The National Grange
Blueprint for Rural America 2002 Priority
Issues of Concern to Rural Americans and Our Nation's
Family Farmers and
Ranchers in the Year 2002 Introduction
The National Grange, the nation's
oldest rural public interest and general agricultural organization, has developed
a 10-point program to revitalize Rural America and return US agriculture to prosperity.
Since 1867, the Grange has provided a legislative voice for families, family farmers
and rural communities. Today,
nearly 300,000 Grange members, affiliated with 3,000 local, county and State Grange
chapters across the nation, are leaders in developing and implementing programs
that benefit their communities. 1.
Address
The Financial Crisis Facing US Agriculture US
agriculture is slowly recovering from its worst financial crisis in a decade.
A combination of low prices and weak demand in export markets, as well as new
challenges regarding contract agriculture and corporate consolidations sweeping
the agribusiness industry hamper prosperity in the agricultural sector. In the
wake of September 11, 2001, food security is at the top of our national agenda.
Addressing these challenges will require reform of US agricultural policy. The
goal of Federal farm policy must be to encourage increased participation in the
agricultural sector by the largest number of individuals and families through
the broadest practical distribution of agricultural production assets. Action
Plan- 1.
Support a Federal farm program that provides adequate funding for credit programs,
risk management programs, income supplement programs and environmental stewardship
programs that specifically benefit family farmers and ranchers, regardless of
the specific crop or livestock they produce.
2. Open foreign
markets to increased US agricultural exports by
reducing domestic and foreign barriers to agricultural trade. Support enforcment
of existing domestic programs that protect against the importation of foreign
pathogens, prevent foreign subsidies from undermining domestic agricultural prices,
and combat bioterrorism. 3.
Oppose proposed agribusiness mergers that threaten to reduce competition or reduce
prices received by family farmers and ranchers. 4.
Support measures to inprove the bargaining position of individual family farmers
and ranchers engaged in contract agricultural production. 5.
Support interstate shipment of state inspected meat and poultry products that
meet or exceed Federal meat and poultry inspection standards.
II.
Reform
The Federal Tax System To Preserve Family Farms And Rural Businesses Congress
and the states should reform the tax system to preserve family farms and small
rural businesses. Within a decade, a majority of today's farmers will be over
65 years old. For most farmers and small business owners, their farms and businesses
are their largest retirement assets. Current tax laws penalize farm families and
rural small businesses that seek to sell their property to other families, to
pass it on to their heirs through their estates or to preserve the future use
of their property in agriculture through the sale of development or water rights.
Tax laws also make it uneconomical for late career farmers to invest in long term
conservation measures. New tax policies regarding the transfer of farm and small
business assets are required to assure that our current generation of family farmers
and rural business owners are allowed to retire with dignity and that the productive
resources invested in rural America are transferred to a new generation of family
farmers and small business owners. Action
Plan- 1.
Support the permanent elimination of the estate tax. Support immediate phase out
of taxes on all estates below $1.2 million, adjusted for future inflation. 2.
Support extending the current $500,000 private residence sale capital gains tax
exclusion to agricultural land as well as to the sale of development or water
rights on agricultural land.
3. Support tax credits for environmental and land use preservation on private
farm, grazing and timber land. 4.
Support immediate tax relief for working family farms and ranches, such as Farm,
Fishery and Ranch Risk Management (FFARRM) Accounts III.
Enact
Comprehensive Dairy Policy Reforms Since
1985, the National Grange has supported regional dairy programs. With the enactment
of the Northeast Dairy Compact, prices for milk in New England have been stable,
consumers have benefited from locally produced milk, and food assistance programs
have been unaffected. Congress should reauthorize the Northeast Dairy Compact,
and authorize additional regional dairy compacts. Congress should also authorize
direct, permanent financial assistance targeted at all moderate sized, family
owned dairy operations during times of low prices. At the same time, nationwide
prices for manufacturing grades of milk continue near or below the cost of production
for most family dairy farmers. Congress should raise the Federal dairy support
price. Action
Plan- 1.
Support dairy compact legislation including: permanent authorization and expansion
of the Northeast Dairy Compact; creation of a Southern Dairy Compact; and explore
the formation of dairy compacts among states in other regions. 2.
Make the Federal dairy support price a permanent program. Increase the Federal
support price for manufacturing grade dairy products. 3.
Support direct Federal financial assistance targeted to moderate sized dairy farms
when the average price of class III milk falls below the average cost of production.
4. Support
dairy industry consensus solutions to supply/herd management, animal health, waste
management, research, and dairy product promotion challenges reflected in the
Principals of Agreement from the National Dairy Producer Conclaves 2000. IV.
