Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/122115
6A Daily News – Tuesday, April 16, 2013 Opinion Too proud or too lazy to work DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. 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How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 It appears to this columnist that California doesn't necessarily have a job shortage but a shortage of hard working Americans. Local farmers are pressuring Congress to ease immigration restrictions so that more Mexicans are available to labor in our fields, since non-Hispanic Americans apparently find such work beneath them. Presently the shortage of strawberry pickers is so severe that as much as 30% of the valuable fruit is rotting in the field while the most productive berry pickers earn upwards of $30 per hour to process what they can. To me this labor shortage speaks volumes about a lack of humility on the part of Californian's that complain about the poor economy and lack of jobs as they collect weekly unemployment checks, union benefits, or Cobra protected health care as they frequent food banks and otherwise exist without breaking a sweat. While many obese persons are not physically fit for such labor just who is to blame for that? Perhaps harvesting produce at a less productive rate may only yield $15 per hour but might be just what the doctor ordered so that in months extra pounds can be shed and health, productivity and wages can increase. Only then might WASPY gringos comprehend the plight of those that labor in our fields on hot summer days and appreciate why they seek legislation to ensure regular breaks, access to shade, restrooms and drinking water, not to mention basic health care and affordable housing. These things are denied for a variety of reasons, most of which are rooted in patent disrespect and disregard of worker concerns because they lack better opportunities and political or legal recourse. So the next time you speak against migrant farm workers or cash an unemployment check pause to ponder what your life would be like if by chance of fate you walked in an illegal worker's shoes with no safety net or access to community supports. Better yet consider laboring with them in the fields to know their pain and use your connections to ensure better working conditions for all. Certainly folks with college degrees and special skills legitimately deserve and should expect less physically demanding or humbling employment – but life in capitalistic America has no guarantees other than death and taxes. However those that wait for the economy to improve to seek work to their liking do themselves and their countrymen a disservice when they could be providing for themselves and their families by laboring on California's farms. It would seem many rationalize, along with the farm managers that they aren't "cut-out" for such work because they can't or won't work under such harsh conditions with- ers would disappear as working conditions improve to the level out raising a stink. Thus many farm owners vio- expected by fellow citizens. late the law out of necessity, con- While the price of farm commodities would increase a bit, venience or greed to this will serve to reduce hire illegal aliens willexcess consumption and ing to do field labor in waste while making poor conditions without farming a more sustaincomplaining or alerting able enterprise by authorities to abuse. diminishing the Others might give exploitation and disenshort-shrift to the confranchisement of poorly cerns of legal migrants represented workers. belying at best an Finally hiring Ameriunderlying racism or at cans to work the fields worst acceptance of indentured servitude of Richard will reduce the polarization of those that labor desperate laborers on farms and those that exploited for financial benefit from such labor gain. On a global scale leading to a better the net impact is to understanding and increase the profitability appreciation for everyof harvested commodione's contributions to ties at the expense of the American breadbasthose that labor in the fields to provide them, notably ket. I know many conservatives excepting farm owners, investors, and others involved in the growth, perceive my words to be those of a processing and distribution of liberal sycophant of unionized field workers that demand more farm products. If more unemployed Ameri- than they deserve. But I also know cans literally man-up to fill the that were it not for a cultural conneeds for farm labor a number of ditioning of entitlement there problems will be mitigated simul- would be many fewer unemployed taneously. Instead of being a drag Americans either too proud or too on the national economy those lazy to work. idly collecting unemployment and Richard Mazzucchi is a retired subsistence benefits from public research engineer specializing in coffers would add value to California's farm industry. The energy. He can be reached at demand for undocumented work- living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-3076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 3930707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Liberal hypocrisy, irony; Republican dinner Mine isn't the first hearty "Welcome" for Gov. Brown-appointed County Supervisor, Sandy Bruce. Were she to drop in and say "Hi" to her fellow Republicans at, for instance, the annual Red, White and Blue