An Open Letter to Karl Rove

(Washington, DC -- February 9, 2007) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) today released the following open letter to White House Political Advisor Karl Rove in response to his reported statement that the reason the U.S. needs a guest worker program is that he doesn’t want to see his 17-year-old son have to “pick tomatoes or make beds in Las Vegas.”

February 9, 2007

Dear Mr. Rove:

National Review On-line quoted you as saying recently that the reason we need a guest worker program is that you don’t want your 17-year-old son picking tomatoes or making beds in Las Vegas (Not Our Kind of People, Mark Krikorian, 2.9.07).

Your remarks insinuate that physical labor is only for people you see as lower class, and beneath the dignity of those born into privilege.

Growing up in Las Vegas, my father put food on the table and a roof over our heads by waiting tables at a local resort. Because of his hard work, my sister and I were both able to graduate college and to find our own piece of the American dream.

Making beds in Las Vegas for a living may not provide the perks you are accustomed to as a senior White House staffer, but on average, these jobs pay good wages and in most cases, offer affordable healthcare coverage and other benefits.

In the future I hope that you will think twice before demeaning the jobs of hard working Nevadans and others like them all across the nation who are the backbone of our economy. Unlike you, they may never get to travel the world or take home a big salary courtesy of the American taxpayer, but these men and women know the meaning of hard work and the value of a day’s pay. I urge you to respect honest work, not denigrate it.

Sincerely,

Shelley Berkley
Member of Congress

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