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FEBRUARY 2005 |
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Grange
Wins Klamath Salmon ESA
Case On January 11, 2005, a federal judge, Michael
Hogan, ruled that coho salmon in the Klamath River Basin region have been illegally
listed under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species. This coho salmon
lawsuit has been led by Granges in western states, in partnership with the non-profit
Pacific Legal Foundation. In 2001, several western Granges filed a suit against
the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Commerce so called, "Grange v. Evans and NMFS", to de-list the coho salmon in northern California
and southern Oregon as a threatened species. Granges argued that counting only
wild salmon and excluding hatchery salmon allowed the government to keep the fish
count artificially low and justify the ESA listing. Leo Bergeron, former president
of California State Grange also pointed out, "it is not a natural fish but a planted
fish and should not be subject to the ESA listing." Whereas the Alsea Valley lawsuit
only affected Oregon coho, the Grange case included the northern California listed
coho, as well.
According
to Judge Hogan's ruling, Klamath farmers were pushed into bankruptcy for fish
that should never have been listed as threatened. ESA protection of coho in the
Klamath River was a significant factor in the government's devastating decision
to shut off irrigation water to Klamath Basin. However, Judge Hogan did not set
aside the illegal listing while the agency completes the review of 26 west coast
salmon listings, which it agreed to undertake as a result of its loss in Alsea
Valley case. Under the ESA, NOAA Fisheries must make final decisions on the proposed
re-listing of the wild and hatchery southern Oregon and northern California coho
by June 14, 2005.
National
Grange Opposes Reopening Borders to Canadian Cattle
Despite recent two
cases of BSE, USDA is pushing ahead with its plan to reopen borders to imports
of live cattle under 30 months of age from Canada on March 7, 2005. The U.S. border
was closed to live Canadian cattle in May 2003 after a single cow with BSE was
discovered in Alberta. The
National Grange believes that the USDA's decision to open the boarder to live
cattle imports from Canada and/or other countries with active BSE cases or otherwise
at high risk for an outbreak of BSE should be withdrawn until science-based BSE
prevention systems in those countries have proved that they are working. National
Grange policy says:
| "National
Grange asks that imports of animals, meat and meat by-products into the United
States from any country having Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) be stopped
until scientific data shows otherwise." |
"The
existence of two more active cases of BSE in Canada raises important new scientific
questions about this disease and its transmission that should be answered before
imports are allowed to resume," said Leroy Watson, Legislative Director of National
Grange in a letter to former Agriculture Secretary Veneman. "Furthermore, USDA's regulatory approach
is inconsistent with country of origin labeling programs established in the 2002
Farm Bill." Congress
has the right to modify or reject the USDA rule, and several U.S. Senators and
Representatives already began to raise their voice to oppose lifting the ban on
live Canadian cattle imports. U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (D-SD) and Mike Enzi (R-WY)
on January 24 introduced bi-partisan legislation to keep the U.S.-Canadian border
closed to imports of live Canadian cattle until mandatory country-of-origin labeling
is implemented. In the House Congressman Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) also introduced a
bill earlier to prevent the USDA rule from taking place until the U.S. is able
to export beef to all the countries that were buying meat or cattle prior to the
2003 case of BSE. The National Grange ran the write-a-post
card campaign for the Senate Agriculture Committee, which held a committee
hearing on February 3 to examine BSE's impact on the US cattle and beef trade.
In the hearing Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns reconfirmed that plans to drop
the country's ban on cattle imports are on track for March 7.
Read
Agriculture Secretary Johann's Testimony on February 3 top Together
Rx Access Card Available for Uninsured Working Americans
Ten pharmaceutical
companies launched the Together Rx Access Card program on January 11. Under this
program, approximately 36 million uninsured Americans will become eligible for
meaningful new savings at the pharmacy counter. To qualify for the Together Rx
Access Card, applicants must be legal U.S. residents under age 65 and otherwise
not eligible for Medicare, without public or private prescription drug coverage
and with incomes of up to $30,000 for a single person or $60,000 for a family
of four. A separate prescription drug coverage program, with a similar name, aimed
at providing discounts for seniors and others eligible for Medicare coverage called
Together Rx (no Access) was launched by pharmaceutical companies two years ago.
