Inslee's Apple Gaffe
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. While most of the smoke has cleared from the September wildfires, one lingering gaffe is still being talked about.
That’s when Governor Jay Inslee took maggot-infested apples from his backyard in Olympia as a “gift” to the fire-ravaged Eastern Washington town of Malden.
U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse …
NEWHOUSE … “I’ve actually spoken to the Governor about this and I told him that I thought this presents a great opportunity to help everybody understand what’s at stake here and why we all need to be responsible when it comes to transporting home-grown fruit into apple-growing regions.”
A forgiving Newhouse believes his heart was in the right place …
NEWHOUSE … “Because I am certain the Governor had no intent of causing a problem. I’m positive of that. In fact, his whole staff, nobody thought about the danger that they were posing in this innocent act. And, I think what was intended to be a gesture of goodwill and help to people by bring apples. You know, what could be a better gift.”
But, Newhouse says those “apple maggot quarantine” highway signs are there for a reason …
NEWHOUSE … “That’s the reason for my suggestion to the Governor, to help people understand that and instead of lemonade out of lemons, let’s make apple cider out of apples here and use it as an educational opportunity in a positive way so that we can all help preserve our important, iconic apple industry.”
Newhouse says Inslee often wears a Washington Apple Commission lapel pin, so I know he’s aware of the important role the apple industry plays in our state’s economy, history and culture.
