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.
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MAP posted-by: Matt