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| JANUARY 2002 |
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National
Master's Letter to President Bush Calls on the President to Support the National
Grange's "Blueprint for Rural America 2002"
As
President George Bush was preparing his Annual State of the Union Address this
year, he received some clear advice about the need to address important issues
facing family farmers and rural Americans from the leader of the nation's oldest
general farm and rural public interest organization. Kermit W. Richardson, Master
(president) of the National Grange, took the opportunity of the President's annual
address to the nation to renew the dialogue regarding agriculture and rural issues
that began a little over a year ago when, then President-elect bush met with the
leaders of the nation's major agriculture organizations. "It is a little over
a year since I had the honor of meeting with you on your Texas ranch at the dawn
of your new Administration to discuss important issues facing U.S. agriculture
and rural America," the Grange leader wrote. "As you prepare to deliver the State
of the Union address this year, I would like to continue that valuable dialogue
by reminding you of the many goals and objectives for the 21st Century that the
National Grange shares with your Administration. I urge you to speak out forcefully
about these issues in your Address and throughout the course of your Administration," Richardson said.
"The
National Grange," Richardson explained, "has developed a 10-point program, designed
to revitalize rural America and return U.S. agriculture to prosperity, known as
the "Blueprint for Rural America 2002". "Critical in the formation of this program"
he noted, " were the grassroots policy resolutions from the nearly 3200 local,
county and State Grange chapters across the nation." The ten separate issues that
Richardson presented to the President that constitute the National Grange's Blueprint
for Rural America 2002 are as follows: Address
The Financial Crisis Facing US Agriculture-U.S. agriculture is slowly recovering
from a financial crisis. A combination of low prices and weak demand in export
markets, as well as new challenges regarding contract agriculture and agribusiness
mergers hamper prosperity in the agricultural sector. In the wake of September
11, 2001, food security must be at the top of our national agenda. Addressing
these challenges will require reform of U.S. agricultural policy. The goal of
Federal farm policy must be to encourage increased participation in the agricultural
sector by the largest number of individuals and families through the broadest
practical distribution of agricultural production assets.
Reform The Federal Tax System To Preserve Family Farms And Rural Businesses-
Congress and the states should reform the tax system to preserve family farms
and small rural businesses. Within a decade, a majority of today's farmers will
be over 65 years old. For most farmers and small business owners, their farms
and businesses are their largest retirement assets. Current tax laws penalize
farm families and rural small businesses that seek to sell their property to other
families, to pass it on to their heirs through their estates or to preserve the
future use of their property in agriculture through the sale of development or
water rights. Tax laws also make it uneconomical for late career farmers to invest
in long term conservation measures. New tax policies regarding the transfer of
farm and small business assets are required to assure that our current generation
of family farmers and rural business owners are allowed to retire with dignity
and that the productive resources invested in rural America are transferred to
a new generation of family farmers and small business owners.
Enact Comprehensive Dairy Policy Reforms--Since 1985, the National Grange
has supported regional dairy programs. With the enactment of the Northeast Dairy
Compact, prices for milk in New England have been stable, consumers have benefited
from locally produced milk, and food assistance programs have been unaffected.
Congress should reauthorize the Northeast Dairy Compact, and authorize additional
regional dairy compacts. Congress should also authorize direct, permanent financial
assistance targeted at all moderate sized, family owned dairy operations during
times of low prices. At the same time, nationwide prices for manufacturing grades
of milk continue near or below the cost of production for most family dairy farmers.
Congress should raise the Federal dairy support price.
Improve the Quality of Rural Education--The National Grange supports public
education and rural public schools. In rural communities, the school is the focal
point for community pride. Congress and the states should provide increased funding
to strengthen rural public education. Additional funding is needed for Federally
mandated programs for special needs students as well as Headstart programs that
are effective for disadvantaged students. Full Federal funding for payment in
lieu of taxes for school districts in counties containing large Federal land holdings
must be preserved. Additionally, we must bring the Internet to every rural classroom.
Enhance Public
Safety in Rural Areas--Grange members cherish being free of crime and fear.
In the wake of September 11, 2001, homeland defense is on everyone's mind. However,
foreign terrorists are not our only security threat. Domestic terrorist groups
such as the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front blatantly use
fear and intimidation through the use of violence, through the destruction of
public and private property (often in rural communities), and through the cooperation
of ancillary propaganda networks to attempt to impose their radical agenda on
society. In addition, traditional crime is increasingly making its way to rural
communities. Urban gangs recruit members in rural areas. Drug dealers manufacture
drugs in rural locations and leave toxic wastes for private landowners to clean
up. Laws regarding the use of a firearm during the commission of a crime are not
adequately enforced. Rural communities are ill-prepared to address domestic violence.
The basic rights of crime victims in rural areas go unprotected. Rural law enforcement
agencies are often unprepared to address these challenges. Improve
the Quality and Availability of Rural Health Care-- It is time to focus attention
on health care in rural America. We support policies that allow rural citizens
to meet their medical financial responsibilities, such as 100% tax deductions
for health insurance, Medical Savings Accounts and long term care insurance. We
must give rural seniors a choice of Medicare programs that includes an affordable
prescription drug benefit. We support medical insurance choices that include fee-for-service
and HMO products in rural areas. But even the best health insurance has no value
if there are no health care facilities in rural areas. We must repeal regulatory
barriers rural health care facilities face when they seek equitable reimbursement
for treatments provided under Federal health care programs. We must increase the
use of telemedicine in every rural health care facility.
