TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

A couple weeks ago The Californian ran an Associated Press story reporting on a bill in U.S. Congress that would make the voluntary e-verify system mandatory for all employers. Farming interests are predicting an ag labor disaster if the plan is implemented.

But I see three fundamental negative impacts that will create a train wreck of their own if we just carry on as we have been. By turning a blind eye or simply granting amnesty occasionally we will create a domestic farm worker underclass; we will continue to stifle creative innovation of fieldwork; and we will deal with the social turmoil we create with more entitlements.

What is e-verify? The Department of Homeland Security web site describes e-verify as an Internet-based system that allows a business, using information from an employee's Form I-9 and Social Security data, to determine the eligibility of an employee to work in the United States.

In other words, e-verify lets employers confirm that new employees are legally authorized to work in the United States. Farming interests think that means big trouble. I see it another way.

First, the consensus is that undocumented immigrants make up around 80 percent of the farm labor force. In Kern County 80 percent translates to something like 30,000 undocumented workers.

Everyone knows, or at least can imagine, that fieldwork is severe and demanding. Last year the United Farm Workers' initiated the "Take Our Jobs" campaign to entice American workers into the farm labor pool.

Of the 86,000 inquiries made, a mere 11 workers took jobs. Yes, fieldwork is grueling. Few can tolerate the conditions and compensation.

It seems like the response to this problematic set of circumstances is -- oh, well. But the status quo is bad for fieldworkers.

While our farmers are worried that the labor force is about to disappear, they acknowledge that the work is hard and the pay is low. Citizens apparently just won't do it. So we have all acquiesced to the conclusion that using undocumented workers is our only solution.

This is stunning to me. We believe farmers need field workers. It's very hard work with little reward. We are also convinced that only illegal immigrants will do the work. So we rationalize the existence of third-world communities among us. In fact, we have actively supported their perpetuation.

Requiring employers to use e-verify will break the momentum that has been building for the institutionalization of a farm worker underclass.

The second negative impact is that cheap labor stifles fieldwork innovation. There is high demand for labor in the fields, vineyards, orchards and processing facilities that abound in Kern County. When labor becomes cost prohibitive business will create new processes and equipment to replace expensive hand labor.

"Some work will always be done by hand," you may say, "like pruning vines or sorting produce." We only think that way because the hand labor is cheap. There is no impetus for progress because we happily embrace a class of people who are happily willing to fill this need for hand labor.

The technology for innovation may already be out there. High speed optical sorting and GPS guidance are two that come to mind. Their adaptation to manual farming tasks is only waiting for enough financial pressure on businesses to spark someone's creativity.

Requiring employers to use e-verify might be the catalyst for revolutionary change in farming processes.

Third, we will eventually establish a social class that is reliant on entitlements. The farmer's argument is that he must keep labor costs low. We understand and accept the farmer's business need. So as a society we have unwisely decided that we will accept an underclass of illegal immigrants to fill that need.

Yet we cringe at the unavoidable conclusion of those two premises. Families will be poor. They will live in inadequate housing and will not have adequate access to medical care. These are complaints we hear right now from farm labor advocates.

So the rest of us will provide refundable tax credits, Medicaid, food stamps and more even while we embrace the paradigm that perpetuates the cause of our concern and charity.

Requiring employers to use e-verify will go a long way toward mitigating the conditions that demand this social response.

We can't continue to encourage the growth of an underclass -- illegal immigrants -- that will always be available to work in the fields. We can't continue to stifle innovation and progress in agriculture by tolerating the exploitation of undocumented workers. And we can't just mollify the collective conscience by extending entitlements.

E-verify is an important component of a systematic response to our illegal immigration predicament. It will bring about better solutions for seasonal workers, innovative farm management and social stability. I hope Congress takes action now.

-- Ric Llewellyn is one of three community columnists whose work appears here every Saturday. These are the opinions of Llewellyn, not necessarily The Californian. You can email him at rllewellyn@bakersfield.com. Next week: Heather Ijames.