Improve
the Quality of Rural Education The
National Grange supports public education and rural public schools. In rural communities,
the school is the focal point for community pride. Congress and the states should
provide increased funding to strengthen rural public education. Additional funding
is needed for Federally mandated programs for special needs students as well as
Headstart programs that are effective for disadvantaged students. Full Federal
funding for payment in lieu of taxes for school districts in counties containing
large Federal land holdings must be preserved. Additionally, we must bring the
Internet to every rural classroom. Action
Plan- 1.
Support increased flexibility in Federal and state funding programs, for small,
rural public schools. 2.
Support additional Federal funding for Federally mandated programs for special
needs students and additional Federal funding for Headstart programs. 3.
Support efforts to bring high speed Internet connections to every rural classroom.
4. Support
full Federal payments in lieu of taxes to local school districts in counties containing
National Forest land, National Park land or other Federal land holdings. V.
Enhance
Public Safety in Rural Areas
Grange members cherish being free of crime and fear. In the wake of September
11, 2001, homeland defense is on everyone's mind. However, foreign terrorists
are not our only security threat. Domestic terrorist groups such as the Animal
Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front blatantly use fear and intimidation
through the use of violence, through the destruction of public and private property
(often in rural communities), and through the cooperation of ancillary propaganda
networks to attempt to impose their radical agenda on society. In addition, traditional
crime is increasingly making its way to rural communities. Urban gangs recruit
members in rural areas. Drug dealers manufacture drugs in rural locations and
leave toxic wastes for private landowners to clean up. Laws regarding the use
of a firearm during the commission of a crime are not adequately enforced. Rural
communities are ill-prepared to address domestic violence. The basic rights of
crime victims in rural areas go unprotected. Rural law enforcement agencies are
often unprepared to address these challenges. Action
Plan- 1.
Support national efforts to combat terrorist attacks and to bring the perpetrators
of the September 11 attacks to justice. Encourage the Secretary of Homeland Defense
to include agricultural and rural communities in the national domestic preparedness
plan and to create a Bioterrorism Office. 2.
Support efforts to disrupt the domestic terrorist activities of groups like the
Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front and their ancillary propaganda
networks. 3.
Support legislation to combat the manufacture and distribution of methamphetamine
and other illegal drugs in rural areas. 4.
Support Federal and state programs to provide high speed Internet communications
for every rural law enforcement agency in the U.S. 5.
Support the strict enforcement of all existing laws and penalties pertaining to
the use of firearms during the commission of a crime in lieu of additional restrictions
on the right to bare arms. 6.
Support programs that prevent and address violent crime in rural areas. Protect
the rights of victims of violent crime in rural areas. VI.
Improve
the Quality and Availability of Rural Health Care
It is time to focus attention on health care in rural America. We support policies
that allow rural citizens to meet their medical financial responsibilities, such
as 100% tax deductions for health insurance, Medical Savings Accounts and long
term care insurance. We must give rural seniors a choice of Medicare programs
that includes an affordable prescription drug benefit. We support medical insurance
choices that include fee-for-service and HMO products in rural areas. But even
the best health insurance has no value if there are no health care facilities
in rural areas. We must repeal regulatory barriers rural health care facilities
face when they seek equitable reimbursement for treatments provided under Federal
health care programs. We must increase the use of telemedicine in every rural
health care facility. Action
Plan- 1.
Allow rural residents greater freedom to address their medical financial responsibilities
such as income tax deductions for all health insurance premiums, Medical Savings
Accounts, preservation of traditional fee-for-service health insurance products,
and tax deductibility for long term care insurance. 2.
Support Medicare reform that gives rural seniors a choice among different Medicare
programs, including an affordable prescription drup benefit. 3.
Support repeal of regulatory barriers regarding equitable reimbursement from Federal
medical insurance programs, i.e. Medicare and Medicaid, for rural health care
facilities. 4.
Support new Federal and state programs to provide high speed Internet connections
for every rural health care facility. VII.
Reform
the Endangered Species Act and Other Resource Conservation Programs The
1973 Endangered Species Act requires that species preservation must be the paramount
goal in any Federal decision that affects the habitat or viability of an "endangered"
species. Species are included under the Act only on the basis of biological conditions.
The law does not allow economic impacts on communities or private property to
be a factor in placing a species on the endangered list. Other environmental statues,
regulations and international agreements create broad authorities for the Federal
government to restrict normal, traditional and customary activities on private
and public lands in rural areas without due regard for sound science or input
from persons in the affected areas. The consequence has been heavy handed Federal
regulatory programs to direct private and public land use in many rural communities
that create unnecessary animosity and that fail to meet their conservation goals
for a lack of constructive public/private partnerships. Action
Plan- 1.
