Postville, IA – Religious and city leaders expressed hope that Postville will recover from the fallout of last year’s immigration raid, but they said they’d appreciate more help from the state and federal governments.
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City Clerk Darcy Radloff estimated Postville’s population has dropped from about 3,000 residents to about 1,800 since hundreds of Guatemalan and Mexican meatpacking workers were arrested a year ago.
“For Sale” signs are cropping up like dandelions on lawns here as former workers at the Agriprocessors plant leave town and landlords struggle to stay in business. Residents say it’s almost impossible to find a home buyer, and they worry the market would collapse if the plant completely closes.
The meatpacking plant used to be the nation’s largest supplier of kosher meat and the Postville area’s dominant employer. But it has slid into bankruptcy since the raid, and many of its former workers have been deported after serving prison sentences.
Mayor Leigh Rekow said he understood that state officials have been busy helping other towns recover from tornadoes and floods. “But if you look at it, this was a disaster for us,” he said of the raid.
Aaron Goldsmith, a former city councilman who represents the hundreds of Orthodox Jews living in Postville, said townspeople are resilient, but they need help. “The most common voice you hear from the federal government is who they want to prosecute next in Postville,” he said.
The Rev. Steve Brackett, a local Lutheran minister, noted that many donors from around the country have helped religious and local government officials feed and house unemployed workers. Without those donations, he said, “I don’t know what we would have done, honestly.”
But isn’t it their own doing? Couldn’t the government foresee this happening? Now these people are on welfare, but in the name of the law they had to imprison and deport these hard working immigrants who even paid their taxes.!! What a shame!
you reap what you sow
wasn’t this the goal
Mission accomplished
weren’t they all ganging up on Agriprocessors? so now they are crying.
next time they should watch what they are doing, starting up with such a “ISH HACHESED” r` shulem rubashkin should have cust them more, they should be happy that the whole state is not closing down,,
The government enforced the law. The only people at fault here were all those who BROKE the law. That includes all the “hard working” ILLEGAL immigrants.
The shame now is all the hold-up around selling the plant. Today, the plant is nearly worthless (no matter what the creditors may think). The longer it sits empty the less it will be worth. These creditors need to be willing to take some losses in order to get this plant back up and running. Get the right, honest buyer in there who will work within the confines of US law and everything can get back to normal.
There are tens of thousands of LEGAL workers, many of whom are currently homeless, who would jump on these jobs. The problem now is the creditors who hold the loans on the property.
Let PETA get the cattle to roam the streets like human beings
“… . Aaron Goldsmith, a former city councilman “”who represents”” the hundreds of Orthodox Jews living in Postville… . “
Gim’me a break! Who voted him in? when was he voted in? He may be a nice guy but . . .
good for them let them sell the whole city on ebay
Rubashkin was attacked because he wasn’t Union. The GOV will do anything to keep the UNION MAFIA happy. Peta and the consrvitive rabbinical supervison fed Rubashkin to the dogs ( I mean gov)!
Beware of the power of the unions .. they will destroy you .. and use the liberal GOV as their muscle.
I thank all my Jewish democrats who have over the years voted for democrats so they can get food stamps and other goverment (bribes for your votes) handouts… and in return you know have the ultimate Chicago Mafia man in the White House.
Thank you … for bringing America to where you came from .. communist countries!
Now those Postville Nazis will see what its like. Their home values had skyrocketed, their had economy skyrocketed and now it will be the way it used to be. Those knockers didn’t appreciate how good they had it.
They hate it when we’re there and they hate it when we’re gone – a repeat of our history in Golus
This is what the state wanted!! They wanted Rubaskin in jail and out of business!! Now the state is crying and the people are moving away, and the houses are losing value!~ Let Rubashkin out and see what will happen!
They didn’t like the Jews there to be messin’ with they town, hot dog! Now they got what they wanted, them Jews is out. Now, what do they have?
Hello, Potsville….
Next time someone comes in and gives you jobs and raises property values and brings in business and taxes and visitors, don’t get angry. Instead, try smiling next time.
He who lives by hatred, dies by hatred.
Let us abandon Postville and find another place that will welcome Yiddish business. Look at GM abandoning Michigan. Detroit has whole sections that are totally abondoned and those that remain are on welfare, food stamps and addicted to drugs. Where are the unions? Where are the activists? Where is Gov. Granholm? Nowhere to be found. This is the start of a great depression. Wages are falling. Businesses are laying off 500,000 employees per month ! Taxes are skyrocketing. Big business will soon be fleeing the US stock exchanges. Historians will point to Postville as the start of the collapse. What have you done President Bush. You have destroyed our great USA and I voted for you ! Let us pray the Republican party can get its act together soon or our great Nation will collapse. HKBH save us from ourselves !!!
All those of you who keep saying the Postville wanted Rubashkin out have no idea what happend there. The Mayor and the people of Postville loudly protested the Federal Government’s raid. The entire town is backing Rubashkin… not the Federal Govt.
Those of you (#4 #9 #10 #12 #13 ) who are loudly protesting the people of Postville are morons who have no idea what you are talking about.
I’ve never come across any organization as stupid as the union. They consistently cut their nose to spite their face. LOSERS.
“No one wants these jobs and therefore it collapsed.”
Do you actually know the story?
The Mexican “HR” person was helping these illegals get the jobs. It had nothing to do with Americans not wanting to the job…. only the illegal Mexicans even had a chance of getting a job at Agri thanks to this criminal “HR” person.
What doesn’t the government start deporting the illegals that are NOT working and close the borders….then they can worry about the ones that are working albeit without the right papers…