To the editor:
I’m a worrier, and since Trump took office, I’m hard at it! I worry about our Leelanau farms. I’m a local foodie, but climate change presents challenges like drought, abnormal temperature swings, lack of pollinators, and new insect pests. The Trump administration denies the science around climate change and has defunded critical research. Fruit growers now face the additional challenge of finding seasonal workers that they depend upon. Trump’s harsh immigration policies are forcing migrant workers to either go into hiding or not come at all. It’s expensive for growers to hire through the H-2A program, and farmers rely on foreign labor. As an orchard technician for the NW Michigan Horticultural Research Station, I’ve witnessed their harvesting skills. Few locals could match them.
Leelanau is the richest county in Michigan, but we know the county has any many families struggling to get by. U.S. House Republicans recently passed a budget framework that calls for $2 trillion in cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and other critical programs alongside trillions in tax cuts for the richest people who’ve ever lived. How will these families survive? There’s only so much that churches and organizations like Leelanau Christian Neighbors can provide. Seniors like me also worry about loss of senior services.
I don’t think Americans voted for cruelty in the last election; they hoped (baselessly) for change to make their lives better. DOGE has no legal authority to cut programs and fire workers. Congress does. Let your Senators and Representatives know how you feel.
Alison Heins Elmwood Township Editor’s note: This letter was submitted before deadline 3/6, prior to enactment of our “local only” letters policy.
