CORVALLIS (Oregon) GAZETTE-TIMES

November 11, 2006

Election sends message about immigration in NW

The swing of the state House to Democratic control and the re-election of Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski should send a message against anti-immigrant campaigns, according to an Oregon nursery industry group.

“Oregon agriculture contributes enormously to the state’s economy and is one of the most prominent features of our rural landscape,” said Oregon Association of Nurseries President Dave Van Essen, co-owner of Van Essen Nursery Co. in Lebanon. “We want to work with Governor Kulongoski and the state Legislature to push an agenda that promotes family farms, preservation of our rural communities and supporting a healthy environment.”

In its news release, the group noted that across the nation, Republican candidates gambled that a get-tough message on illegal immigration would win votes.

“The politics of fear and divisiveness did not win out on election day,” said John Aguirre, the association’s executive director. “Many in our industry were disappointed in the Republican Party’s message on immigration, and we see Ron Saxton’s loss as a repudiation of fear-based politics.”

The nursery association supports a comprehensive solution that includes border security and enforcement, adjustment of status for undocumented workers with a significant record of employment in the United States and an effective guest-worker program.

The association is based in Wilsonville and has a membership of more than 1,500 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. The nursery and greenhouse industry is the state’s largest agricultural sector.