites get really desperate and do what they do back home to survive and feed their 10+ kids back home

If I were president I'd draft an emergency drivitive to both rescind the anchor baby program & deport them all.
I'd make Ron Paul or Sheriff Joe Arpaio a czar to get it done.
Contract a deal with Greyhound & Amtrak to bring these criminals to deportation camps in Florida & Texas desert.
It would save medicaid, hospitals, and trillion of $$ much faster then a economic recovery that may take 20 years "if" it happens.

With the illegals gone you could put all welfare brats to work full time working for contractors fixing the streets and things.
They would have 3 choice's
1- Go out of business
1- Go to jail
3- Hire Americans and keep that $$ here

Col. Sanders said...

"Friers"?

Anonymous said...

Hart is a PLAYGROUND, not a PARK. That is what is says outside the gates and the rules are for playgrounds. Please don't call it a park.

Anonymous said...

Kick 'em the fuck out. See ya.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2 and 4: Lead by example. Go down to 69th Street and Broadway and post notices that you will open your house or apartment to Carlos Ruano and perhaps a few thousand of his amigos, and you serve the community as well by returning Hart Playground to children and their parents.

For the rest of you: Carlos Ruano is here by his own choice. If you want to give him work or a handout, that's your business. I owe him nothing. I owe his kin and neighbors back in Mexico nothing.

linda said...

$200.00 a day x 5= $1000.00
x it by 7 days=$1400.00 they're not paying into taxes and we should feel sorry for them? no way and it's time to send them packing.. our government has to start fining companies who hire illegally and don't follow the laws, shit take away their tax id numbers!! put them out of business, you'll see how fast they start hiring americans!! i don't feel sorry for these losers and if you can't find work oh well leave!! oh and the state can step in and get them of the expressways! ICE ICE baby..

Anonymous said...

7 days=$1400.00

Yep Cash
That's how they are scarf up all the leftover gas guzzlers and killing people with them.
Countless times I been at a gas station to have these assholes pull up in new SUVs, pickups with Carolina license plates, banda music, beads and crucifix swinging.

Many of these these criminals acquire Carolina and Tennessee auto registrations, no ID verification or Insurance is required in those dumb yahoo states

When in a accident, traffic ticket they simply run or "sorry policia, me left wallet home" and give another persons name and birth date.
That seems to be good enough "ID" with the Cops, Mayor and his pal Ray.

Auntie Invasion said...

Sometimes I wonder if the illegals are being coerced into coming here by the powers that be to destabilize our communities on purpose. Funny how just as Blacks and Women were gaining ground, along come all these third world males to bring us back to the stone age. for example, I will not go to Elmhurst or Jackson Heights as the armies of drunk screaming violent Mexican and South Americans creates a dangerous situation for me.

I do not feel sorry for them, the homeless illegals. Who is feeling sorry for me when they have taken a job, employment and an apartment away from me? The illegal aliens are not crying for, holding rallies for, taking up collections for the unemployed Americans that they and their huge families have displaced.

Send them back to their countries of origin, when they are picked up, put them on a boat or a bus, just get them out of NYC.

Anonymous said...

No, Auntie, the problem is simpler than that--someone's making money up the ying yang employing them. Now that there's no work for them, their former employers should be dunned the cost of sending them straight home to Mexico or Guatamala with a small amount of pin money to keep them alive.

If they weren't such cheap labor, there wouldn't be such demand.

Anonymous said...

who cares if they're homeless? who told them to come here illegally,anyway? What about real Americans who are homeless because they can't find work, have no relatives to take them in, or they are disabled and can't live on the crummy SSI money. Feel sorry for these jerks? No way. And by the way, Americans would be bus boys, waiters, waitresses - they have those jobs now - whole generations of people were waitresses and made good livings, now, even in a recession, even if Americans WANT to do these jobs, we aren't "allowed" to.

And these illegals sure find the energy to keep having babies, don't they?

WHERE IS ICE?

Anonymous said...

I agree with Auntie Invasion - just as women got a foot in the door, along comes government entitlement programs and then illegals. I think it's all a set up to keep everyone down. Look what goes on with college graduates these days - no jobs and in debt you can't ever get out of - and all the illegals taking the jobs that are left, but we are still on the hook for our debts.

I won't even go to a restaurant now that has illegals as hosts and waiters. I'm going to pay to have someone who shouldn't be here serve me - who has a job I could have so I can get by in this horrid economy? no.

ice, ice baby, is right...they say they can't round them up - it's a lie

in 1989 I was on a public bus going from San Diego to another town, and the FEDS came on and everyone had to show IDs and two illegals were taken away, ha ha

Anonymous said...

If you think its bad in New York try living in mexforina. When you go to a store all you hear is mex. I will not call it spanish because these are not from Spain,these are nothing but wetbacks that suck us dry. They will not learn to speak english and if they have a car it always has a mexican flag on it. The do not pay taxes,but they get more from our state than we do. We wind up paying for all of the breeding bitches they bring in. The news did a story on the mexicans bringing up slave whores for the illegals. most of the girls were young teens if that. If they don't want to close the border than we should open up shooting lanes and pay a bounty for each mex shot.