Who is the real racist?
A few landscapers have tried to make the case that to oppose gas-powered leaf blowers is somehow tantamount to discriminating against Latino garden workers. Actually, it’s the landscape companies that are discriminating against their workers by ignoring the health dangers of the continual use of gas-powered leaf blowers. Their workers are the most at risk.
The workers are blowing dust, pollen, pesticide residue, animal feces, and noxious gas emissions into the air and they are closest to the pollution. Their lungs and respiratory systems are on the front lines of health hazards from these machines. Those of us who oppose the use of gas-powered leaf blowers are promoting the health of all landscape workers.
Cesar Chavez extended the grape boycott because farm workers were exposed to pesticides. No one accused Chavez of discrimination because he valued the health of the farm workers over the profits of the farm owners. This is a similar situation. The profits of the landscape company owners are deemed more important than the health of the workers, and the owners have deflected their culpability by accusing those working for better environmental and health conditions as being against the workers. What chutzpah!
That’s what Sonoma CALM, the citizens who want to uphold the Sonoma City Council’s ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, want to do, create a better environment for the workers, residents, and visitors. The sooner the workers, and Sonomans who have been hoodwinked by a false argument, realize who is really slighting workers, the better it will be for the health of everyone in Sonoma.
Vote YES in November to uphold the ordinance banning gas-powered leaf blowers!
Georgia Kelly, Sonoma
4 thoughts on “Who is the real racist?”
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Spot on. As always, it comes down to the $$$. We have spoken with numerous owners of landscape companies and they all claim their bottom line will suffer. NOT true. We have affidavits from towns that have bans/restrictions, residents and several landscapers that this is a falsehood. Unfortunately perception often trumps reality. Many workers are undocumented and are fearful to question or speak out. Owners often look at them as a disposal work force. They are an abused workforce that suffers from lung problems, hearing loss, carpel tunnel , vibration sickness as well as many other side effects. All this so some grass clippings and debris can be pushed from one area to another week after week. A futile and useless pursuit. Today commercial grade battery equipment is available so there is NO excuse to subject workers, residents, children and pets to four of the World Health Organizations top 10 carcinogens spewed by GLB exhaust. Benzene, 1-3 butadiene, toluene and formaldehyde. The risks vs. the benefits speak for themselves.
Those of us in Newton MA who have been battling for an ordinance to limit the use of gas leaf blowers welcome the fine letter from Sonoma CALM in support of the ban on gas leaf blowers. But there’s one caveat, especially to the Huntington CALM comment: electric blowers are quieter and free us from gas engine exhaust, but they still blow toxic dust around, so even if they blow less because less powerful, they still shouldn’t be used at all. Hand rakes and brooms or electric sweepers for large hard surfaces need to replace all blowers. Only that will make a real difference to the damage to health that the workers suffer most.
What got me started with CALM, was an incident I witnessed at my neighbor’s. His landscaper had brought his 12 year old son with him to work. At first I heard the loud and constant noise of a hedge trimmer. After about an hour this stopped and a gas powered leaf blower started up. I looked over and the landscaper had strapped a huge gas powered leaf blower on the back of the child. The child was tipping over under the weight, the landscaper held the child up and pointed him around to blow the cuttings from the hedge trimming around on the drive way. Neither had eye, ear or breathing protection of any kind. The city of Sonoma banning gas powered leaf blowers will go a long way in starting a dialog and hopefully educate and spread the word to the rest of the county, that they are not needed and harmful. This letter is a great start, thank you Sun for publishing it.
I believe Georgia Kelly’s letter to editor about leaf blowers made some good points concerning her health concerns for leaf blower operators I would like to chime in since I have been a gardener here for 30 years. I do own an electric
leaf blower in my business and I use it very sparingly for hard to clean areas. Mostly I just a rake and a broom.
I think all of her health concerns for leaf blower operators could be resolved by the operator using a mask to protect
him/herself in the same way painters use masks to protect themselves.
I do not agree with Ms Kelly’s inference that Cesar Chavez would support a ban on leaf blowers to protect the health of
leaf blower users.. She uses his name to suggest that leaf blower use is as dangerous as pesticide use on grapes.. In my opinion
nothing could be further from the truth and obviously Ms Kelly does not grasp how incredibly toxic organophosphates that Cesar Chavez laid his life on the line in protest against are……Pesticides like parathion, malathion, methyl parathion and diazinon cause
human nerve damage, brain damage and fetus damage when ingested or breathed in.
There is a time and place for electric leaf blowers in the landscape industry and if landscape companies want to maintain a reputation of getting the job done and
cleaned up within reasonable time constraints and monetary concerns, then definately the modern electric leaf blower has a place. I
personally enjoy using a rake and broom as well in many situations but I also enjoy using the leaf blower in hard to clean spots….
So lets get real Georgia Kelly…… You know and I know that leaf blowers are not toxic organophosphate pesticides that cause
brain damage and fetus damage. Yes, they are obnoxious as hell, loud and overused, but in my opinion, limited use should be allowed for
those tough to clean spots in many landscapes….