Bad immigration timing
In politics - as in many other aspects of life - timing can mean everything.
Bearing in mind that timeless truth, the recent decision by Western Growers, United Fresh Produce Association and the American Farm Bureau Federation to join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups in a push for immigration legislation to address the ag labor shortage seems ill-timed.
Dubbed the Reason for Reform, the effort includes a wish list of ag industry immigration reform needs: expanded temporary worker programs, better border security, employment verification and a way to ensure workers are legal.
"If we could give Congress the cover of a bill that came out of a bipartisan group of these governors that said, 'Here's what we think would be good for our collective states,' that might be a starting point for Congress," Western Growers president Tom Nassif said of the effort.
While we admire the optimism, looking realistically at the chances for such a grand compromise (or any compromise, for that matter) on this bitterly divisive topic during this deeply polarized election year seems like a longshot, to put it mildly.
We're proudly not Beltway insiders, but from our vantage point lobbying efforts in this election year would be better spent fighting other battles.
Some key state-level issues in California - including a bill on ag labor overtime pay - could benefit from this collaboration's lobbying muscle.
Immigration law must come to terms with the U.S.'s need for an adequate and flexible foreign ag labor program, but waiting until the dust clears post-election is a wiser play.
Did The Packer get it right? Leave a comment and tell us your opinion.
