Was FCSO Apple Reminder a PSA, or Clever Ribbing?
We are pretty sure the reason for this PSA from the Franklin County Sheriff's office is an example of taking advantage of a situation to make a good valid point to citizens.
Hard on the heels of the exploding story about Governor Inslee breaking state Ag Laws by handing out (gifting) crates of contaminated fruit from the west side in eastern WA, the FCSO ran this "Public Service Announcement" on their page Wednesday. It read in part:
"With apple harvest in full swing we thought we’d remind you all about a very dangerous pest that threatens the livelihoods of many people in Eastern Washington...
Most of Eastern Washington is free of the apple maggot however the western side of the state is not. By transporting home grown produce out of the quarantine areas of Western Washington you risk creating an infestation that could literally destroy entire orchards.
The thousands of acres of orchards in our area put food on tables across the world and create jobs for many members of our community. Please don’t risk this with carelessness."
But what caught our eye was the last sentence, and the fact that criminal is spelled in all caps:
"For more information on the apple maggot and the CRIMINAL PENALTIES for illegally transporting produce please visit: https://agr.wa.gov/applemaggot"
We realize it's just probably just to remind people of a law that some are still not aware of, even after years of being in place. But given the political and societal climate of our area during the COVID period, and the well known pushback from B-F Counties towards the state, we cannot help but 'wonder' if this is also a jab at the Governor, for breaking the Ag-Fruit Transport Quarantine law. They say, timing is everything.
Hmmm....gentle jab?
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