Turnips and Rutabaga

What should we do about a person who breaks the law and freely admits to it? I have the name of such a criminal: Michael Mellano, 67, a flower grower of Oceanside, California. As reported by Associated Press, he estimates that 60 percent of his workers are illegal aliens, but he has hired them in contravention of the spirit of the l986 federal law. He says anything that makes it harder to find or keep workers threatens his business. Is this a good excuse to break the law?

I love flowers as much as anyone, more than many. But I don't find Mr. Mellano's business to be an essential industry, and certainly not above the law. What about those growers of food products who also use the Mellano excuse to hire illegals? Of course, it's all about money, and not so much the grower's finances, but the cost of fruits and veggies in the supermarket. Pampered Americans are grousing about how much more they'll have to pay if growers increase wages to attract American workers.

I have listened to the specious argument that farm work is something "Americans won't do." It's time that those who are concerned about their food budgets encourage lawmakers to cut back "entitlements" so that able-bodied recipients are forced to work instead of collecting benefits for doing nothing. And if consumers don't want to pay a few dollars more at the supermarket, they might plant their own gardens. Actually, if nobody patronizes the produce department, the prices will "magically" come down. That's called supply and demand and it's an integral part of the U.S. economy.