Support litigation to de-list specific subspecies of Pacific Salmon based on principals
of sound science. Restrict the quantity of fish that may be taken from rivers
or from U.S. territorial waters with threatened or endangered fish species, as
part of any comprehensive fish resource management program. 2.
Support proposals to amend the ESA to require that all decisions to list a species
as endangered must be balanced against the economic health of the local area,
state or region. Allow state governments to manage and regulate local habitats
as part of a species recovery plan, including authority to exempt any business,
farmer, rancher or landowner who complies with a state endangered species law
from further compliance with Federal endangered species laws. 3.
Oppose efforts to impose mandatory reductions in greenhouse gas emissions on U.S.
farmers and businesses until all major nations agree to implement similar reductions.
Support voluntary efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 4.
Oppose the reclassification of farm and forest run-off as point source pollution
under the EPA's Total Maximum Daily Limit (TMDL) regulations. Support increased
funding for voluntary measures to control farm and forest run-off. VIII.
Achieve Energy Security for Rural America Rural
America faces a complex energy crisis. Our nation is more dependent on imported
energy than at any time in our history. Price instability for energy threatens
the economic health of U.S. farms. Programs to promote domestic energy from our
nation's farms languish for lack of political leadership. Proven domestic reserves
of energy, often located near economically depressed rural communities, cannot
be developed. Voluntary energy conservation programs are underfunded while environmentally
marginal proposals to increase the regulatory burden on agriculture and industry
will increase energy costs for everyone. Electric utility deregulation causes
anxiety in rural areas. This is especially true where rural electric cooperative
and public power electric utilities have served their rural customers effectively
for decades. Rural consumers must share equally in the benefits of any electricity
deregulation programs with other consumers. Action
Plan- 1.
Promote increased use of fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, that are derived
from agricultural resources. 2.
Support opening all restricted public lands in rural areas to energy resource
development in an environmentally sound manner. Oppose further releases from the
National Strategic Petroleum Reserve. 3.
Support voluntary energy conservation programs for farms and rural areas such
as telecommuting, public transportation and car/van pools. Oppose conservation
regulations that increase costs to farmers and consumers without providing benefits
such as increases in Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards. 4.
Support electricity deregulation as a primary function of state governments, not
the Federal government. Oppose electricity deregulation proposals that do not
treat rural consumers equitably with other consumers and that does not preserve
the special relationship that rural electric cooperatives and rural public utility
districts have with their customers.
IX.
Expand Telecommunications
Services in Rural Areas
Adequate access to telecommunications services such as telephone, Internet, satellite
and cable is important to rural America. The Internet delivers services and products
efficiently, irrespective of geographic location. Today, workers who telecommute
can enjoy a rewarding career and a rural life style. Satellite technology can
bring new information to every farm in America. We must assure that advanced telecommunications
technologies are available in every rural community at affordable costs. At the
same time, we must assure that children do not access inappropriate materials
through the casual use of these technologies. We must reduce the incident of Internet
fraud. We must protect the privacy of all individuals using these technologies.
Action Plan-
1.
Support programs that guarantee every rural community will have local/toll-free
dial up Internet service and affordable high speed Internet access. 2.
Assure that every rural community has access to free, over-the-air broadcast radio
and television services as well as competitive cable, fixed wireless, or satellite
dish technologies and services. 3.
Support programs to guarantee that rural consumers have local telephone services,
lifeline telephone services, wireless telephone services and competitive long
distance telephone services. 4.
Prevent children from accessing inappropriate materials from the Internet, combat
incidents of Internet fraud and protect the privacy of all individuals who use
the Internet. X.
Address
the Needs of Foster Children and Foster Parents In Our Communities. The
well being of foster children and the dedicated families that accept these children
into their lives is important to our society. Children placed in foster care have
often experienced physical and mental abuse, been denied an adequate education,
and are at-risk for falling into a lifestyle that includes drugs, poverty and
violent crime. Foster parents are licensed professional caregivers and dedicated
volunteers who open their hearts and homes to children from broken families. The
National Grange Foster Parents Program is dedicated to restoring dignity, raising
self-esteem and creating a sense of belonging for all children in foster care
and their foster parents. The National Grange Foster Parent Program promotes this
mission through educational efforts, through advocacy, and by upholding family
values. Action
Plan- 1.
Restore funding under Title XX of the Social Security Act that are used to pay
for social services to assist vulnerable children, including children in foster
care. 2.
Support new programs to give children who have received foster care special preferences
in receiving Federal grants for higher education. 3.
Support reforms to base each state's reimbursement rate for foster care on regional
USDA rate guidelines that project the cost of raising a child in foster care.
4. Support
tax deductions for all forms of foster care services provided to children. Thank
you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative Program. | 
