02/06/07 BPA Proposals & Eminent Domain

BPA Proposals & Eminent Domain. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. Co-chairs of the Northwest Energy Caucus Congressmen Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today commended the Bush administration for abandoning two previous budget proposals related to the Bonneville Power Administration that would have raised power rates in the Northwest and limited infrastructure investment. The budget proposals were abandoned at the request of the Northwest Energy Caucus and other regional stakeholders. However, DeFazio, Hastings and Walden continue to have serious concerns about the budget proposal related to Bonneville`s surplus sales revenue. A new bill in Washington State would require more notification before property can be condemned through eminent domain. After a Pierce County couple failed to receive notice that the local transit company had condemned a 1.5 acre plot of land to use as a parking lot. The bill would require that the entity wishing to condemn the property must send a certified letter to the property owner notifying them of the open public meeting that has been called to decide the issue. They must also publish a short newspaper legal notice before the decision-making meeting. There are 36 sponsors of the bill which was requested by both the Governor and Attorney General. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. The task of grocery shopping used to be rather simple, store brand or premium. Today shopping for food requires an in- depth knowledge of geography, nutrition, ethics and spirituality. Who can keep up with all the barrage of new labels appearing of our shelves, the majority having something to do with fair trade or organics? Over 182,000 new products were introduced worldwide last year with consumables, meaning food and drinks alone, numbering around 300 new selections for everyday of day of the year. While organic food sales boomed in the US the same thing happened in the non-food organic products in Europe and Asia and this phenomenal growth is predicted to continue. Last year anything containing pomegranates got labeled a "superfood", next year watch for the acai, an antioxidant berry. It is probably not a heck of a lot different from a blueberry except the fact it comes from the Amazon. That, especially for eco- celebrities will make the acai beyond cool, especially if Brad and Angelina are caught with a handful. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.