Check out Publix grocery. If this wasn't such a dire statement on American employment it's almost laughable. Publix grocery, in South Florida claims local residents do not want the jobs and must import unskilled workers on foreign guest worker Visas.

This is an outrage.

At a time when Lee County’s unemployment rate is almost 14 percent and about 38,000 residents are jobless, Publix is paying people from South America to work at some of its Southwest Florida supermarkets.

For the last three years, Publix has hired hundreds of Peruvians and Brazilians for its stores in south Fort Myers and Naples during tourist season because the company says it can’t find locals to fill those spots.

The South American cashiers, baggers, deli, bakery and grocery clerks work part time at more than 20 area locations, said Publix spokeswoman Shannon Patten. The company began hiring them in late 2008, when Lee’s unemployment was about 6 percent.

“It is our experience that potential workers that live year ’round near our stores are interested in permanent jobs, not temporary ones,” Patten said.

Many Southwest Florida jobseekers and the people who help them disagree.

“Are you kidding?” asked Rita Hursell. The 46-year-old nurse’s aide, who’s been out of work since 2007, is on food stamps and lives with her parents in Lehigh Acres.

That is just beyond the pale! 14% unemployment rate, very obviously highly skilled and highly desperate people are going homeless, living on food stamps and this scummy grocery chain, Publix, cannot give Americans the jobs.

This is how bad Americans are displaced and dismissed over imported foreign workers on guest worker Visas. Yes, it's really this bad.