"Changes to child labor laws hurt farmers."

[OldGuy43]

Here in Texas we have a problem. How can the law decide what is industrial and what is agricultural? Seems easy, right? Not so!

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1530739/texas-longhorn-make-home-in-round-rock

What the blogger fails to mention is that by keeping those few head of livestock the property, for tax purposes is considered agricultural land and taxed at a much lower rate than if it were taxed as an industrial facility. That's right, there's a huge (I know, I worked there.) factory that makes electric motors, wind turbines, pumps, fans and provides contract engineering services, but it's all agricultural land because of half-a-dozen longhorns.

Crazy right? Any fool can see that it's a factory, but we aren't talking about just any fool. We're talking bureaucrats. How do you write a law that covers this without catching the little guy who has a small, well drilling business, or a little welding shop to supplement his farm/ranch income in the same trap? To quote the King of Siam, " 'Tis a puzzlement." One that, at least here in Texas we haven't found an answer to.

And yet, you would have me believe that somehow, magically the same "public servants" will find a way to not damage the small family-owned farms and get the big corporations who donate large amounts of money to political campaigns? Why do I find that hard to believe?

To quote Kay from Men-in-Black, "God, what a gullible breed."

 

[desertdarlene]

I'm all for protecting kids and I can see the point of this bill. But, so many rural teens make extra money working on their neighbor's farms and ranches. It's a tradition. Ever so slowly, the ability for teens to learn how to pay their own way and be independent is being taken away. Where I live, teens under 18 can't drive without an adult even if they pass all the required tests. When I was a teen, my brother and I both delivered newspapers as early as 12 years old. Now, you have to be 18 and have a car. I actually think it has to do with liability issues and people suing everyone for everything nowadays.

 

[OldGuy43]

Quote:
First, which side are you on?

Next, IMHO there comes a time when you quit "protecting" the kids. For example, around here we have 20 mph school speed zones around all schools. That includes high schools and colleges. You've made it to high school and you still don't know how to cross the street safely?

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Quote:
I agree with you there. A lot of parents today want to see their kids succeed, so they don't ever let their kids experience failure. Well, what happens when that kid is thrown into college or the workforce...?

 

[herfrds]

desertdarlene when was the last time you worked on farm?
i'm curious.

My 14yo DS drives tractor and hauls hay home and numerous other jobs around here and he gets paid too.
A good number of other kids in his class are also farm kids. they work on their parents farms and neighbors farms.

Just another stupid law introduced by those who know nothing about farming.

 

[Stephanie739]

Quote:
It will be prohibited for even the children of farmers to operate the machinery, i.e. this will be an illegal activity if the legislation is passed.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote:
In 58 years I've never seen such a thing happen, in any business or industry. It would be like handing a kid a bag of nuts and bolts and tell them to go tune up Big Ben...Ain't gonna happen. People in supervisory positions didn't get there by being reckless and careless with corporate money and equipment.
They wouldn't hand the keys of $500,000 tractor or combine to an unqualified adult, just because he had a driver's liscence, and say, Go harvest that field, let alone a 12 year old, so that theory doesn't wash.

I would say, it's more of an attempt and undermining the family farm.

Sorry to say you are dead wrong. Not only does the farm industry toss the keys to them an turn them loose but they also cut the seatbelts out an remove the roll bars. Thats how I learned an I still see it happening today. Farmers see tractors as harmless an dont respect the danger. Same with grain equipment...

I got no problem with having kids work on the farm. What I have a problem with is turning kids that are not old enough to be trusted with a car loose with or around other heavy machinery without supervision an lots of training.

Heavy equipment is heavy equipment.

Now if everyone left the safety equipment on there tractors an trained these teens to safely use them an to wear the seat belts this law would have never came up. Now I am not saying I am pro this law or any other but the politicians are not the ones that caused the law to come about. Us the farming community an our general lack of safety is the cause an holds the blame.

 

[Stephanie739]

Quote:
In 58 years I've never seen such a thing happen, in any business or industry. It would be like handing a kid a bag of nuts and bolts and tell them to go tune up Big Ben...Ain't gonna happen. People in supervisory positions didn't get there by being reckless and careless with corporate money and equipment.
They wouldn't hand the keys of $500,000 tractor or combine to an unqualified adult, just because he had a driver's liscence, and say, Go harvest that field, let alone a 12 year old, so that theory doesn't wash.

I would say, it's more of an attempt and undermining the family farm.

Sorry to say you are dead wrong. Not only does the farm industry toss the keys to them an turn them loose but they also cut the seatbelts out an remove the roll bars. Thats how I learned an I still see it happening today. Farmers see tractors as harmless an dont respect the danger. Same with grain equipment...

I got no problem with having kids work on the farm. What I have a problem with is turning kids that are not old enough to be trusted with a car loose with or around other heavy machinery without supervision an lots of training.

Heavy equipment is heavy equipment.

Now if everyone left the safety equipment on there tractors an trained these teens to safely use them an to wear the seat belts this law would have never came up. Now I am not saying I am pro this law or any other but the politicians are not the ones that caused the law to come about. Us the farming community an our general lack of safety is the cause an holds the blame.

The numerical facts do not justify the legislation. It is just another attempt to put the people under the ever increasing thumb of the government, and cause more people to possibility be involved in criminal activity, some without even realizing it. http://depts.washington.edu/trsafety/stats_research.php

 

[zzGypsy]

Quote:
that's a pretty broad generalization.
same generalization the law makes.
fortunately, the farmers I konw do not fit your generalization in either way.
unfortunately, the law affects them anyway.
it's not making *these*farmers* or these farm kids safer. it does, however prevent them from doing this work at all, even safely.

Now if everyone left the safety equipment on there tractors an trained these teens to safely use them an to wear the seat belts this law would have never came up. Now I am not saying I am pro this law or any other but the politicians are not the ones that caused the law to come about. Us the farming community an our general lack of safety is the cause an holds the blame.

totally beg to differ with you there.
the politicians ARE the ones who make the laws, we didn't write it, and we didn't vote on it.
it's the legislative branch of government.
not the legislative branch of the people.
there is a long tradition in the legislative process that when some few individuals behave badly, they rush right out and punish the uninvolved.​

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

The numerical facts do not justify the legislation.

If numbers had anything to do with law pot would be legal.​