Making A Poor Region---Poorer

This week's excitement included planting cantaloupes. We rented the field behind the house to a neighbor who grows melons. We used to plant melons by seed. Daniel transplanted seedlings. Amazing. This will shorten up the season a few weeks. So, in September we should be enjoying fresh cantaloupes and there is nothing like sweet, field fresh and sun warmed cantaloupes. Mmmmm. Sheryl is already getting excited just thinking about it.

Elsewhere on the farm, we have already started shaking almonds. That is ten days ahead of last year and last year we were a week ahead of normal. Crazy times. Quality looks good so far. We will see what yields look like next week when they pick them up.

I don't know if this will come out right, but I have been thinking of this for some time.

Making a Poor Region---Poorer

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright July 2014

            Every so often we read an article about our Valley being the Appalachia of the West, or like a third world country. What is ironic is that our government seems intent  on making a poor region poorer.

            Farm regions generally struggle with seasonal income and weather dependent income makes it hard to build wealth for farmers and for farm regions. What is gained in one season can easily be lost in the next season.

            What is ironic in all this is how, instead of helping, our government seems intent on making a poor region poorer. Instead of creating a secure water supply, they are slowly strangling it. On top of that they bleed farmers with environmental fees and other regulatory costs. Again making a poor region poorer.

            I talked with one regulator who was so happy that farmers were paying over a million dollars a year in fees for their water programs. We are all for clean air and water. But, look carefully at what happened- over a million dollars a year was taken out of our economy and used to pay for bureaucrats in Sacramento. We are enriching Sacramento and making our area poorer. Of course, this is all done with the best of intentions.

            If they are not going to help, fine. But, at least take a page from Hippocrates- “first do no harm.” I don’t expect the government to solve my problems and I surely don’t expect them to add to my problems.

            One of the points I try to make in my book, “Ten Reasons: Finding Balance on Environmental Issues” is that we must find ways to create a healthy environment and a healthy economy. All the government programs in the world cannot out perform a healthy economy. We do not need politicians flying in holding a press conference, dropping tax dollars and flying off.

            I guess what I am saying is, I wish the folks in Sacramento and DC would take a look at the bigger picture and see how what they are doing really is making a poorer region poorer. I don’t think that is there plan, but there is a famous saying about the road to hell being paved with good intentions.

I hope you all have a great week. Be careful, it's kind of warm out there.