The Yellow Canary seemed to be very concerned about housing for farmworkers in Santa Maria in its April 12 column (“Making it Worse“). Yes, we need the workers. Our experience in Lompoc is worth noting.
In the past year we have had two visits from Mexican workers who work in our fields. They come in nice, modern, shiny buses, about 40 per. Sometimes there are 12 buses loaded with young workers. They are housed in two motels in town while doing their field work for maybe four weeks. They shop in town and eat in the restaurants, and when done on their contract, get in the buses and leave town. So far I have not heard if there are any problems. Why can’t Santa Maria do the same?
As to the Lompoc City Council, the clear observation is that Jim Mosby, Dirk Starbuck, and Victor Vega are, as a team, doing everything they can to stupidly drive the venerable town of Lompoc into desperate times.
This article appears in Apr 26 – May 3, 2018.
