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rodger2904's latest comments
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31st Jan 2016rodger2904 commented on:
Should Britain stay in the EU or is now the time to leave?When the UK was an island, no channel tunnel, it's safe to say we were more secure in our border controls. The main worry people had was animals infected with rabies coming through the tunnel, that turned out to be the least of our worries. The UK is a magnet for the people living in the European countries that have poor health services, no welfare, no jobs, no housing. So they try to get over to the UK through the tunnel by travelling under the lorries, that are travelling to the UK. Once safely over they then make their way to the cities, where you see them begging on street corners, selling, playing a musical instrument and sometimes singing. Some are able to claim benefits and go to the Job Centre looking for a job and then claiming all the benefits available. They say they are keen to work but in the meantime they have no money and are entitled to a load of allowances and benefits from our social security system which you and I have paid into for upwards of 50 years. They are also homeless and the council is obligated to house them and provide accommodation until a house is available. They are also giving grants out of the public fund to furnish and decorate their house. When I was at school, between the age of 8 to 15, during the 6 weeks’ school summer holidays, I was expected to go with my mother and pick berries at one of the local berry farms. We would all gather at the agreed pickup point at 7 am and the farmer would appear with a tractor and trailer and we would all get on and sit on the edge with our legs over the side almost falling off with every bump in the road. Great fun. Sometimes, they would use a lorry like the army 3-ton truck with the canvas top and a bench seat either side of the truck. We would pick berries from 8 am till 12 or 12.30 or until the farmer blew his whistle again. We then picked until 4 or 5 pm or until the field was picked clean. I wasn't allowed any of my berry money until I had picked enough to pay for my new school uniform. I picked about £1 a day which was quite good for my age. My mother managed about £3 to £5. I picked on the same side as her as I was too short to reach the top of the canes and picked the ones that were below the middle wire support. You may be asking why am I telling this story when we are talking about the EEC. My reason for telling this story is that I worked every summer at the berries earning money until I was 14 years old, when I got a job as an early morning roll delivery boy. I would collect my message bike with a large basket full of fresh baked morning rolls and would have to deliver them to customers before 7.30am. My mom would get me out of bed at 5am sit me in front of the electric fire and make me a roll and jam or syrup and a hot cup of tea. I had to be at the shop to start at 6am. I never went back to picking berries for a long time until I moved to Arbroath when I was stationed there at Condor RM Base. My wife and I went to the berries at a local farm. The summer job of picking berries is no more, well for local people it isn't. The reason, is they have to employ the foreign students from the EU, at £30 per day. Probably more than that now as the £30 is a 2006 figure. Also, they have to pay for accommodation which is supplied by the farmer, which I think is shocking as they get so little and they have to pay a rent as well as feeding themselves. I don't object to the students picking berries, as it is part of their course to go abroad and work and experience other cultures, even though they are being exploited.