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Americans consumed on average 653 pounds of dairy products per person in 2019, according to the USDA Economic Research Service.

Its good to know Im above average, I guess? Everyone has an entire shelf for their cheeses in the fridge, right?

Americans like their cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream. And with the innovation currently underway in the dairy industry for new food products and new ways to use dairy as a food ingredient, the U.S. dairy industry is poised to grow, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

But we need a steady and reliable source of labor if its going to grow to meet the potential thats there.

In 2014, the National Milk Producers Federation commissioned a survey from Texas AgriLife Research at Texas A&M University, The Economic Impacts of Immigrant Labor on U.S. Dairy Farms. It found that immigrant labor makes up 51% of all dairy labor, and dairies that employ immigrant labor produce 79% of the total U.S. milk supply.

The survey also found that if the U.S. dairy industry lost its foreign-born workforce, it would nearly double the retail milk price and cost the total U.S. economy more than $32 billion and 208,208 jobs.

About 64% of those losses would occur in input supply sectors and services provided to U.S. dairy farms.

Imagine what the price of feed grains would do with fewer farms and fewer cows on the board.

The issue of labor and immigration reform came up while I was talking with American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall on his recent trip to Kansas. He says labor is the biggest limiting factor for American agriculture. He hears from members who want to bring the next generation back to the family farm and expand, but they cant do so because theres a limited labor supply.

The NMPF agrees, and says now is the time for real reform in farm labor.

In an April 5 opinion editorial, NMPF CEO Jim Mulhern writes, Farmers and their workforce have proven time and again in the past year that they can rise to substantial challenges. Its time for Congress to do the same. If the pandemic showed anything, its that most of the milk in this country comes from farms that employ immigrant labor, he continues. These workers, many of whom are undocumented, kept food production going during the pandemic, he writes.

Its time we bring them out of the shadows and give them the legal recognition that they deserve, Mulhern writes.

A big first step happened in March when the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, the only piece of ag labor legislation to pass that chamber in the past 35 years, according to NMPF. It doesnt go nearly far enough, but at least it was passed, and with the help of 30 Republicans.

And yet without the support of the Farm Bureau, which said there were flaws in the bill that the organization hopes are ironed out as the U.S. Senate debates it.

Ok, its not a perfect bill, but its a start and one weve waited 35 years to have. We all agree that fixing the broken ag labor system is critical to our competitiveness on the global stage, just not on how we accomplish that.

Mulhern has a good point. Throwing out a compromise legislation to hold out for a better deal does no one any good. No legislation is going to be perfect, but we need some movement on this issue.

Its important for Kansas dairy farmers, and those communities that rely on them as economic boosters. Its important for the growing dairy processing sector in our state.

And, its important for my little cheese habit.

The National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association contributed to this opinion piece.

Read more:
Dairies need progress on ag labor reform - Farm Progress

By one measure, the Coachella Valley is even more politically polarized than California as a whole.

Last year, Joe Biden won over 70% of the vote in three cities here: Coachella, Palm Springs and Cathedral City. That outstrips the 63% he got statewide.

Meanwhile, then-President Donald Trump won just one city in the valley, Indian Wells. He got a hair under 60% there, close to double his 34% across California, according to data compiled by The Press-Enterprise.

You probably know some people coworkers, maybe even family who voted the other way and see a lot of things differently.

But do you ever talk to them about why?

Or do you just stick to the weather, either because you dont want to bother or because youve gotten sick of hitting a brick wall?

#ListenFirst: New virtual event kicks off annual National Week of Conversation

In an effort to bridge that divide through conversation instead of avoidance The Desert Sun and other newspapers in the USA TODAY Network are partnering with the group behind an event called America Talks.

The idea is simple: You answer a few questions about your politics, youre matched up with someone who answereddifferently, then the two of you talk.

The conversations happen next weekend, June 12 and 13.

Pearce Godwin, founder and CEO of the Listen First Project, explained the thinking to USA TODAY: Its easy to sit back and point fingers, to lose hope. What if instead we stepped forward and got real with each other, extending curiosity, good will and grace?

