Blue Print for Rural America 2005 Contains the Following:
Introduction -
The National Grange, the nation's oldest rural advocacy organization, has developed a 10-point program to revitalize rural America and maintain U.S. agricultural prosperity. Since 1867, the Grange has provided a legislative voice for individuals, families, farmers and rural communities. Today, Grange members, affiliated with more than 3,000 local, county and state Grange chapters across the nation, are leaders in developing and advocating policies that benefit their communities.
1. Extend Prosperity in U.S. Agriculture to Family Farmers and Ranchers
America's family farmers and ranchers face critical challenges to extend their prosperity. Federal farm programs should foster increased participation in the agricultural sector by encouraging the broadest practical distribution of agricultural production. Farm programs should reward innovative practices such as part-time, new uses, organic and direct-to-consumer farming; protect farmers who rely on commodity markets or contract production and restrict agri-business mergers that reduce competition or farm prices. Biotechnology is beneficial but farmers lack legal ownership of the seeds they save. Country of origin labeling and animal identification regulations are important but may impose undue costs on farmers. The U.S. faces increasingly hostile multilateral trade negotiations. Dairy farmers and consumers benefit from regional dairy programs and financial assistance for moderate-sized dairy farms.
Action Plan-
- Support farm programs that provide credit, risk management, income support, and environmental stewardship for family farmers and ranchers, regardless of the crop or livestock they produce. Support innovative practices like part-time, new uses, direct-to-consumer, and organic farming. Protect farmers who rely on commodity markets or contract production. Restrict agribusiness mergers that reduce competition or farm prices. Support country of origin labeling and animal identification regulations that minimize costs for U.S. farmers.
- Extend regional dairy programs to all U.S. dairy farmers and consumers. Support financial assistance for moderate-sized dairy farms.
- Support negotiations to reduce barriers to agricultural trade when the mutual goal is increased prosperity for all affected farmers. Include milk protein concentrates in U.S. trade agreements. Prevent importation of animals and animal products from nations with BSE and other disease outbreaks.
- Support biotechnology property rights through publicly disclosed contract terms and use of "tech fees" to give farmers legal ownership to the seeds they save. Require foreign farmers to meet the same requirements to protect biotechnology property rights as U.S. farmers. Support using sound science during the approval process for new biotechnology products to assure their safety.
2. Expand Telecommunications Services in Rural Areas
Universal access to telecommunications technologies such as telephone, cellular, wireless, television, radio, Internet, satellite and cable must be available to rural communities at affordable costs. The Internet delivers services and products efficiently, irrespective of geographic location. Telecommuters enjoy rewarding careers and rural lifestyles. Global position satellites improve productivity on America's farms. Even with these benefits, we must protect children from inappropriate materials and prevent conglomerates from controlling multiple media venues. Furthermore, incidents of spam, Internet fraud and loss of privacy from these technologies, must be reduced.
Action Plan-
- Support programs such as the Universal Service Fund to guarantee every rural community will have local telephone service, cellular telephone and dial-up or affordable high speed Internet access.
- 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 broadcast services.
- Protect children from inappropriate materials, combat incidents of Internet fraud, reduce spam and increase privacy and security for individuals who use the Internet.
- Support FCC scrutiny of media mergers resulting in consolidated control of multiple media venues.
3. Improve the Quality of Rural Education
In rural areas, public schools are a community focal point. Additional federal funding for rural public education, for special needs students, for Internet access and for Headstart programs is needed. Career and technical educational programs, including agricultural career education, must be reauthorized and funded. Federal payments for school districts in counties with federal landholdings must be preserved. Teachers and administrators must have the authority to deal with violence and inappropriate expression that disrupts the learning process in rural schools. Basic civic values, including recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, should be part of every school curriculum. New methods should be used to involve parents in their children's education.
Action Plan-
- Support increased federal funding for rural public schools, including funding for mandated programs for special needs students, for Headstart programs and for high speed Internet access.
- Support relaxed federal mandates for specific educational performance standards for rural schools.
- Support full federal payments in lieu of local school taxes in counties containing federal land.
- Support reauthorization and full funding for the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act
- Support increased authority for teachers and administrators to address violence or inappropriate expression that disrupts the learning process. Encourage greater parental involvement.
