Pubdate: Fri, 20 Mar 2015 Source: Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Copyright: 2015 Sun-Sentinel Company Website: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/159 Author: Jac VerSteeg Page: A17 WORTHLESS CANKER PROGRAM SHOULD PAY OFF IN MARIJUANA Florida'=C2=80=C2=99s citrus canker eradication program has been screwed up from beginning to end. Well, almost the end. A jury this month awarded Palm Beach County's homeowners roughly $16 million for trees cut down in an attempt to protect the state's citrus industry. Broward homeowners who lost their backyard trees stand to collect more millions from a previous jury verdict. If the settlement ever is paid, it will be wasted money paid on top of the $1 billion wasted during the failed effort, which the state gave up in 2006. Why wasted? Because the homeowners who will collect suffered no serious harm. They lost a few backyard fruit trees. So what? The state was trying to preserve a crucial economic component - and resistance from homeowners who delayed the program probably helped make the overall effort fail. While the homeowners had every right to take a stand on principle,this was a time when they should have chosen not to on the principle that sometimes individuals have to suck it up for the greater good. 'Principled plaintiff' sounds good. But attributes that frequently overlap don't sound so hot. 'Self-righteous plaintiff.' 'Whiny plaintiff.' Just because you can sue and win doesn't mean you should sue and win. Who cares about Big Agriculture? I do. When Big Agriculture can't grow fruit and vegetables any more, we all know what happens: The land gets sold off for development. There might not be a straight line between the canker lawsuits and creeping development in the Agriculture Reserve Area, but they demonstrate related attitudes. And all those folks correctly protesting the proposed massive development of Minto West should remember that it wouldn't be happening if Callery Judge Grove had been able to remain a profitable business. The threat of citrus canker hastened Callery Judge's demise. But all those ag jobs are bad jobs, right? It's so much better when people can work instead at all the minimum-wage service jobs big developments bring. And aren't we all glad that those millions of dollars will go to those principled, self-righteous, whiny plaintiffs instead of for other Florida priorities like education? Yes, the state's effort failed. But in this case the state's intentions were good. (And don't bother reminding me that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. So is the road to heaven.) I suppose the successful plaintiffs also think their intentions are good. I think they're petty. So I am not at all sorry that it appears the plaintiffs will have to jump through several more hoops before they can get paid. The state might decide to appeal the verdicts. And it might be hard to finally pry the money out of the Legislature, if that's required. Instead of giving the successful plaintiffs a few bucks for trees that weren't worth anything anyway - most of them already were or would have been infected with canker - why not give them something potentially more valuable that would help bolster a new agricultural industry? The Legislature should pay them nothing but give all those plaintiffs the right to grow medical marijuana - say five or 10 plants for every citrus tree the state took. Further, give them the right to keep some of their new produce for personal use - just like they would have used the few oranges or grapefruits they could have harvested from their backyard groves. Those who don't wish to grow the marijuana themselves or have moved to another state or to a location where microagriculture is impossible should be granted a pot 'allotment' similar to the rules that used to govern tobacco cultivation. They would be free to sell the allotment for cash, and surely would realize a greater gain than they would have harvested from the jury award. Of course the law firms that represented the plaintiffs also would have to be granted an allotment. This solution would bring the whole sorry mess of the canker-eradication program to a happier conclusion than currently is in prospect. The state wouldn't have to shell out a lot of money, the plaintiffs would be justly compensated and patients who could benefit from medical marijuana would find relief. Jac Wilder VerSteeg has covered regional, state and national issues for three decades. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt