11-12 IAN More Farm Bill
More on the farm bill.
The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, kind of reminds me of Idaho's Gov. Butch Otter. When he talks about issues where people are separated in terms of their philosophy and opinions, Gov. Otter always tries to preside with the mentality of a businessman. In other words what makes sense from an economic perspective, from a strategic point of view, from a logical stance. When the secretary discusses his thoughts on getting a farm bill, I appreciate the way he presents his arguments. Take a listen to his conversation with the Ag Information Network's Kay Dee Gilke. "Want to go back to where we began which is at the end of the day what is necessary for producers around the country is the certainty that having a farm program, what's necessary for the country is the deficit reductions and reforms that this bill will provide to allow us to get our fiscal house in order, what is necessary for rural America is job growth and business growth. This bill addresses that what is important for America is energy security, this bill addresses that, what is important for America is to be at the leading edge of innovation, this bill continues to support that through our research initiatives and we want to have a growing trade surplus in agriculture, we need those trade promotion programs and we need to be able to provide help and assistance to those who are being affected and impacted by natural disasters. We want to be able to help our producers when they need help the most and right now at USDA it is a little frustrating that we can't help livestock producers who are being hurt, we can't help folks who have been significantly damaged by trout because we do not have the tools. We need a farm bill and we need it now."
