Village Green - Nemetz, Joe

Respectfully, I disagree with the DOL's obvious desire to eliminate the H2B progam. I own a seasonal business that is located in a high cost of living area. Although my clients are considered affluent, I cannot recruit local labor because they cannot afford to live here. The H2B program helps. These workers do not burden our safety net programs ie unemployment, they work (and work hard) and then leave. I do have american workers in supervisory positions, but without dependable H2B workers their jobs as well as the companys solvency are in jeapordy. I have always tried to hire americans, but with the current entitlement mentality, our government pays people not to work, and to collect benefits. Last year I had 48 interviews scheduled, 5 showed up. 2 turned down the job because the made more money on unemployment, food stamps, and had free health care. Besides doing side jobs for cash. 3 others accepted the jobs they worked alittle and disappeared. Now given that background, I have a major proplem with the DOL arbitrarily raising wages to discourage businesses from using the H2B program. The DOL has no business telling employers what they must pay their workers! The market dictates, competition keeps prices down, and the consumer is frugal with their money at this time. Profit is very low and I am barely staying afloat. Please leave the H2B program alone. The U.S. government should fix immigration and wean people off government assistance, which would make people hungry to work. Then many businesses would not need the program to survive. Thank you for receiving my comments and hopefully seeing my point.