San Joaquin Valley farm and agri-related businesses rely on the services of, on average, about 200,000 hired workers. The December 1990 freeze and the drought have hurt many thousands of them, as well as their employers. The full extent of the freeze damage was not known immediately, but even after it became clear that workers as well as growers would be seriously affected, state and federal governments were slow to act. They have sometimes responded to obvious needs only after prodding by people concerned about the situation, such as Steve Sutter, UCCE, Fresno. Several sources of assistance are now in place, although funding limits, restrictions related to immigration status, and fear of jeopardizing legal status even when eligible for aid have kept most workers and their families from getting all the help they need.
One of the first steps taken was a hearing held by the Joint Legislative Rural Caucus on January 11, 1991, at the UC Kearney Agricultural Center. The caucus heard much testimony about crop damage and some about unemployment caused by the freeze.
The same day Governor Wilson declared a state of emergency in 17 counties, and a week later he wrote to President Bush requesting implementation of (1) disaster unemployment assistance (DUA), (2) emergency (expedited) food stamp distribution, and (3) emergency food distribution, as provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (DREAA). To aid employers, Small Business Administration and Farmers' Home Administration emergency loan as well as Internal Revenue Service casualty loss programs were requested. Not included in the Governor's request, according to Sutter, was activation of DREAA provisions for individual and family grants, legal services, crisis counseling assistance and training, community disaster loans, and temporary mortgage or rental payment assistance.
The governor appointed Donald R. Irwin as State Coordinating Officer and Governor's Authorized Representative, responsible for liaison with local authorities and with federal agencies (phone 916/427-4201). A Disaster Field Office was set up in the State Office of Emergency Services' Sacramento headquarters and a hotline established for callers to obtain information on freeze emergency programs (1-800-525-0321).
On February 11, President Bush declared a federal disaster in more than 30 California counties. Eleven days later, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service began shipping some kinds of food to hard-hit Tulare County. Disaster unemployment assistance benefits ranging from $40 to $190 per week, retroactive from December 23, 1990, were made available through August 17, 1991. Under current DUA/Unemployment Insurance rules, undocumented workers are not eligible for unemployment benefits.
Two bills were introduced into the State Assembly in mid-February to help unemployed workers. Assembly Member Rusty Areias' bill, AB 367, would amend the State Unemployment Insurance code to extend unemployment benefits an additional 26 weeks for workers laid off as a result of the freeze. AB 472 (Areias) would provide an additional supplemental grant of $50 per week to individuals receiving unemployment compensation because of certain natural disasters, as determined by the Employment Development Department.
Numerous public agencies, private organizations, and individuals have responded to the need for food assistance, but despite these efforts, the help received so far has fallen short. The California Department of Economic Opportunity announced an emergency intervention grant of $65,499 in March, primarily for food vouchers but also for utilities and rent assistance, to help eastern Fresno County families hurt by the freeze. Later the agency granted $123,000 to support 600 freeze-affected families. The USDA provided an additional $2 million in emergency food assistance in April. Farm organizations have also contributed to food relief, including a recent $8,000 grant from the Fresno County Farm Bureau. In Tulare County, a network of 42 food providers had distributed 1.13 million pounds of food by late March. But Curtis Lynn, UCCE County Director, reported that "At least three times more food is needed than is currently being received."
To date, the emergency food stamp program - which would provide help to people regardless of immigration status - has not been implemented in any county. Late in February, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Western Region, turned down a request from Tulare County to authorize emergency food stamps. The county appealed in late March but was denied again on April 25. Undaunted by its neighbor's experience, Fresno County applied for emergency food stamp relief on May 9.
The freeze also exacerbated the housing difficulties of many farm workers. Assembly Member Jim Costa introduced AB 481 in mid-February to reappropriate $525,000 of unexpended funds to repair freeze-related damage to temporary residential centers for migrant farm workers operated by the Department of Housing and Community Development. AB 707, by Assembly Member Bill Jones, would amend the Health and Safety Code to include mortgage or rental assistance for persons in danger of becoming homeless as a result of a natural disaster.
Steve Sutter, described as "one of the heroes of the freeze" by the Visalia Times-Delta, urgently requested the State Office of Emergency Services to ask for federal rental and mortgage assistance under Section 408(b) of the Stafford Act before the March 13 deadline. On March 13, the state asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for an extension so that it could poll agencies. The purpose was to learn what supplementary federal benefits of all types might be needed, including temporary rental or mortgage payment assistance.
Governor Wilson, while visiting Tulare County on March 26, said he would ask President Bush for additional federal relief, including emergency food stamps and rental and mortgage payment assistance. The rental and mortgage assistance report was sent to FEMA, and on April 17, the President approved FEMA housing assistance for freeze-affected families.
Because effects on immigration status of accepting aid have not been clear, many IRCA-legalizing workers and their families have hesitated to apply even for the assistance to which they were entitled. Not all fears were allayed by statements from government officials, such as a press release from the INS Commissioner, issued at the end of January in response to a request from Steve Sutter. The statement assured newly legalized aliens that accepting freeze-related relief assistance would not jeopardize their status. And in April, FEMA Regional Director (San Francisco) and Federal Coordinating Officer William Medigovich announced that "aliens will not jeopardize their applications for legal residency under the Amnesty program if they apply for or receive disaster assistance from FEMA."
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