04/25/06 Congressmen say `don`t change sugar`

Mike Simpson uses a timed honored saying. SIMPSON "If it ain't broke don't fix it and that applies to the sugar policy." That's one reason the Idaho congressman and Minnesota's Colin Peterson formed the House Sugar Caucus. Peterson says the sugar producers have a program that costs the taxpayers nothing. PETERSON "Good sugar program that's working for the country keeping sugar prices low and stable which is why the program was put in the first place a long time ago. We continue to have people who work against us primarily from the sweetener industry that would like to see the thing dismantled." Peterson, like Simpson, says his congressional district would suffer severe economic loss if the sugar program is eliminated or significantly altered. PETERSON "Sugar has been the mainstay of our economy in the Red River Valley to the extent I think that if we lost the sugar industry out of the valley we would probably lose 25 percent of the businesses and economic activity in the valley. That's how big of an impact it is." Peterson says they have the votes in the House to keep the sugar program and they hope to use the caucus to insure that it's secure for the next five years under the 2007 Farm Bill. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott