Last night, I was reading the CMAA monthly publication and two things on this legislative update stuck out as positives. One, the H-2B visa program seems to be on track to be expanded and hopefully carries into 2018 and beyond. It's important to understand that the H-2B visa program is not an immigration issue. Rather, it's a employee need issue for areas of the country that lack the labor pool for various jobs. These individuals are paid a fair wage, that is set by the government and often times, a higher hourly rate than you would pay a local person. To qualify for these visas, we must as an employer, prove that we sought local help to no avail. The federal government watches the program closely to be sure it isn't being abused.
Second, President Trump plans to sign an executive order to rescind or revise WOTUS- Waters of the US. This legislation that started under the Obama administration would essentially put every single body of water (including Club Lake) under federal control. This was a nightmare in the making that could have meant applying for a federal permit if we were to make a fungicide or fertilizer application within a certain distance from water. I believe the intentions were good, but in practicality, it would have been one big disaster. When WOTUS was first written, there was so much legal jargon involved, even many lawyers had a hard time interpreting what it all meant and what constituted a water body that would fall under it's control. After reading a portion of it, I believe I understood no more than a dozen words in the bill. This lead to it being held up in committee and ultimately a new presidential election.
