As we have seen in part two of this series, the annual $900 million dollar juggernaut, which represents the economic contribution of the Yumafarmers to the State’s economy, is being sacrificed in the name of global commerce (i.e., NAU, CAFTA, CANAMEX).

Further, part two of this series also detailed how many of the Yumafarmers hold the belief that the State of Arizona is going to allow the general demise of the Yuma farmers because the State has covert designs on their water supplies. Through the failure of the State to limit the impending use of eminent domain proceedings by Union Pacific, the Yuma farmers will soon be out of the way and the State will be free to divert massive amounts of Yuma farm water to other development projects around the State particularly in Phoenix’s west valley developments of Douglas Ranch and to support the construction of the CANAMEX and its accompanying infrastructure which will lie along the Old Wickenburg Highway and Vulture Mine Road. Of course, those who are close to this operation claim “no harm, no foul” as the Yuma farm vegetables can easily be replaced by foreign vegetable growers. No harm, no foul? One might want to consider the outbreak of e Coli found in Mexican lettuce. One should also consider that the FDA is powerless to protect the American consumer from such outbreaks, because to do so, represents a material breach of NAFTA’s Chapter 11 which would view such intervention as an illegal restraint of free trade. In case the reader may view this last statement as over exaggeration, one should consider the $900 million dollars spent by California because of their stance on the fuel additive, MTBE. Although California prevailed in court, the citizens of California will be footing the bill for the legal expenses for years to come.    

With organizations, such as the Union Pacific Railroad, which commands the unilateral power of eminent domain, leading the point, the Global corporations gain right of way access for CANAMEX. Meanwhile, the State gains possession of new sources of water in support of their special interest benefactors who need the water in order to complete their development projects.

Loss of water and water rights are not the only concerns for Picacho Peak farmers. On November 29, 2006, the Pinal County Supervisors unanimously voted to revise their general plan by voting to allow industrial use at the base of Picacho Peak . The Pinal County Supervisors encouraged Union Pacific to purchase 1500 acres of land at the base of the peak in order to build a mega-railroad switching yard. This railroad yard will cover an area of over six miles long and three miles deep, along the I-10 corridor (Save the Peak, 2007). With their property rights under assault, the Picacho Peak farmers are also facing a greatly diminished life-style at the hands of the Union Pacific Railroad. When the railroad project is completed, diesel engines will idle 24 hours a day, seven days a week, producing diesel smells and pollutants.  As in Yuma , when engines idle, diesel residue will be deposited on surrounding plant life and crops, thus, destroying the vegetation and animals that depend on the plant life to live. Further, railroad cars will bang into each other 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Yuma and Picacho Peak farmers will soon suffer a new type of anxiety associated with their collective uncertain economic futures. Soon, because of the sounds of this new public nuisance, which can be heard as far as 6 miles away, a good night’s sleep will soon be a thing of the past in Yuma and Picacho Peak .

 Are the events in Yuma and Picacho Peak the result of coincidence or conspiracy? Considering the fact that the Picacho Peak farmers share four commonalities with the Yumafarmers, the prospect of a statistical coincidence becomes less of a possibility with each community which is added to this list which shares a similar list of common variables. Consider the following: 

 (1) Both areas lie adjacent to a CANAMEX transportation corridor

 (2) Both areas are home to valuable, scarce and massive water resources.

 (3) Both areas are at risk for having their property rights victimized by the Union Pacific Railroad.

(4) As evidenced by the conspicuous silence of the Arizona State Legislature, the significant financial contributions of both areas appear to be expendable in pursuit of the larger agendas.  

In order to prevent this abuse, the Arizona legislature could simply amend its eminent domain laws to prevent Union Pacific from completing the private theft of private land. It is indeed a sad commentary to note that the State governments (e.g., Arizona and Texas ) are becoming accomplices to the planned land grabs by these global entities. Rather than protecting the interests of it citizens, the States seem willing to pick up the scraps associated with these soon-to-be widespread abuses associated with the emerging NAU and its ancillary features (e.g., CANAMEX, NASCO). 

                                   Reference

 Save the Peak. (2007). http://www.savethepeak.org/