Plow Deeper on reform

Palm Beach Post Editorial
 

Sunday, March 14, 2004

Last week, Gov. Bush proposed legislation that he believes will improve the lives of the state's migrant

farmworkers by targeting the "few wrongdoers" who are corrupting the agriculture industry.

While the governor's modest proposal will help to crack down on the crimes of middlemen, it falls far short of the

sweeping reform needed. No one can look at the shameful conditions in Florida's fields and groves and honestly

believe that just a "few wrongdoers" are responsible for so much abuse. The problem is systemic, and yet the

governor wants to tinker around the edges rather than call for the internal overhaul that would bring meaningful

change. His bill scarcely mentions the state's growers, who for decades have used their political clout to insulate

themselves from culpability. Until they become part of the solution, injustice will remain a way of life for farmworkers.

The governor's ideas to regulate contractors do offer small victories for reformers. The legislation would increase

penalties for violations from $1,000 to $2,500 and encourage enforcement of existing state and federal laws

-- with some offenders facing third-degree felonies. The Department of Business and Professional Regulation,

which this year has conducted numerous inspections of citrus contractors, would have new incentives and new tools.

Crew chiefs would have to better document workers' hours and wages. The state's farm operations have a history

of shorting workers on their pay.

House Bill 1307 also would expand disclosure requirements for pesticide use, a basic safeguard that advocates

have sought for years. Workers would find it easier to report violations, and the bill would reactivate a legislative

migrant labor commission. Another good provision is creation of a centralized Web site, perhaps similar to

California's progressive model, to track contractors and licensing.

Much of the governor's proposal, however, is short on specifics and precise definitions. He wants to increase

enforcement efforts but is vague on how that will happen. Contractors would face penalties for subjecting workers

to an "imminent threat," such as transporting them in unsafe vehicles. But what constitutes an imminent threat?

Middlemen have one idea, and workers' advocates another. Again, the growers don't have to have any idea.

The Palm Beach Post's recent series, "Modern-Day Slavery," exposed the deplorable conditions for Florida

farmworkers. Gov. Bush fails to deal with the system that fosters that injustice, or the politically connected power

brokers who run it. His plan would deter some offenses, punish others and make lives marginally better for

many migrants. For hardworking people who are essential to the state's second-largest industry, any reform is

preferable to abject indifference