Foreign workers are not maltreated
Many request to work double shifts and multiple jobs
Raymond J. Shoop, Jr.

I'm the sinister, horn blower driving the van with dark tinted windows. I'm the one with the whip in hand herding the enslaved foreigners into the van and overtly sneaking them out of commercially operated boarding houses located in peaceful neighborhoods of Gulf Breeze and depositing them at sweatshops operated by conglomerate hospitality enterprises.

First, let me apologize for disturbing that neighbor from his nap by tooting my horn in his neighborhood. I think local residents are more worried about my foreign friends invading their neighborhood than they are about the kids' welfare. The city manager seems overanxious to start an investigation of any codes violated -- codes more likely aimed at keeping out these foreigners.

Therein lays one of the problems pointed out in your article: rent charged each foreigner. Because of codes, there are no rental properties close by the foreign students' workplace; therefore, the corporations who rent the houses must look in expensive locations; the beach, which is grossly overpriced, and on the other side of Pensacola, which means expensive transportation costs. Gulf Breeze proper loses this rental revenue, but their city proper is almost free of foreigners.

Now, let me address the issue of the unidentified woman. First, she isn't sure? I can see why she wants to remain anonymous. Peeking through an open door and determining assessing the condition of a house? I get a picture of an old busybody snooping in people's windows and open doors, and then gossiping about what she didn't see. She must be a lonely widow.

The workers are recruited, but they are recruited from within their country not from the U.S. If they are lured, it comes from the companies in their country. The workers pay $3,000 or more to companies in their country so they can come here.

These companies contract to employee service companies in the U.S. to find employment for these students. I refer to them as students, because the majority are; highly independent, hard working students who come to this country to earn money to finish their educations, and of course to pay for their way here.

They come here to work, and that is what they do. They aren't forced nor expected to work long shifts. In fact, they request and even demand to work double shifts. I know many students who not only work double shifts in the beach hotels, but in their spare time, they work part time in the fast food establishments, in Gulf Breeze no less. Not only one or two, but sometimes three different places, because the fast food establishments only want part time employees. I'm sure I don't need to tell you why. How many American youths have you seen doing that.

One local hospitality establishment hired a local employee service for their staffing requirements for the summer rush using U.S. citizens. They filled the contract for one day. Their people refused to return to work. No one wanted this type of work. The employee service couldn't meet the requirements and begged off. The hospitality establishment hired the company I work for.

By the way, the company I work for pays considerably more than minimum wage, and they refuse to hit or whip the foreign workers for whatever reason, although, sometimes it is aggravating for an old English speaking dude like me to get a Russian to understand what I'm trying to get across.

What's wrong with using a bicycle for transportation? It's pollution free and is a good form of exercise. Do you realize how unintelligent that statement about bosses watching their employees talking to locals is?

Monitoring 60 or 80 people 24 hours a day, on who they talk to, and what they talk about, come on sweetie, you have more smarts than that. The company I work for has no "enforcers" nor do they have any "overseers."

They have me, who only threatens to leave anyone behind if they aren't at the curb when it's time to be picked up, but once they get to know me they know it's just an idle threat. If I ever laid a hand of one of these youths, there would be 15 hellcats on me in a split second, and if I ever observed something like that, the offender would have me to contend with.

Okay, I'm finished ranting. I was really upset, shocked and frustrated this morning when I read your article, and I thought I was going to have to take my boss to the hospital. I feel better now, but my boss doesn't.

I do realize there are companies out there that do these things. I hope you realize that too. It is frustrating though. It only takes one bad apple to foul the taste of one apple pie while 99 others taste so sweet. But, because they are also apple pies people consider them foul as well.

I treasure my young foreign friends from all over the world. After years, some still keep in contact and many return a second and third time. I just wanted you to know there are some of us out here that do it right.