Could President Trump’s new policies hurt the Jersey Shore?

Under the President's concept of BAHA (Buy American, Hire American), the J-1 visa exchange program that allows foreign students to work summer jobs here could be in jeopardy.

Wednesday, several Jersey Shore business owners were in on a conference call to the White House pleading with the administration not to eliminate the program. Seven different representatives from the national parks to amusement piers to resorts were on the line along with 200 other concerned business owners.

We've all seen the Eastern European kids working at the boardwalks, amusement piers and restaurants down the shore for decades. When I asked one shore business owner why they don't just hire American kids, he said they do. There just aren't enough of them to do the work and the ones that can often have schedule restrictions that have them heading back to college or sports programs by mid-August.

It's not a matter of hiring American, it's a matter of survival for these seasonal businesses that have relied on this program for years. If ending the program negatively impacts their business, and it will, it will have a ripple effect on the area economy.

It's great to be patriotic and support local businesses and hire local folk but this would have a harmful boomerang effect that would crush Jersey Shore seasonal businesses. There's nothing underhanded or un-American going on here. It's just how these local businesses survive and thrive.

Hopefully the President's business acumen will lead him and his administration to do the right thing. Plus I love talking to cheerful college girls from Moldova!

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Dennis & Judi are on the air weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tweet them @DennisandJudi or @NJ1015.