American Society of Civil Engineers did a report card on our infrastructure. We suck. So, whether or not the stimulus package works to stimulate the economy over the short term, our infrastructure is completely falling apart and we need about $2.2 trillion dollars of spending to fix it.
Alder at Vinography has a post today applauding the people whose long days of physical labor make wine possible for those of us who appreciate it and can afford it. He says
In the absence of a holiday celebrating wine itself, I cannot think of a better holiday for wine lovers to observe, given the pleasures we reap from countless hours of back-breaking work by mostly nameless, faceless workers.
I commend Alder for again bringing attention to a facet of the industry that goes largely undiscussed. So too, I appreciate his mention of Sonoma Vineyard Worker Services an organization which much like our own Salud! in the Willamette Valley, provides much needed services to vineyard workers.
However, I think, too, we should think about the bigger picture of what these workers represent from a social, political and (gasp!) class perspective. The people who do the most exhausting and risky physical labor in the US wine industry and for that matter the entire agricultural sector are migrant Mexicans and South Americans, often illegals, who without organizations above would not have access to basic health care or social services.
To my mind, when those who are largely responsible for bringing food and wine to our table have so much less than those for whom they bring the food and wine, a crisis is at hand. Those of us who consume these goods (nearly all of us), rely on the services that migrant agricultural laborers provide.
From the point of view of the consumer, and to a large part, even to those of us in the industry, the people who work the vineyards are “nameless and faceless”, as Alder says. I think we need to do more than just remember them. And I think we need to do more than contribute to the organizations that make up for all they lack. I believe we need to advocate for these people who, for the most part, cannot advocate for themselves.
Political visibility for migrant laborer was on the increase until political support fizzled earlier this year as we rolled into election season. I encourage each person to study this issue and think about it. To be sure, you should come to your own conclusions about what needs to be done, but don’t underestimate the importance of migrant labor to our economy or forget that the people have lives and families of their own and are as entitled to a life of dignity and security as much as those of us who were lucky to be born with both.
Perhaps the Communists did put fluoride in our water as a sinister plot to improve the teeth of America’s youth to the point that the decline in the dental service industry would bring the economy to it’s knees.
Just a thought.
Today’s labor statistics seem to indicate that despite the best efforts of the Bush Administration, the Economy is clawing its way back from the mire. Not as quickly as one would hope, or we were promised, but it’s better than nothing. Like MaxSpeak said today, “It’s a lot better than getting poked in the eye with a sharp stick.”
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