If you sign up as I did at the projects website, AmericaTalks.us, it asks whether you approve of the job Biden is doing as president. From there, it asks about your views on gun control, the minimum wage, immigration, marijuana and whether freedoms of speech and religion are threatened.

After you write brief answers to a couple more questions, it will take all that and match you up with someone to talk with next week.

It might be easier to talk to a stranger about thorny topics than to a friend or relative. Think of it as a warm-up.

Now, its understandable if right about now, youre thinking, I have no interest in speaking with someone who voted for the other guy.

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as President?

But that carries on a vicious circle:Politics is so polarized that people dont talk in any real way, which makes politics more polarized, which...

And the pattern makes you think the worst of people who don't think like you. Someone who doesnt share your view of immigration reform is an inhumane monster. A person who supports government spending you dont is an anti-American socialist.

Sure, in theory, people dont think that way: Godwin cited research showing 79% of Americans believe creating opportunities for conversation among people with differing views and values would be effective to bridge divisions, and two-thirds think the differences between Americans are not so big that we cannot come together.

Answering a survey with such idealism is one thing. But how many of us behave that way?

Talking with someone on the other side of the chasm doesnt mean youre going to decide theyre right. Thats not the point.

The point is to find ways not to assume the worst about our fellow Americans.That can start with a single conversation.

Eric Hartley is The Desert Sun's opinion editor. Email him at eric.hartley@desertsun.com.

Read or Share this story: https://www.desertsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2021/06/04/america-talks-bridge-political-divide-coachella-valley-across-us/7505069002/

Original post:
Column: Bridge the political divide in the valley, nationwide by talking to someone you don't agree with - Desert Sun

Priti Patel

Thom Brooks, The Independent

The latest net migration statistics published on 27 May are a much-delayed snapshot of England and Wales. The Office for National Statistics notes that new data from the year up to June 2019 should be viewed with some caution as Covid impacted its data collection.

Nonetheless, these new figures raise serious questions about the future plans for immigration reform announced by the government, led by Premier Boris Johnson, earlier this week.

The latest data shows drops in all areas from EU and non-EU citizens alike. Visits to England or Wales for work or study for three months to a year fell from 160,000 in June 2018 to 100,000 by June 2019. The only category where migration rose was in British citizens seeking work abroad. This doubled from 30,000 to 60,000 over the same period.

The picture being painted is clear. Most did not see England and Wales as a place welcoming global talent, with a greater number of citizens looking elsewhere for opportunities. The trend continues in estimates up to this spring, where work-related visas were down by over one third on last year, with more than two thirds due to falls in intra-company transfers.

While there should be some caution regarding these estimates, they show that in the run-up to 1 January 2020, those seeking work and study opportunities were looking elsewhere and this was before the pandemic arrived. It seems all but certain that this is the start of an unfortunate trend that the government may want to address urgently.

Since 2010, the Conservatives have made election manifesto promises to cut net migration to the tens of thousands. One regular criticism is that net migration has not, in fact, been higher than under the Tories. This highlights how their rhetoric does not match reality. Talking tough has not translated into results.

A second frequently raised concern is about the use of net migration for setting policy. Net migration counts all individuals entering or leaving over the year regardless of their nationality and mostly estimated using passenger data, making it more guesswork than science.

It has been noticeable for years that net migration would actually be higher if British citizens who are more likely to leave for abroad than return were discounted from the figures.

Earlier this week, home secretary Priti Patel vowed to strengthen the UKs digital border and introduce greater accuracy, avoiding hypothetical guesstimates of how much migration is actually happening. It is a shocking indictment that it has taken the Conservatives more than a decade to finally commit the government to getting a more accurate count, although no such system will be in place until 2025.

Paradoxically, the Tories have said they will not make any promises on migration reductions as they strive towards better accounting. This comes after making promises to cut numbers when the figures were known to be problematic for policy making.

This move towards improved accuracy is a part of Patels new plan for immigration, which sets out how she will fix the broken immigration system that her government has overseen for 11 years. While Patel wont say whether the new plan would lead to more or less immigration, it is clear she wants to position these plans as radical and positive changes. But in short, does it matter?

Her plans include a much-heralded points-based system. What Patel leaves out is that the new system was actually already in place since 2008, when launched by New Labour. Patels plans mean that the already complex and confusing system will be changing for the worse.

