Is Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota) a liar? (fruit, vegetable prices would double!)

I'm pretty sure that Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota) is a liar, but we won't know for sure until the "worst" happens:

Consumers could see the price of fruits and vegetables double if the nation does not address a looming farm labor shortage in the wake of tightening immigration enforcement, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said [collinpeterson.house.gov].

Peterson, D-Minn., told producers attending the Kansas State Fair this weekend that the agriculture committee will focus on the immigration issue as it strives to do its part to make sure there is adequate labor. He said some crops will not be harvested this year unless something is done...

If the price of lettuce shot up, fewer people would buy lettuce. It's not like it's an essential part of our diet. Other, less serf-labor-intensive crops would take its place. And, foreign producers would see an opportunity and start shipping their product to the U.S. Likewise for all the other types of fruits and vegetables that would be affected.

Other than normal inflation, I think it would be extraordinarily difficult for those prices to double, and I suggest that all those who would vote for him remember that he's willing to lie to support corrupt businesses.

11/10/09 UPDATE: I should have linked to this academic study showing how little fruit/vegetable prices would rise without illegal immigration.

Other tags: immigration agriculture

Immigration2007b · Tue, 09/11/2007 - 09:25 · · Importance: 4

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