Packing plant raids

[Made in the USA]

Originally Posted by Joney

I would suggest that you get the soft water for both cold and hot pipes. There's no such thing as "half-soft water".

If the dwelling was originally plumbed for soft water, then this would be OK. If not, then all of your outlets including outdoor faucets, toilets, kitchen sink, etc, will all be soft water, which is not always desireable. The hardness will stay soluble until heat is involved. Thus places like your hot water heater are critical. In addition, utilizing soft water to say water your yard, is not a good idea. Also, drinking soft water is not good because the sodium content is increased. The RO will help solve this problem for drinking purposes, and the soft water will help extend the life of the RO membranes.

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Made in the USA

If the dwelling was originally plumbed for soft water, then this would be OK. If not, then all of your outlets including outdoor faucets, toilets, kitchen sink, etc, will all be soft water, which is not always desireable. The hardness will stay soluble until heat is involved. Thus places like your hot water heater are critical. In addition, utilizing soft water to say water your yard, is not a good idea. Also, drinking soft water is not good because the sodium content is increased. The RO will help solve this problem for drinking purposes, and the soft water will help extend the life of the RO membranes.

MIT.....you are well versed on this topic. Can we now call you....*ahem....WATERBOY?

[Bubba]

Actually, with the new water softeners that regenerate based on demand, the technology has advanced enough that there is minimal sodium added to the soft water. I think I can plumb it where one, if not both, outside faucets are not softened. As far as toilets being softened, I would say that would be a good thing. It shouldn't be as hard to clean since you would no longer have calcium and hard water staining at the water line....

It's kinda funny how this thread has turned into a water softening "how-to" guide from the original packing plant/illegal immigrant thread!

[lurker]

This thread's going soft on .... water?

Today's HutchNews

What could be in store


Meatpacking plant raids jeopardize beef industry

Federal officials on Tuesday arrested more than 1,250 workers at six meatpacking plants around the country in an effort to crack down on illegal immigration.


None of the raids took place in Kansas, and employers involved in the industry here are not worried about similar action taking place.

But they should be. And so should the rest of us.

Some people applaud the raids, citing the long-overdue need for more law enforcement where illegal workers are concerned.

"Enforcement actions like this one protect the privacy rights of innocent Americans while striking a blow against illegal immigration," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said.

However, repercussions would occur if such a raid would happen at a Tyson or Cargill or National Beef plant in Kansas, and they would affect the entire state.

One, any employees arrested would have to be replaced, and where those new workers would come from is unclear. It is impossible to pinpoint the number of illegal immigrants working at western Kansas meatpacking plants, but finding enough people in this sparsely populated area to keep the operation running would be difficult regardless of the amount.

Some workers would have to fill these jobs, but are western Kansas residents ready to step up?

And we already are starting to get a glimpse of the second issue that could affect the area - the economic impact on the beef industry.

Industry experts have voiced concern that the raids potentially could force plants to pay higher wages, in turn raising the price of meat. But what happens if companies decide not to hire replacement workers and simply reduce their output? Not only does that affect the price of beef for consumers, but the demand for cattle would fall, thereby causing ranchers, feedlots and sale barns to scale back and cut jobs.

In that sense, Kansas can breathe a collective sigh of relief. It could have been here.

These raids indirectly serve as a reminder of how dependent Kansas is on the beef industry. They also bring to light how dependent the industry as a whole is on immigrant labor.

The raids re-emphasize the problem of illegal immigration - and illegal documentation. They also reinforce the need for ID security and better document screening on the front end, as wells as a need for a guest worker program so industries that rely on immigrant labor might have legitimate access to laborers.

12/16/2006; 02:37:41 AM

The only exceptions I take to this editorial are underlined.

The industry didn't move out here to capitalize on illegal labor. They came here because this is where lots of market-ready cattle are.

I agree that the whole state would suffer if packers were forced into perfect compliance by the end of today. Market conditions need time to adjust.

We need to draw a line in the manure ... err: sand defining a time-frame for compliance. That will also give the cattle feeders time to adjust their inventories.

Guest worker programs will give the packers legitimate access to laborers.... without the need* to steal ID's.

*ID theft only serves to temporally satisfy government Bureaucracies.

[TexKan]

They only bitch slapped Swift cause they were bein arrogant. Things will go back to the way they are...... by Monday. Nothing will change and you will still need to guard your identity the best you can ------------- XL and National are counting on it - Swift will come into compliance now and the govt will turn the blind eye.............. they only do those smack downs when they have no other choice.............. do ya think the govt is really interested in you or the plants?????.............. let me help ya out........... the plants win - wether they are packing, chemical or pallet......... it's all the big business that is makin your life tough......... we do it to ourselves.

[K C Muffin]

Originally Posted by Bubba

As far as toilets being softened, I would say that would be a good thing. It shouldn't be as hard to clean since you would no longer have calcium and hard water staining at the water line....

Now, who'da thunk Bubba'd be the one givin' us Heloise-type tips for a cleaner terlet?

[Bubba]

[Made in the USA]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

MIT.....you are well versed on this topic. Can we now call you....*ahem....WATERBOY?

Actually Army, in my younger days, I was the team Captain. But as you get older, you get pushed to the side and become the "waterboy"! Ask Drew Bledsoe-----------

[Made in the USA]

Oh, I forgot---------What illegal aliens?? In Dodge City???? YOu gotta be kiddin' me!!

[Army_of_One]

Originally Posted by Made in the USA

Actually Army, in my younger days, I was the team Captain. But as you get older, you get pushed to the side and become the "waterboy"! Ask Drew Bledsoe-----------

Yeah...Drews starting qb days are over.........