[env-trinity] Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva: Westlands’ cynical ploy uses farmworkers’ group to curb environmental laws

[Tom Stokely]

Westlands’ cynical ploy uses farmworkers’ groupto curb environmental laws

Republicans, agribusiness using drought toundermine environmental laws

Creating farmworkers group to benefit corporateagribusinesses is doubly cynical




 
Irrigated fields in the Westlands WaterDistrict border Interstate 5 and the parched Diablo Range beyond. Westlands isa formidable political force bent on keeping water flowing to itself and tofarms across California’s agricultural heartland. DAMON WINTER The NewYork Times

BY RAÚL M. GRIJALVA

Special to The Bee


 

 
California is facing a fifth straight year ofdrought and struggling badly to meet the water demands of its farms, cities,fish and wildlife. We all know what an important role the state plays insustaining our national economy. This should be a time for Congress to put theusual special interest arguments aside to pass some needed relief measures.

Unfortunately, congressional Republicans andpowerful agribusiness interests are using the drought as an excuse to underminethe state’s and the nation’s bedrock environmental laws. An unprecedentedlobbying effort by some of California’s biggest farmers is underway – largelyhidden from public scrutiny – to cripple the Endangered Species Act and otherenvironmental protections in the name of “drought response.”




 
Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva

As recent news reports have shown, theWestlands Water District has been the most active player in this lobbyingcampaign. Westlands is a $100 million-a-year water utility that distributeswater to some of the largest farming operations in the world and supplies someof our nation’s richest farmers. It employs no fewer than five lobbying firmsin Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. Its members spend massive sums each yearon lobbying, public relations and contributions – most go to its Republicanallies.

Westlands is trying to further itsanti-environment agenda by bankrolling a group called El Agua Es Asunto deTodos, a classic astroturf scheme that claims to represent farmworkers and theLatino community. The group has led a public relations and lobbying effort,funded by more than $1.1 million from Westlands, to weaken California’senvironmental laws – and make it easier for big agribusiness interests to dowhatever they like.

This is offensive, but not unique. For yearslarge agribusiness interests have bankrolled theso-called Latino Water Coalition, an organization that orchestrateshigh-profile protests against environmental protections. The group has beenrightly denounced by famed civil rights and farmworker advocate Dolores Huerta,among others, as the industry front group it is.


 
Making farmworkers the face of ananti-environment campaign designed to benefit corporate agribusinessesinterests is doubly cynical because many of California’s biggest growers haveopposed farmworker interests for decades, blocking efforts to improve unsafeworking conditions and upgrade housing and wage standards. In a rare moment ofcandor, a Westlands farmer even admitted to one newspaper not long ago that “BigAg polls poorly” in an attempt to justify Westlands’ strategy.

Even if the drought ended tomorrow,California’s farmworkers would still face numerous hardships. Big agribusinessinterests never talk about the rampant wagetheft suffered by California farmworkers, the farmworker joblosses caused by the industry’s switch to low-labor nut crops, orthe fact that one farmworkerdies on the job every single day in this country and hundreds more are injured.This fatality rate is seven times higher than the rate for all workers inprivate industry. Weakening the Endangered Species Act is not going to solvethese problems.

California’s agribusinesses are making recordprofits even at the height of the drought. The state’s crop revenues in 2013and 2014 are the first and second highest revenue years ever recorded, reaching aneye-popping $33.8 billion in 2013 and $33.4 billion in 2014. Yetfarmworkers still face a poverty ratenearly double the national rate for wage and salary employees.

There’s little evidence that Westlands or itsindustry allies will change any time soon, which is why Republicans have animportant choice to make. The American people know about the dishonesty andfinancial self-interest behind the industry’s anti-environment campaign. Thequestion now is whether that campaign’s Republican supporters will disavowthese tactics – or double down.

Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva of Arizona is the rankingDemocrat on the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.


Read more here:http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article58354948.html#storylink=cpy

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