- Support teaching about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and basic civic values in all schools. Support recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in all classrooms.
4. Protect Private Property Rights in All Environmental Programs
Private property rights are often disregarded in the administration of our nation's environmental laws. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires that species preservation take priority over all other federal policy goals. Other federal programs that restrict normal, traditional and customary activities on private and public lands in rural areas and expand federal jurisdiction without regard for states' rights, private property, sound science, local economic impact or community safety include: Federal Clean Water Act "wetlands" regulations, forestland management regulations, regulations on siting and licensing of hydroelectric facilities, regulations governing animal grazing and regulations controlling irrigation contracts. The consequences of these programs have been heavy handed federal regulations to direct natural resource uses in rural communities that create unnecessary animosity, fail to meet their goals, threaten vital economic infrastructures and increase risks of catastrophic wildfires in populated areas.
Action Plan-
- Support measures to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires near populated areas.
- Restrict federal jurisdiction over isolated wetlands as required by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Support ESA reform to clarify that species recovery is the only goal of the ESA. Delegate to state governments the primary authority to manage endangered species recovery plans. Balance decisions for species recovery against the economic health of a community, state or region. Require sound science in all ESA management decisions.
- Support the continued operation of all hydroelectric dams and irrigation systems in the West. Restrict the quantity of endangered fish species that may be taken from rivers or U.S. territorial waters.
- Insist that private property rights derived from the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions and common law be vigorously protected in the administration of all environmental regulations and laws.
5. Achieve Energy Security for Rural America
Imported energy and high energy prices threaten the rural economy. Renewable energy from our nation's farms is underutilized. Proven reserves of domestic energy cannot be developed for environmental reasons while environmentally marginal "global warming" policies increase energy costs on agriculture and industry. Voluntary energy conservation programs for rural areas are under funded. Rural consumers, especially those served by rural electric cooperatives and public power utilities, must benefit from electricity restructuring and reliability programs along with all other consumers.
Action Plan-
- Promote biodiesel, ethanol, biomass and wind energies derived from America's family farms. Support tax and other incentives to increase use of "blended" renewable/conventional fuels.
- Develop energy resources on public lands in an environmentally sound manner. Prohibit further releases from the National Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
- Advocate for reasonable energy prices for family farmers and rural consumers. Support effective energy conservation in rural areas such as telecommuting, public transportation and car/van pools instead of "global warming" schemes that increase costs.
- Support electricity industry restructuring/reliability proposals that preserve the special relationship that regional power suppliers, rural electric cooperatives and rural public utilities have with their customers. Preserve "cost-based" electricity pricing where this system has benefited rural customers.
6. Enhance Homeland Security and Public Safety in Rural Areas
Homeland security and public safety are national priorities. The importation of invasive pests and diseases threatens our food security and our prosperity. This is true whether the pest or disease comes inadvertently as a consequence of lax security in normal commerce or deliberately as a means of economic bioterrorism,. Rural Americans face additional threats of violence and intimidation from extremist environmental and animal rights groups. Criminals increasingly use rural locations to manufacture and distribute dangerous drugs, leaving landowners with toxic wastes sites. Laws regarding the use of firearms during the commission of a crime are not adequately enforced. The rights of rural victims of crime are also not adequately respected.
Action Plan-
- Combat bioterrorism by preventing the importation or transportation of invasive pests and diseases.
- Support efforts to disrupt domestic terrorist activities initiated by extremist environmental organizations and their ancillary propaganda networks.
- Support efforts to protect the rights of rural victims of crime.
- Support legislation to combat the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs in rural areas. Provide financial assistance for innocent landowners for costs to clean up illegal "meth labs."
- Support the strict enforcement of all existing laws pertaining to the use of firearms during the commission of a crime in lieu of additional restrictions on the right to bear firearms.
7. Strengthen Civic Participation in Our Society
The challenges of September 11 test the durability of our liberties and our duties of civic participation. Common frames of reference, such as language, expressions of faith and patriotism are fundamental prerequisites for individual liberties and vibrant civic participation. These shared references reinforce our traditions of religious and social tolerance. Modern technology also facilitates civic participation. Strengthening civic participation in our society by acknowledging the roles of language, faith, patriotism and technology is the most effective means to guarantee our liberties and maintain our way of life.