Reform the Endangered Species Act and Other Resource Conservation Programs--The
1973 Endangered Species Act requires that species preservation must be the paramount
goal in any Federal decision that affects the habitat or viability of an "endangered" species. Species are included under the Act only on the basis of biological conditions.
The law does not allow economic impacts on communities or private property to
be a factor in placing a species on the endangered list. Other environmental statues,
regulations and international agreements create broad authorities for the Federal
government to restrict normal, traditional and customary activities on private
and public lands in rural areas without due regard for sound science or input
from affected persons. The consequence has been heavy handed Federal regulatory
programs to direct private and public land use in rural communities that create
unnecessary animosity and that fail to meet their conservation goals for a lack
of constructive public/private partnerships.
Achieve Energy Security for Rural America-- Rural America faces a complex
energy crisis. Our nation is more dependent on imported energy than at any time
in our history. Price instability for energy threatens the economic health of
U.S. farms. Programs to promote domestic energy from our nation's farms languish
for lack of political leadership. Proven domestic reserves of energy, often located
near economically depressed rural communities, cannot be developed. Voluntary
energy conservation programs are under funded while environmentally marginal proposals
to increase the regulatory burden on agriculture and industry will increase energy
costs for everyone. Electric utility deregulation causes anxiety in rural areas.
This is especially true where rural electric cooperative and public power electric
utilities have served their rural customers effectively for decades. Rural consumers
must share equally in the benefits of any electricity deregulation programs with
other consumers.
Expand Telecommunications Services in Rural Areas--Adequate access to telecommunications
services such as telephone, Internet, satellite and cable is important to rural
America. The Internet delivers services and products efficiently, irrespective
of geographic location. Today, workers who telecommute can enjoy a rewarding career
and a rural life style. Satellite technology can bring new information to every
farm in America. We must assure that advanced telecommunications technologies
are available in every rural community at affordable costs. At the same time,
we must assure that children do not access inappropriate materials through the
casual use of these technologies. We must reduce the incident of Internet fraud.
We must protect the privacy of all individuals using these technologies.
Address
the Needs of Foster Children and Foster Parents In Our Communities-- The well
being of foster children and the dedicated families that accept these children
into their lives is important to our society. Children placed in foster care have
often experienced physical and mental abuse, been denied an adequate education,
and are at-risk for falling into a lifestyle that includes drugs, poverty and
violent crime. Foster parents are licensed professional caregivers and dedicated
volunteers who open their hearts and homes to children from broken families. The
National Grange Foster Parents Program is dedicated to restoring dignity, raising
self-esteem and creating a sense of belonging for all children in foster care
and their foster parents. The National Grange Foster Parent Program promotes this
mission through educational efforts, through advocacy, and by upholding family
values. "We hope," the National Master asked, "that your Administration will make
the needs of foster children and their foster parents a priority policy concern
as well." In
closing, Richardson noted the appreciation of the National Grange for the close
working relationship between the National Grange and the Bush Administration on
common interests and goals during the past year. "We appreciate your Administration's
strong commitment to addressing the needs of family farmers, ranchers and rural
Americans. We look forward to the opportunity to continue this partnership to
meet the many challenges of the future," Richardson concluded.
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Jersey State Grange Supports Increased Access to Telecommunications Services for
Rural New Jersey
In official comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), New
Jersey State Grange Master Jack Robinson expressed the position of the New Jersey
State Grange ".that rural areas of New Jersey deserve access to the same basic
public and commercial services as our state's urban and suburban communities enjoy."
"One of these basic services", the State Master explained, " is telecommunications."
The comments
were filed by the New Jersey State Grange in support of the application of Verizon
Communication, Inc. to open up local telephone service to additional competition
and to also begin offering long distance telephone service across New Jersey. "Increased competition in local and long distance telephone services has always
benefited rural America," the State Master explained." However the State Grange
leader then noted that most of New Jersey's rural areas are still served by a
single local telephone service provider. "This can not continue," Robinson wrote.
"Rural New Jersey communities, like urban and suburban communities, deserve more
choices in the number of telephone providers offering long distance services as
well as those offering local service," the Garden State Grange leader wrote. Robinson also used his comments to the FCC, the primary federal regulatory agency
overseeing the telecommunications industry in the U.S., to address a broader range
of telecommunications issues facing rural New Jersey and rural America. "The Grange
believes that eliminating unnecessary regulations on telecommunications services,
such as access to the Internet, will increase choice and decrease costs of these
services," Robinson explained. "Nearly all New Jersey consumers in urban areas
have access to toll-free Internet dial up services as well as high-speed Internet
access. However too many rural consumers are still waiting for even reliable,
toll-free Internet dial up access in their area. Rural consumers that don't have
toll-free Internet access must incur long-distance charges for the time they spend
online, in addition to their ISP charges," Robinson complained.
Robinson
reminded the FCC that New Jersey leads both the nation and the world in the development
and deployment of state-of the art telecommunications technologies. "Given the
promise of these new technologies and the services and economic opportunity they
can bring, we can not afford to leave any of our citizens behind," The State Grange
Master concluded.
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Grange Seeks New Communication/Publications Director
National rural advocacy organization seeks a multi-skilled Communications/Publications
Director to work in its Washington D.C. office. Position will be responsible for
newsletter, press releases, media relations, website content, and compilation
of major documents, including annual report. Non-profit or fraternal organization
communications experience a must. Desktop publishing knowledge, computer proficiency,
experience dealing with printers, and website savvy all required. Send resume,
with salary requirement to Human Resources, National Grange, 1616 H Street, NW,
Washington, DC 20006-4999 or hr@nationalgrange.org.
by February 28, 2002.
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