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07/08/11Washington City IV● There have been glimmerings of activity this week on the long-stagnate immigration front. The Agricultural Coalition for Immigration Reform (ACIR) held a conference call to discuss an initiative by Representative Dan Lundgren (R/California) that would attempt to provide agricultural employers with a new legal way to acquire needed immigrant labor. The proposed flexible program would be administered by the Department of Agriculture, not Labor. This is being considered against the dark background of the House Judiciary Committee’s present thrust to achieve E-Verify, an immigration enforcement program opposed by most employers. More discussions on Mr. Lundgren’s initiative are set for next week.● Word of the welcomed progress toward resolving the NAFTA cross-border... |
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06/21/11ReportsOne part of my job is to read published reports that might have an influence on our tree fruit industry. Two examples from this month: “Cancer Facts & Figures 2011” by the American Cancer Society and “Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.● I read the American Cancer Society’s annual report (56 pages) to see if cancer rates were going up and, if so, whether agricultural pesticides were fingered as an important cause. No and no. Although cancer still accounts for nearly one in every four deaths, cancer rates are declining. And what are the prime risks? “Smoking and obesity are the two major risk factors for cancer in the U.S., accounting for about 30% and 15-20%,... |
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06/13/11'Tain't So● The Environmental Working Group, a national nonprofit that detests the use of agricultural chemicals, has once again announced its annual “Dirty Dozen” list for consumers of produce items that it deems most contaminated with pesticide residues. Apples topped EWG’s list, which was duly noted today by The Wall Street Journal in an article under the unhelpful heading “Pesticide Residue Taints Apples.” USApple, the United Fresh Produce Association, the Alliance for Food and Farming, and others are doing their best this week to respond to this invidious media scare campaign.● Governor Chris Gregoire said today that she will not run for a third term of office. Washington state politicians now have an open seat to aim for in next year’s state general... |
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06/10/11The German Problem● With 30 people dead and about 3,000 ill, the German food safety incident is a major event. Beyond those directly affected in morgues and hospitals, there has been severe economic harm absorbed by Europe’s fresh produce industry. While still not fully understood, it appears the cause of the incident was bean sprouts. Unfortunately, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers all were previously tagged with being possible culprits. Their sales cratered.Some subjects that people in the food-safety universe are now mulling over: effective and quick systems to trace fresh food; the ever-changing nature of deadly human pathogens; public announcements by governmental health authorities (do they scare more than they calm in the absence of facts?); crisis management by trade associations; proper... |
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06/01/11CommerceI normally do not spend much work—or leisure—time thinking about the U.S. Department of Commerce. The past several days, have been the exception. While in Denver last week for a Minor Crop Farmer Alliance workshop on pesticides and the Endangered Species Act, I learned about the consultation role NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, plays in certain chemical registration decisions by the Environmental Protection Agency. NOAA, a part of Commerce, has the role of protector of certain endangered salmon and is not a big fan of agricultural chemicals that might enter fish spawning streams.But what really caught my attention yesterday was the nomination by President Obama of a new secretary of Commerce. You might remember that the current secretary is... |
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05/27/11Washington City III● Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of Arizona to pass a law that would punish employers for knowingly hiring undocumented workers. Under that state’s law, a business license could be revoked, thus giving serious teeth to enforcement. This decision will further fuel the flames of debate over whether our country should move to a national and comprehensive solution to immigration problems or continue to leave these matters to a more fragmented and punitive approach by individual states. Given current political gridlock, odds are in favor of more headaches for labor-intensive agricultural employers.● How growers might convey accurate chemical usage information to help better inform biological opinions issued as a result of the Endangered Species Act was the focus... |
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05/17/11Flawed Politicians● Rifling through cable channels last night I came across the surrealistic sight of CNN host Eliot Spitzer intently discussing the political ramifications of a sexual misconduct criminal charge in New York City against the leader of the International Monetary Fund. Of course Mr. Spitzer now has time, now that he isn’t governor of New York. And he has expertise in terms of the general subject matter. ● One thing about such high-profile scandals, they cut across all political party lines. The IMF leader is a French socialist, Spitzer is a Democrat, former Senator John Ensign of Nevada (who resigned on May 3) is a Republican. And today brings fresh news about former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) and his heretofore unknown child: maybe he will now... |
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05/11/11The Big Muddy● President Obama yesterday was in El Paso, Texas, to give a major address on immigration: he called on Congress to pass a comprehensive law on this long-festering and contentious topic. His key sentence for those involved with labor intensive agriculture: “We need to provide farms a legal way to hire the workers they rely on, and a path for those workers to earn legal status.” My own pessimistic measurement of when Congress will enact useful reforms to the nation’s immigration system is calibrated in years rather than months.● I was in New Orleans last week for the United Fresh Produce Association’s annual convention. My reasons for attending included participation in various side meetings on policy issues and for the general opportunity to informally... |
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04/28/11Washington City II● Leon Panetta was announced by President Obama today to be his nominee as the next Secretary of Defense. If confirmed, the present director of the Central Intelligence Agency would replace the retiring Robert M. Gates. In the mid-1980s, I worked on agricultural immigration issues with Mr. Panetta, when he served as a congressman from California. A proposed amendment known as Panetta/Morrison (the Morrison being Sid Morrison of Washington state) was then a key part of the debate that led to passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Mr. Panetta is an outstanding public servant whom I greatly respect.● Coincidently, Robert Gates, the current leader at Defense, is scheduled to be a commencement speaker on May 7 at Washington State University in Pullman.● Federal... |
04/08/11Washington CityThe adverse budget situation facing our country is absorbing the full attention of elected officials and staff on Capitol Hill. Whether a political deal can be reached by tomorrow to prevent a shut-down of essential governmental services is uncertain. In my opinion, even should a shut-down occur, its immediate practical effects on agriculture will be limited. Once a budget deal is struck for the remainder of this fiscal year, which will happen at some point, it will be of great interest to identify exactly which agriculturally oriented federal programs or agencies will suffer reductions or, in the rare case, death. It was announced yesterday that progress has been made on the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. This negotiation has been stalled for years due to ... |
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