Action Plan-
- Support using Internet technologies to facilitate civic participation such as voter registration, nomination petitions, referendum petitions, jury selection, registering for selective service or other civic responsibilities. Increase penalties for fraud regarding voting or other civic responsibilities.
- Support legislation to make English the official language of the United States. Support legislation to assure that everyone living in the United States can learn English.
- Support legislation to allow references to a divine presence at school and other public events.
- Support constitutional amendments to protect the flag of the United States and to maintain the current wording of the Pledge of Allegiance.
8. Improve the Quality and Availability of Rural Health Care
Rural citizens need 100% tax deductions for all health and long-term care insurance, medical savings accounts, medical flexible spending accounts and competitive health insurance choices. Rural seniors require Medicare programs with affordable prescription drug benefits. Yet, health insurance has no value if there are no health care providers in rural areas. Rural health care providers face regulatory barriers when they seek equitable reimbursement for treatments provided under Medicare and Medicaid. Rural healthcare providers also bear a disproportionate financial burden from medical malpractice litigation. We must preserve access to modern pharmaceutical technologies for all rural families.
Action Plan-
- Provide rural residents the freedom to address their medical responsibilities through 100% income tax deductions for all health and long-term care insurance premiums, medical savings accounts, medical flexible spending accounts and competitive health insurance products.
- Support Medicare reform that includes an affordable prescription drug benefit. Repeal regulatory barriers that rural health care facilities face regarding reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid
- Support medical malpractice tort reform to limit awards for non-economic damages.
- Support measures that assure access to modern pharmaceutical technologies for rural families.
9. Reform the Federal Tax Code to Preserve Family Farms and Rural Businesses
The self-employed comprise more than 22% of today's rural workforce. For farmers and small business owners, their farms and businesses are their largest asset. Federal tax reform must assure that today's family farmers and rural business owners can retire with dignity and that their productive resources are transferred to a new generation of rural entrepreneurs. Current tax laws penalize rural businesses and farmers for selling their property to other families, for passing it on to their heirs or selling development or water rights to preserve the future use of their property in agriculture. Prior tax reform efforts increased the complexity and the burden of tax compliance for rural small business owners and farmers.
Action Plan-
- Support extending the current $500,000 private residence sale tax exclusion to agricultural land, as well as the sale of development or water rights on agricultural land. Support tax credits for agricultural land use preservation on private land.
- Support tax reform that will reduce the complexity of the tax code and relieve the burden of compliance on family farmers and rural businesses.
- Support tax relief for farms and rural small businesses such as permanent elimination of the estate tax and increasing accelerated depreciation.
10. Support Transportation Improvements that Protect Rural Freedom of Mobility
Freedom of mobility is vital to rural life. Transportation is our nation's economic circulatory system. Federal investments promote healthy economic growth. However, our highways, railroads, airports and waterways are deteriorating from failure to deal with transportation issues. Since 1970, Americans have increased the miles they drive by 148%, while new roads have increased by just 6%. Gridlock costs $67.5 billion a year and wastes 3.6 billion hours. Grain literally rots on the ground waiting to be transported. The number of grain railroad cars has fallen by 24% in just five years and 68% of the remaining railcars are at least 20 years old. Our nation's commercial waterways are threatened by environmental regulations and deteriorating infrastructure. Airports in rural communities continue to close while service at urban airports declines due to overcrowding.
Action Plan-
- Support comprehensive, multi-year, federal surface transportation legislation that would benefit rural America, through highway construction, rural highway and bridge maintenance, highway safety and mass transportation. Support a Highway Trust Fund funded by dedicated motor fuel taxes.
- Encourage railroads, trucking and barge shipping companies to provide reliable and competitive bulk commodity transportation. Restrict mergers that further concentrate transportation resources.
- Support federal expenditures to upgrade and maintain all inland waterways and commercial ports. Resist efforts to shorten transportation seasons on rivers for environmental reasons.
- Support continued commercial passenger and freight air service to rural airports.
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