Members of Studley Grange #1174 and Gratiot Grange #1898 each held their own “Meet the Candidates Night.” Local citizens were given the opportunity to speak with numerous candidates including individuals running for County Commissioner, district and circuit court judge, State Representative and Senate, as well as U.S. Congress and U. S. Senate.

All candidates were given the opportunity to discuss their views and opinions on many issues. Grange members hosted both events and participated by preparing refreshments, handing out small prizes to those in attendance, introducing the candidates, and acting as timekeepers to ensure that each candidate an equal opportunity to share their views. Overall, each meeting was considered a great success.

Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida, has suggested that the United States abolish the tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol. Governor Bush said that Brazil could manufacture ethanol much more cheaply than our domestic production. He stated that Brazil could furnish the United States with alternative fuel. To me that is jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire! Maybe this is a quick fix but what happens when Brazil gets the United States over a barrel? The United States would still be depending on foreign fuel to supply our energy needs.

I don’t believe that opening the floodgates and letting yet another country control our energy supply is the answer. I feel that our alternative fuel has to come from domestic resources. Let’s use some of our own resources for energy production. I feel we have the knowledge to achieve that goal and I’m sure we can accomplish the task. If we can send a man to the moon and back, we can solve our energy crisis. Remember, we didn’t send a man to the moon in a day or two. It took some time. So will the development of alternative energy take some time, but it can be done.

With the failure of the Doha Round negotiations of the World Trade Organization, we are hearing support for a one year extension of 2002 Farm Bill, set to expire in 2007. That would make 2008 the year that Congress would undertake the long and very torturous process of writing a new bill. But 2008 is presidential election year. This hardly strikes me as a good idea. Farm bills are a lot of work during non-election years. To write a farm bill that would impose much needed fiscal restraint and make meaningful structural changes to the price support and conservation programs in a politically charged election year is improbable. What we would most likely see is Congress trying to please every agricultural constituent in hopes of gaining political clout.