Dinner on April 27, 5 PM, at the Vets Hall, or to Tea Party Patriots any Tuesday at the Westside Grange, she will find folks eager to get to know her and her positions. It strikes this Republican as a touch ironic to read that she is an "account clerk at the county's Social Services Department," was a "project coordinator at the Tehama County Health Services Agency in 1999," and "serves as union steward for the International Union of Operating Engineers at the Tehama County Department of Social Services." The word "ironic," meaning "event that is the opposite of what is expected" (Webster's Pocket Dictionary), applies in the sense that having government employment in social services, union membership, even stewardship, and government health care coordination—are not the routine resume entries for a Republican stalwart. Not that there's anything wrong with that (Seinfeld-ism); I can't think of better places for Republican values to share the field with, well, other values. After all, it is undeniable that healthy percentages of government employees and union members are Republicans. Perhaps she made valiant efforts to see that dues collected (would "extorted" be too harsh?) from government workers' paychecks were spent equally among Democratic and Republican candidates. Perhaps she fought to see that taxpayers' money, paying those same workers and their union dues, wasn't used to fund initiative campaigns to raise our taxes or our collective indebtedness via bond sales. Remember, it was that famous and legendary Democrat, President Franklin Roosevelt, and that equally famous and legendary union leader, George Meany, who were against government workers being unionized, precisely because any labor action would effectively be against their true employers, the tax-paying citizens. Times change; she has the benefit of my doubt at this point. However, a wolf in sheep's clothing is still, as they say, a wolf. More now on the aforementioned Red, White and Blue Republican Dinner, dedicated to Abraham Lincoln this year, at the Veterans Memorial Hall at 5 PM on Oak Street. Honest Abe himself will make a virtual appearance with a memorable speech and humorous anecdote. Some remarkable local voices will be raised in songs from that era, and other patriotic tunes. Of great note will be an appearance and keynote speech by Elizabeth Emken, who ran a top notch, but losing, campaign against our very, very, yes very senior Senator Diane Feinstein. Such were Ms. Emken's command of the issues and oratorical skills that Feinstein never allowed herself to be on the same stage. The Senator even arrogantly and condescendingly patted a reporter's back as she left an interview, when the reporter simply asked why she refused to debate Emken. What a liberal hypocrite! Anyway, tickets and tables are available, but limited and usually definition, have a higher responsibility than those citisell out; call 529-1226 for zens) cannot complain more information and over being restricted. reservations if you Abuses will not go haven't gotten a flyer in unpunished by the peothe mail. ple. A few weeks back, a On the other hand, teapot tempest, high dudpeople should recognize geon and arrogant that the media provide umbrage appeared on other citizens with this page over news information, and if media restrictions at a someone doesn't want a Redding Tea Party Patribad impression out ots meeting that featured there, they should think Congressman Doug Don through what they say LaMalfa. Let me be clear before it pops out of that I think the decision Polson their mouth. I know to impose some limits on the TV and print The way someone who blurted out a poorly formulated reporters was arguably ill thought at the Republiadvised; I would have I see it can headquarters on voted against it had I election night in 2008 been at the meeting. However, I support their right to that didn't look so erudite the next make it harder for reporters, who in day in the local paper. If, for instance, I had attended the past have misrepresented and engaged in adversarial and unbal- one of few Coffee Party meetings anced reporting, to have further and wrote untruthfully about them, chances to, basically, lie about the I doubt they would have allowed me further access, no? Then, conTea Party. The point is well made that a sider how various of the anti-war congressman is our collective and local Occupy crowd refused to employee and the freedom of the answer simple questions when I press is potentially abridged when spoke to them at Oak and Main in access is limited. Somebody November, 2005, and in front of should tell President Obama to the Bank of America in 2011. I still stop doing exactly that—the hyp- have the articles I wrote which had ocrite! However, one protests too not one untruthful word or misrepmuch when office-holders routine- resentation of their answers to my ly limit the press at events that are polling questions. They just knew private, on private property and for who I was, what I believe and write the benefit of a particular con- and didn't want to talk to me. Libstituency. When the freedom of the erals are such hypocrites. press is used to grossly misrepreDon Polson has called Red Bluff sent what a group of private citizens say and do, the news media home since 1988. He can be by e-mail at violate the trust given them by the reached people. The news media (who, by donplsn@yahoo.com.