A Ban on Leaf Blowers?

While I sympathize with John B. Hart (June 26, Letters to the Editor) regarding pollution from leaf blowers, I don’t think he realizes he is talking about two of the most important factors in a gardener’s livelihood: daylight and time. Gardeners don’t get paid for houses they never get to because of lack of time or sunlight.

Cleanup and removal of lawn clippings from driveways and sidewalks is one of the most time-consuming tasks in gardening. When I helped my father on his gardening route in the ‘70s and ‘80s, we used a hose and nozzle to wash away the dirt and grass clippings. With the coming of the drought years, that option is no longer available.

While it would be easy for people like Mr. Hart to tell gardeners to use a broom, a ban on leaf blowers would make an already dirty, strenuous and low-paying job all the more difficult. It could also push a class of workers--already on the margins in terms of making it financially--into poverty.

The environment is an important issue, but so is the economic survival of people who do their work with little fanfare, acknowledgment or financial reward.

JEFF MATSUDA, Culver City