Farmers for Obama

Before I share the following article, I’d like to make a couple of points:

1. Many family in the U.S. are one or two failing seasons away from bankruptcy. The profit margins on family farming are slim during good times.
2. If food production was not critical to our national security, one could say “so what… let the less competitive farms fail.” But the truth is that we have a common interest in farming both culturally and nationally. Oil is subsidized because it is critical to our economy. Public transportation is subsidized, education is subsidized, because if any of these fail, we fail as a nation. It’s that important.
3. If we do not get our food from family farms, we will get it from corporate agriculture. Corporations do not operate out of small towns. They will concentrate their wealth in large cities, and employ the very least expensive labor available for planting and harvesting. Is this what we want for our small towns?

With those items in mind, please read on.

Farm Groups Blast McCain On Anti-Subsidies Stance …

Monday, Oct. 6, 2008
by Jerry Hagstrom

The National Farmers Union, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and key commodity group leaders are denouncing Sen. John McCain’s recent statements that he would end ethanol and farm subsidies on grounds that they raise food prices. Speaking Wednesday in Missouri, the GOP presidential candidate argued that subsidies “inflate the price of food, not only for Americans but for people in poverty across the world.” Tom Buis, president of the Democratic-leaning National Farmers Union, Friday called those comments disappointing and said McCain “has a long record of opposing the interests of rural America, the farm bill, weather-related disaster programs, [and] country-of-origin labeling.” But criticism did not just come from the left. Mary Kay Thatcher, a lobbyist for the Republican-leaning Farm Bureau, said McCain “needs to understand that eliminating subsidies pits American farmers against farmers around the world and their governments.” She warned that dropping subsidies unilaterally would weaken the U.S. bargaining position in trade talks.

Most members of commodity group members are GOP-leaning farmers, but their leaders came down hard on McCain. “It is no accident that American consumers spend less of their disposable income on food than any country in the world,” said National Association of Wheat Growers CEO Daren Coppock. “This fact is a result of our nation’s investment in farm policy.” National Association of Corn Growers President Bob Dickey said his group would “respectfully disagree” with McCain and argued against a direct link between subsidies and high commodity prices. American Soybean Association CEO Steve Censky said his group is “very disappointed” in McCain’s position. “Federal farm and crop insurance policies serve as a safety net to support farmers and help them stay in business when commodity prices plummet or when weather disasters hit,” he said.

McCain’s comments also drew fire from Steve Verrett, executive vice president of the Plains Cotton Growers. “Americans who have had it with our dependence on foreign oil will not respond well to policies that would also make us dependent on foreign food, especially with stories about tainted milk and candy from China,” he said. American Sugar Alliance Chairman Carolyn Cheney took a similar line while noting that Congress will likely remain an ally, regardless of who wins the presidency. “It is important to remember that Congress … writes farm laws. And sugar policy is overwhelmingly supported by this country’s lawmakers,” she said.

… AS DO DEMOCRATS AND AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE LEADERS By Jerry Hagstrom

Arizona Sen. John McCain’s strong opposition to farm and ethanol subsidies has also provoked barbs from colleagues in Congress. Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign and Democratic farm leaders in particular called out the GOP presidential nominee for his statement last week that he would end ethanol and farm subsidies. “The farm safety net has been a bipartisan fixture for decades and is critical to our farm economy and food security,” said an Obama campaign spokesman. “Our investments in renewable fuels are leading America toward energy independence.” House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson said McCain’s comments show “he lacks any clear knowledge or understanding about how agriculture in this country works.” Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin argued that very little money for U.S. farm programs is in fact holding up commodity and food prices. “McCain has … attacked even the farm income protection safety net, which is designed to help farmers stay in business when prices and incomes fall,” said Harkin. “The majority of this farm income safety net has nothing to do with holding up the price of farm commodities and thus the price consumers pay for food.” Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad, who played a key role in negotiating the 2008 farm bill said McCain “has opposed the economic interests of those of us living in rural America.”

McCain did get some qualified support from a fellow Republican, Senate Agriculture ranking member Saxby Chambliss, who conceded that the two do not agree on farm issues. “I am optimistic that when Sen. McCain is elected president, we will have the opportunity to give him a better appreciation of the challenges facing agriculture,” said Chambliss. “I intend to work with my friends in agriculture to achieve that goal; after all, a maverick has its roots in agriculture.” A spokeswoman for House Agriculture ranking member Bob Goodlatte said he declined to comment.