"Rural residents,
who generally have lower incomes than urban dwellers, spend a higher proportion
of personal income on prescription drug coverage than the urban residents. The
higher proportion of out-of-pocket prescription drug costs among rural working
families increases the risk that they will either neglect the medications or take
lower dosages. The National Grange commends the ten founding member companies
of the Together RX Access Card for their pro-active response to increasing access
to health care and improving the quality of life in rural communities and across
the nation," said William A. Steel, President of the National Grange in the press
statement on the introduction of the Together Rx Access Card program.
top National
Grange Pushes FCC on Wireless in Rural Areas
On January 26, 2005, the
National Grange submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
to ask for fair and equitable access to federal universal service support for
eligible wireless carriers that serve high cost rural areas. The Grange recognizes
the importance of the Universal Service Fund (USF) that will support wireless
technologies which promise to deliver broadband to even the most remote parts
of our country. "Many
small towns and rural communities are considered the end point of the "last mile"
of telecommunications services," the comment said. "A major purpose of the USF
is to help rural areas achieve parity in telecommunications services with the
more densely populated areas of the United States. The Grange also believes that
full and fair competition between wireless and wireline carriers promotes the
delivery of state-of-the-art telecommunications services to rural populations."
The FCC estimates
that wireless connections will grow by more than 50 million between 2002 and 2007
while landline connections are expected to grow by fewer than six million over
the same time period. The Grange strongly believes that family farmers and rural
Americans are entitled to share in the benefits of these technologies as much
as urban and suburban consumers. "The Commission must not to be swayed by ill-defined
arguments, which are fundamentally anti-competitive and detrimental to rural consumers'
best interests," the comment concluded.
top Digital
TV Transition Plan Lacks Consensus
The Federal Communications Commission's
digital transition plan currently requires that all TV broadcasts transition from
traditional analog television broadcasts to digital television by January 1, 2009.
As of January 1, 2009, the analog TV set will no longer receive signals. Fifteen
percent of all television consumers who do not have cable and satellite access
will need to buy expensive new digital TV sets or find vendors to sell them "set
top" boxes, at a market price yet to be determined, that will convert digital
over-the-air broadcast signals to display on their analog TVs. Rural Americans,
in particular, rely disproportionately on free TV for vital information including
weather, emergency situations, local and national news. However, the FCC's plan
has no details about how rural Americans will be accommodated by this proposal
such as to offer subsidy or to help them buy a set top boxes etc. On
January 31, 2005, Clark Herman with the Coalition for a Smart Digital TV Transition
spoke to State Grange legislative leaders at the National Grange monthly conference
call. "Whether we like it or not, we are going digital," Herman said. "However,
the government's proposal has a defect in that the average person has not been
informed or consulted about this plan." Congressman
G. K. Butterfield (D-NC) and some Rural Caucus members urged the FCC not to rush
to a vote in December so that the issue can be fully examined before implementing
changes. As a result, the FCC delayed a vote until February 10th. In addition
last week, in a complete turn around of this issue, it was decided that Congress
will take a larger role in determining the details of the digital TV transition
in the coming months.
Multi-casting
is one of the hot issues in considering the digital transition. Multi-casting
allows a broadcaster anywhere in America to take the digital signal and create
multiple streams of local programming to the benefit of consumer. Back in 1992
as a part of the Cable Act, cable operators were required by law to carry the
analog signals of local over-the-air television stations. As we are entering digital
age, the FCC should require cable operators to carry local multi-casting programming
as well. Using digital technology, a single channel might be able to have 2-3
broadcasts and multi-casting will allow local stations to collaborate with local
business and community to create local programming. In the process local small
business, such as family farmers looking to promote their products directly to
local consumers, can advertise at very competitive rates on such local programs.
