No FEMA Support & Food Price Hikes

Washington Governor Jay Inslee is trying to step up to the plate after FEMA declined to provide any assistance for Central Washington fire victims. The Governor is convening a task force to look into how the state can help support hundreds of victims. FEMA declined to help back in September and has raised the ire of lawmakers and victims alike. Fire victims could have seen an additional $32-thousand dollars if FEMA had approved the disaster assistance.

If you are like me you dread the total at the grocery store. Food prices just continue their march upwards and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. Economist John Anderson says Farm Bureau's semiannual marketbasket survey found a slight increase in food prices that is largely in line with current inflation levels.

ANDERSON: Our marketbasket survey for the third quarter showed that prices were up a little bit from a year ago, about two percent. So essentially in line with what we think of as normal inflation. When you think about the general economy, two percent rate of inflation is pretty much the ballpark. Pretty much all of the increase this time was on a handful of products. Beef, pork and dairy-related products and that's not terribly surprising.

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

California has taken the plunge, becoming the first state to officially ban single-use plastic bags. Retailers still using plastic bags there will have until July 2015 to make the switch. Hopefully this will open the flood gates for more states to follow California's lead and ban single-use plastic bags. One only has to look around to see proof positive that disposable plastic bags have a detrimental affect on the environment; they are littered everywhere. In fact, right now I see that I will have to get my ladder out to go collect yet another out of a tree in my backyard. And no, it wasn't mine. We live in a very windy area and this one could be from two states away for all I know! Some people will grouse over plastic bag bans; either because they feel big government is encroaching on their civil liberties, or they're just plain environmentally "un-conscious". But thankfully, more and more cities around the world are adopting plastic bag bans. It may not be popular with a handful of consumers, but it certainly makes sense.

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