 |
|
JUNE 2003 |
|
Record
Breaking National Grange Fly In 2003 is a Huge Success!
This year, the
National Grange Legislative Department has been very successful in implementing
their programs, the most recent being the 2003 Legislative Fly-In, which took
place May 18th - 20th. For each of the past six years, the National Grange has
hosted the Legislative Fly-In, a program where Grange members can take advantage
of educational workshops, enjoy cultural activities in their nation's capitol
and meet their Congressional and Senate leaders. This year's program had 74 participants,
the largest turn out to date.
Greetings
and introductions kicked off the program in the Goss Conference room of the National
Grange building in Washington DC on Sunday May 18th. National Master Kermit W.
Richardson welcomed the group. Afterwards, Legislative Director Leroy Watson,
assisted by National Grange Legislative Assistant Joanne Manelli and National
Grange Research Analyst Chil-Sook Hwang, gave an overview of the National Grange
Legislative Program for 2003 as well as a review of the conference agenda. Fly-In
participants then attended a dramatic reading of the play Work Song about the
life of Frank Lloyd Wright at the Smithsonian Institution's Renwick Gallery. The
evening of May 18th finished with an elegant dinner cruise down the Potomac River.
On
May 19th, the formal workshop schedule began. The first presentation was the WTO
Update: Four perspectives on the Status of Agricultural Trade Provisions in the
Doha Round of World Trade Organization Negotiations. Speakers for this panel included
Jason Hafemeister, Director of WTO Agriculture Negotiations for the U.S. Trade
Representatives Office; Christian Berger, Agriculture Counselor for the Embassy
of France; Fran Freeman, Minister-Counselor, Agriculture and Resources, Embassy
of Australia and Baoquing Zhao, First Secretary of Commercial Office, Agriculture,
Embassy of China in the U.S.
Following
that was a press conference hosted by Pfizer, Inc. and the National Grange to
announce new efforts to provide reduced cost prescription drugs to America's senior
farmers and rural seniors in 31 states by encouraging qualified Medicare beneficiaries
to learn more about the Pfizer for Living Share Card prescription benefit program.
The Pfizer for Living Share Card enables qualified low-income Medicare beneficiaries to obtain up to 30-day supplies
of most Pfizer prescription medicines for a flat fee of $15 per prescription.
In addition, Share Card members have access to a 24-hour call center with live
operators to learn about other health services and benefits and to request free,
easy-to-read health education materials on 16 common medical conditions without
requiring a fee. "Our mission is to help improve the quality of life and well-being
of the people who live in rural America," said Kermit Richardson. He also went
on to say "thousands of low income rural seniors across the country are struggling
to manage their health without prescription drug coverage. The Pfizer for Living
Share Card can help and with our 300,000 members in 3,000 communities, we can
get the word out."
Ms.
Diane Steed, President of the American Highway Users Alliance finished out the
morning's presentations by giving an informative update on the status of major
highway and transportation legislation currently before Congress. After hearing
from Ms. Steed, Fly-In attendees enjoyed a buffet lunch while Mr. Jerry Hagstrom,
Senior Agricultural Reporter with the National Journal magazine, spoke on Harvesting
Votes: the politics of agriculture today in Washington DC. Following
lunch, Mr. James Wright with the National Sheriffs Association gave a presentation
addressing the needs of rural victims of crime. Mr. Chris Bowlin, Senior Vice
President for Legislative Affairs for the Health Insurance Association of America,
made the final presentation on pending legislation to reform federal health care
programs and their potential impact on rural America. The second day's program
concluded with a tour of the historic Decatur House Museum, a "Grange Fair" reception
featuring exciting member benefits and services and a banquet with an address
by National Grange President Kermit W. Richardson.
The
final day of the Legislative Fly-In 2003 was devoted to visits between attendees
and their US Representatives and US Senators. Grange members attended more than
65 individual Capitol Hill meeting during Fly In 2003, another Fly In record!
During lunch in the Longworth House Office Building, three prominent Members of
Congress stopped by to greet the Fly In 2003 participants and offer remarks: Sen.
Elizabeth Dole (NC), Rep. Robert Ethridge (NC), and Rep. Eliot Engel (NY). Also
on the agenda was attendance at a live taping of the CNN political debate TV show
Crossfire followed by an informal farewell dinner. Overall,
Fly In 2003 participants rated this year's event as a very positive experience.