Consumers, not cable operators, should be able to control the quality and quantity
of local programming available. If every consumer will have to buy all digital
equipment they should be able to access all the benefits of the new technology
such as local multi-cast programming.
top | | Michael
K. Powell | | Source:
FCC.gov |
FCC
Chairman Powell Resigns
FCC
Chairman Michael Powell announced on January 21st that he would step down in March.
It is not known who will be his successor but candidates reportedly under consideration
are FCC Commissioners Kevin Martin and Kathleen Abernathy, former Texas PUC Chairwoman
Rebecca Klein, and NTIA Director Michael Gallagher.
National
Grange Legislative Director Leroy Watson sent a letter to Mr. Powell in response
to the news of his resignation: "During
your tenure on the FCC, you helped promote the expansion of high-speed Internet
services in rural communities. You have been a steadfast supporter of the principals
of universal telephone service for high cost rural communities. You have endorsed
the principals of deregulation, market forces and facilities based competition
among various emerging technologies as the most effective means to deliver advanced
telecommunications services to rural citizens. At the same time, you have exercised
sound judgment in discouraging or blocking telecommunications and media mergers,
especially when the proponents of those mergers espoused the ridiculous business
theory that rural America would only receive comparable telecommunications services
to urban and suburban America when those services are provided by monopoly service
providers. You have recognized the importance of appropriate standards of decency
for broadcasts over the public airways, especially for those in rural areas, who
do not have ready access to pay-broadcast alternatives. As
your final act, we encourage you to ask President Bush to nominate as your successor
a forward-looking leader who can bridge the interests of rural consumers and industry,
advocate innovative telecommunications policy, address the interests of federalism
in our national telecommunications policy framework, protect the interests of
families who utilize the public airways for entertainment and information and
make pioneering technologies affordable and accessible for everyone." |
top National
Grange Joins to Promote CAFTA
The National Grange signed a coalition letter
with more than 50 U.S. agriculture groups and food companies on February 1, 2005
to urge Congress to approve the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
The CAFTA will create a free trade area covering the United States, Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Along with the Dominican Republic,
these comprehensive agreements will expand U.S. agricultural exports and put U.S.
agriculture on an equal footing with its competitors in these markets. "Currently,
over 99% of food and agricultural products from these countries already receive
duty free treatment in the United States, while U.S. farm exports face significant
barriers in these markets. Without implementation of the CAFTA, U.S. agriculture
will continue to be prejudiced by this non-reciprocal trade, and will be forced
to continue to compete for those markets against third countries that currently
maintain a competitive advantage," the letter said. Examples
of U.S. exports to the Central American region that can be expected to gain significantly
from the CAFTA include corn and other feed grains, wheat, rice, soybeans and meal,
poultry, dairy products, apples, pork and beef.
top 2005
Legislative Policy Book Available on March 1st
The National Grange Legislative
Department is pleased to announce that the 2005 Legislative Policy Book will be
available after March 1st, from the National Grange office. The book contains
over 1,000 National Grange official legislative policies, Blueprint for Rural
America 2005 and an expanded grassroots education and training manual, Action
2005. Grange
members interested in receiving a free copy of the 2005 Legislative Policy Book
should send their name, address, email address and their Grange name and number
to Chil-Sook Hwang at chwang@nationalgrange.org
by fax at 202-347-1091 or at 1-888-4Grange ext. 109.
top Fly-In
Registration Still Underway
Don't forget to register for the National
Grange's Legislative Fly-In, March 14-15, 2005. Open to all interested members,
the Legislative Fly-In allows participants to experience the best Washington,
DC has to offer, both culturally and educationally. The deadline for Fly-In registration
is February 11, 2004.
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