Resolving Mexico Trade & H1N1

Resolving Mexico Trade & H1N1 plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

Students will soon be heading back to school and with it is the threat of the H1N1 virus. Estimates vary a great deal but one thing is for sure, we will probably see more infection with no vaccine available until at least mid-October. President Obama says it is a priority.

OBAMA: With science as our guide we resolve to continue taking all necessary preparations and precautions to prepare for the upcoming flu season and protect the health of our people.

The North American Free Trade Agreement called for Mexican truckers to be allowed to deliver Mexican goods to anywhere in the United States by the year 2000. That program was eventually dropped by the U.S. and as a result millions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs were placed on U.S. companies sending goods to Mexico. Officially, President Obama says the safety concerns of legislators and union members were the reason the program was not renewed. However, there were concerns in the U.S. as to the safe operation of the trucks from Mexico.

Idaho State biologists are getting ready to trap grizzly bears in eastern Idaho as part of an ongoing research and monitoring project. Researchers will take DNA and blood samples, add ear tags and fit the bears with new GPS collars. The public is warned to stay clear of trapping areas, which will be clearly marked.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

That’s the way to get a piece of legislation passed, tell lawmakers they’ll miss their vacation takeoff plans if they don’t quickly pass a measure. At least that’s the tactic used by the senate majority leader in order to get the “cash for clunkers” program more money. As a parent I understand the senate majority leader’s move, who hasn’t threatened to cancel plans if their children didn’t stop fighting and behave. But is this really how we want our lawmakers to decide what measure passes and what doesn’t?  The “cash for clunkers” has been more popular than even expected, but far from being the “golden child” it was thought to be it has more than its fair share of problems. It’s a paperwork nightmare, and submitting all the correct information doesn’t guarantee acceptance. Numerous car shoppers found they were expected to sign a waiver stating if the government didn’t approve the rebate they would be held responsible for the difference. The list of problems goes on. Perhaps more thought should have been put into this brainchild before it was put into effect. It appears we’ve gone and shut the barn door after the horse has been stolen.

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.