Given that the system was already in place for non-EU citizens in 2019, these changes do not appear likely to encourage global talent to work in the UK.

See the article here:
Patel's immigration reform is a confusing mess - Gulf Today

By Rogette Harris

Only 28 percent of registered Dauphin County voters participated in the May 18, 2021, election. Did the other 72 percent choose not to participate, or did they not realize an election took place? I would argue its a mix of the two, which is unfortunate since the political world looks incredibly bleak these days.

We dont always get the government we want, but we do get the government we deserve if we do not participate.

I acknowledge Im a politico, but even I admit government/elections is like a soap opera. With a soap opera, you can stop watching, pick up the same show years later and you can catch the storyline within a couple of episodes since the writers recycle the same plot. Its the same with government and our elected officials. After all these years, we are still waiting on commonsense immigration reform, a raise in the minimum wage, higher paying jobs, ending systematic racism, gender equality, making debt-free college a reality, securing universal health care, real action on climate change, curbing crime and a host of other challenges that confront our country that require immediate attention.

So, whether you voted in the primary election on May 18th, why vote for the general election on Nov. 2 when it seems like nothing is being accomplished?

Ill tell you why. You vote because every election matters and the candidates that win will matter. You vote because elections are more than just about your individual representatives in Washington, governor or who is president. Who you choose on Nov. 2nd to lead your local and county governments whether as our county judge, township supervisor or commissioner, mayor, city council member, or even school board member will have a serious direct impact on your life, your loved ones and your community.

The people who win this year will more directly impact your lives and affect your wallets even more than who wins the U.S. Senate and governor races next year!

Voting does matter and has a lasting impact on all our lives. Take for instance the four statewide judicial candidates on the ballot this year. Whoever gets elected on Nov. 2 will almost surely serve for life. And if anything has been proven this past year, the courts are our democracys last line of defense against ill-willed policies and legislation. When voters dont turn out to vote, they receive a government that doesnt represent them.

Consider all the uproar and protests against police officers shooting and ultimately killing unarmed black men and women. Community groups and activists continue to loudly protest and complain about police and community relationships, the lack of accountability in police departments and lack of reform in our criminal justice system.

A lot of these local governments and police departments arent responding to these community requests and needs. One could argue its because the majority of the community didnt vote to represent their needs.

Answer these questions: Who hires the police officers? The police chief.

Who hires the police chief? The mayor.

Who hires the mayor? Who elects the council? The answer is clear the voters.

Its easy to forget that local elections matterfrankly, its easy to forget that local elections even happen. But there is no such thing as an off year election. The news may not cover local/county elections as much, and we arent constantly bombarded with negative political ads (this is a good thing!). The chances of any of our local or county candidates being portrayed by Tina Fey, or Alec Baldwin on SNL is pretty much non-existent. However, if you want the potholes on the street in front of your house fixed, concerns about your property taxes, childs education and/or your trash picked up youd better start voting in these local elections

Voting for county and local officials has very real consequences. Congress and Harrisburg may be as unproductive as ever, but the health and prosperity of our communities isnt determined solely by them. Every eligible and registered voter must turn out to vote on Nov. 2, and every election day for the community to be respected and represented. Let your VOTE be your VOICE on Nov. 2!

Rogette Harris is a political analyst and was the Democratic pundit on PennLives Battleground PA.

Read more here:
Unfinished business. Did you know an election just happened? | Opinion - pennlive.com

President Biden has proposed sweeping changes to U.S. immigration law, contained in the pending U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. This piece of proposed legislation, as introduced into Congress by the bills lead sponsors, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), contains several measures which would provide a boost to immigrants and employers aiming to expand their worker pool. However, the legislation would also ramp up enforcement efforts on the part of federal immigration officials meaning that employers should consider preparing now for increased risks and compliance challenges. What should you know about this proposal?

Overview of Proposed Legislation

The bill contains numerous provisions that would be helpful for immigrants and employers, including:

While many of these provisions are indeed very friendly to immigrants and companies seeking to employ foreign national workers, there are risks for employers contained in this proposed bill as well. Indeed, the usual horse trade when Democrats propose immigration reform with many immigrant-friendly provisions (i.e., the carrot) is that they offer some pro-enforcement provisions in an attempt to attract support from the other side of the political aisle, such as increasing worksite enforcement and audits (i.e., the stick).

