The legislature is considering a bill to extend minimum wage rules (and perhaps other regulations too) to agri. workers. Organizations which represent the interests of owners of agri. operations oppose the bill on the grounds that many owners\operators are running on such thin profit margins that they can not afford such requirements, Since agri. is such an important part of our local industrial base, do we all not have a vital interest in how the local agri. workforce lives or leaves? If the economics do not provide a life sustaining share for the hired workers, does not the rest of the community end up having to use tax money to help the workers stay alive? Is that not a subsidy to the owner\operators?