Just a day or two after Tyson Foods bought out full-page ads warning of a coming crisis in the food chain, do we have any sign that something is being done?
Well, Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have written the White House asking for an investigation. And, President Trump has suggested he will sign an executive order not allowing the meat plant to close.
I will tell you what I think should be done: If we need more field laborers because the coronavirus has left us short, then bring in more such laborers. If that means more migrants from Mexico, it means more migrants from Mexico.
If meat packing plants are being closed because the dominant part of their work forces are testing positive for COVID-19 and therefore can't work, bring in more workers. I would think these jobs pay well enough that we should be able to hire domestically, especially with so many people being unemployed. If you have to bring in short-term workers from out-of-state, do it. Some people in other states have had their jobs put on hold, and only need a fill-in job for a month or two. Pay them reduced wages so you can afford to also keep paying the workers sent home on leave. Bring the short-termers in for a month or so and then everybody goes back to their old jobs.
As for restaurant sales being down, and since that means farmers' crops are not being bought as much, and they, therefore, are being forced to dump their crops -- what do we do? Reopening the restaurants should be considered. If we don't do that, then have the government buy the farmers' excess crops and store them for the day later this year when the market opens up. We've had a couple massive stimulus bills; Did this somehow not get included?
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