Deukmejian Accuses Chavez, Backers of ‘Irresponsible’ Charges on Grapes

Gov. George Deukmejian on Saturday accused farm labor leader Cesar Chavez and his celebrity supporters of making “false and irresponsible” charges that pesticides used on California table grapes pose a health hazard to consumers, field workers and the environment.

“It is unfair and irresponsible for a handful of political and entertainment celebrities to malign the solid international reputation of our farm products, when they have absolutely no evidence to back up their outrageous charges,” the governor said during his weekly radio address.

In remarks that included some unusually tough language for him, Deukmejian added, “I want to assure consumers that California grapes are safe and wholesome, and that the charges made by the boycott sponsors are false and irresponsible.”

Chavez, who heads the United Farm Workers, last week ended a 36-day water-only fast to protest the use of pesticides on grapes. He ended the fast by accepting a piece of bread from Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson and a group of Hollywood entertainers also were on hand. Jackson, and actors Martin Sheen and Robert Blake, said they would fast for three days to support Chavez’ charge that grapes are contaminated by excessively high levels of pesticide residues. In recent weeks, boycott supporters have picketed selected supermarkets.

Deukmejian said over 1,000 samples of table grapes have been analyzed by the state Department of Agriculture since 1980 and “not one has been found to contain unsafe levels of pesticide residue.” California “has the toughest pesticide regulatory program in the nation with an annual budget exceeding $30 million,” the governor added.

Asked for comment on Deukmejian’s radio speech, a UFW spokesperson, Chris Hartmire, said: “The governor was elected with millions of dollars from agribusiness. He always has been a spokesperson for agribusiness.

“But the grape growers really must be feeling the pressure of the boycott or the governor would not be stooping to doing free radio ads for them. It’s kind of sad for the governor of all the people to choose to use his air time on behalf of one wealthy and backward industry when the health of all Californians is at stake.”

‘Stand By What We Have Said’

Another UFW spokesperson, Lorena Parlee, replied in response to the governor’s charges: “We stand by what we have said. We don’t want to have to have a body count to prove it.”

Privately, Deukmejian and other Republicans in the state Capitol believe the Chavez-led grape boycott offers the GOP a golden opportunity to demonstrate to farm industry voters, who might be leaning toward Democratic presidential candidate Michael S. Dukakis, that the real friend of California agriculture is the Republican Party. They note that most Democratic elected officials in the Central Valley must walk a political tightrope between liberal causes and the agriculture industry and generally have not taken a strong stand on either side of the boycott.

This is not the first time that Deukmejian has criticized Chavez during a political campaign. In his 1982 and 1986 gubernatorial races, Deukmejian denounced Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley for nominating Chavez for the Nobel Prize in 1974.