Potential Risks to Employers

If the bill passes, employers will have more incentives to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws, specifically with respect to enforcement actions by ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement).

Employment Authorization Changes

Title 5 of the proposed U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 is entitled Employment Authorization and Protecting Workers from Exploitation, which envisions the establishment of a Commission on Employment Authorization. This group would consist of presidential and congressional appointees who would be charged with examining the current processes for employment authorization and proposing possible changes. The goal of the commission is to respect the rights of employment-authorized individuals to work in the United States, and to protect workers rights to be free from race and national-origin discrimination.

Employment Verification Once Again Up for Debate

Under Section 5101 of the proposed law, a commission would be established to make policy recommendations regarding employment-verification systems. The goal: to ensure employees are not incorrectly deemed ineligible for employment based on false positives, nor subject to discrimination based on race or national origin. The commission would also review the error rates for E-Verify and its impacts on various groups by national origin, race, gender, and socioeconomic background. At the end of the process, the government would be required to determine which recommendations are most likely to improve existing employment verification systems, keeping in mind whether such recommendations are feasible within existing budget restraints.

The net result of this activity certainly could involve an increase of employer compliance obligations under both E-Verify and I-9 employment eligibility verification processes. There are also provisions in the proposed legislation that would penalize employers who misuse E-Verify in ways that discriminate based on national origin or citizenship, deny employee benefits, allow unauthorized access to E-Verify data, or use an employment authorization verification system other than E-Verify.

Ramped-Up Penalties

Title 5 of the bill contains a provision which states that if an agency finds that an employer has engaged in civil violations of federal, state, or local labor laws regarding wages and hours, labor relations, family and medical leave, occupational health and safety, civil rights or nondiscrimination regarding an unauthorized worker, the employer would be subject to an additional civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each unauthorized noncitizen worker to whom the violation occurred. This fine is separate and apart from any penalties imposed by governmental agencies for violation of the underlying statutes themselves.

Additional Provisions

Some additional provisions of the proposed legislation would aim to refresh the current immigration system in many respects.

Visa Eligibility

Another provision would expand the eligibility of U visas for those who assist with immigration-related compliance and enforcement activities. According to the USCIS, the U nonimmigrant status (U visa) is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. U visa eligibility would be expanded to include workers that have been subject to serious abuse by employers, or that have, are, or will be helpful to authorities investigating, prosecuting, or seeking civil remedies for a labor or employment violation arising from workplace claims.

In addition, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would allow an individual to remain in the U.S., delay a removal, and grant such an individual work authorization if this person has filed for a U visa, has filed a claim, or is a material witness to a workplace claim and has, is or will be helpful during the investigation. In situations where the DHS conducts an enforcement action where a workplace claim has been filed or based on information provided in retaliation against employees regarding a claim, the DHS will stay the removal of any detained noncitizens until the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the violations/criminal activity has been notified and the agency has had the chance to interview the individual.

Another provision would allow immigrants in the United States on temporary work visas to assert citizenship status discrimination. This is a change from the current law, which only allows U.S. Citizens, Green Card holders, and some asylees or refugees to make such claims. The proposed law would also grant enforcement jurisdiction to the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division within the Department of Justice, which would remain removing this authority from where it currently resides, with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Temporary Limitations

One other provision (which is not related to worksite enforcement or penalties per se) would allow the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish procedures for temporarily limiting employment-based immigrants from entering the country and/or applying for Green Cards in geographic areas or labor market sectors that are experiencing high levels of unemployment. How this provision could be utilized, or potentially abused, is quite unclear, especially since what is meant by high levels of unemployment is not defined in the bill.

Conclusion

We will continue to monitor this bill as it makes its way through Congress.Now is a good time to make sure your internal processes and procedures do not pose potential discrimination claims, and that their I-9s are in good shape. Yourattorney can guide you through these compliance challenges before ICE ramps up its enforcement efforts.

Read the original:
The Slippery Road Toward Immigration Reform Under President Biden: Beware of ICE! - JD Supra