Letter: Ag workers have a hard time earning a living

I know that this is not politically correct, but it really seems funny that after all the heightened income that the farmers have had in the last few years, that the agricultural counties have double-digit unemployment.

Just look at Colusa County and all the agricultural counties in the state; they have lagged behind the rest of California. Farmers use laborers when they need them and lay them off when they don't, and then let the counties care for them until they need them again.

Then, they use our welfare system because they can't make a living on what the farmers pay them. I know: I tried that, and as soon as harvest was over, they let me go. This is why I found a job that was year-round. But a lot of people can't do this, so year after year, they're on the same treadmill. The farmers buy new pickups, build new homes, etc. Which is OK, but hard on laborers who never get any where. Look around; it's not the agriculturally-based counties that get ahead.

Look at the counties and towns in our area; the small towns are dying.

They can't even afford basic services and it is not going to get any better until we go after jobs in the non-agricultural kind that will give our workers year-round jobs.

Donald Lewis

Marysville