One reason was the growing list of sponsors who contributed, either financially
or in kind, to help make the Fly In 2003 a success. The National Grange would
like to thank the following sponsors for their generous financial and/or in kind
support of The National Grange Legislative Fly In 2003: Pharmaceutical Research
and Manufacturers of America, Verizon Communications, Inc., BellSouth Communications,
Inc., SBC Communications, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., North Carolina State Grange, Potomac
Grange #1, American Highway Users Alliance, Issue Dynamics Inc., National Sheriffs
Association, National Journal, Inc, Health Insurance Association of America, Renwick
Gallery, Decatur House Museum, Office of Rep. Eliot Engel, Office of the United
States Trade Representative, Embassy of France, Embassy of Australia, Embassy
of the People's Republic of China and Crossfire Television show.
Legislative Fly In Photo Gallery
Press
Release -- Pfizer Joins the National Grange to Promote Better Health Outcomes
Among Low-Income Seniors in Rural America
top Pennsylvania
Grange Washington DC Legislative Bus Tour Turns 18!
On May 13, the National
Grange welcomed the Pennsylvania State Grange on their Washington DC Legislative
Bus tour. This annual event kicked off with a lunch on Capitol Hill with representatives
of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation. US Senators Rick Santorum (PA) and
Arlen Specter (PA) personally addressed the Pennsylvania Grange members during
their Capitol Hill luncheon and updated them about critical pieces of legislation
moving through Congress this year. Following
the Capitol Hill luncheon, the Pennsylvania delegation visited the National Grange
building. There they participated in two policy briefings arranged by the National
Grange Legislative Staff. The first briefing was from Mr. Dale Moore, chief of
staff to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman. Mr. More provided an update
on issues related to implementation of the 2002 Farm Bill one year after its adoption.
Mr. Peter Stein, Legislative Assistant to Sen. Santorum gave the Pennsylvania
Grangers a detailed briefing on the prospects for health care reform legislation
passing in this session of Congress. He also talked about the prospects for adding
a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program for seniors. The
PA Grange Washington DC Legislative Bus tour concluded the Washington DC segment
of their program with a celebration banquet. National Grange Chief Operating Officer
Dick Weiss addressed the Pennsylvania Grange members, which brought personal greetings
from Kermit and Margaret Richardson and also discussed many of the exciting new
member service benefits that the National Grange is providing to all its members.
Congratulations to PA State Grange Legislative Director Brenda Shambaugh, PA State
Grange Master Betsy Huber and the rest of the PA State Grange staff for organizing
the 18th successful annual PA Grange Washington DC Legislative Bus Tour!
PA
Grangers go "Quackers" on Bus Trip
PA
Bus Trip Photo Gallery top Congress
Approves Tax-Cut Initiative
On May 22nd Congress passed H.R. 2, otherwise
known as the Jobs and Growth Tax Act of 2003. During the 136th Annual Convention
in Portland, OR last November, tax reform was a top priority for the Grange delegates.
In a letter to President Bush, National Master Kermit Richardson called on the
President to sign the tax cut legislation. Richardson told the President that
this legislation would accelerate tax cuts that have already been proposed, creating
a flatter and more balanced income tax system. President Bush signed H.R. 2 into
law on May 28th. This
legislation also benefits farmers and other small business owners by increasing
the amount of expensing that can be deducted from $25,000 to $100,000 while increasing
the definition of small business from $200,000 to $400,000. According to figures
provided by USDA, 98% of all farmers will be able to write off the expenses of
their equipment and machinery purchases in just one year. Reductions will also
be found in capital gains and dividend taxes. In addition, this bill will increase
the child credit while accelerating the expansion of the marriage penalty relief,
both changes supported by current Grange policy. In
addition to benefiting taxpayers, this plan will provide $20 billion in aid for
state governments, with half of the funds going toward Medicaid funding and the
other half being allocated to states based on population over the next two years.
Although this bill will not eliminate the "death" tax, it is steering rural America
and the rest of the country towards sensible tax policies and a more stable economy.
Action
Alert -- The National Grange Urges President Bush to Sign the Jobs and Growth
Tax Act of 2003 As Soon As Congress Completes Final Passage " Jobs
and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003" - Text of Legislation top Connecticut
State Grange Testify Before State Legislature
Master Phillip Prelli and
Legislative Director Gordon Gibson testified before the Government Administration
and Election Committee of the State Legislature regarding the mergers of several
government agencies. Governor Rowland has proposed merging the following agencies:
the Department of Agriculture with the Department of Consumer Protection; the
Commission on the Deaf and Hearing Impaired into the Department of Social Services;
dividing the Board of Education and Services for the Blind between the Department
of Social Services and the Department of Education; combining the Commission on
the Arts, the Connecticut Historical Commission and the Connecticut Tourism Council
into a new Connecticut Commission on Arts, Culture and Tourism; and merging the
Boards of Pardon and Parole into the Department of Corrections. The
Grange's stance was that there should be a separate Department of Agriculture
and that the functions such as forestry, pesticides and aquiculture previously
removed from the Department be returned. Another issue is the misconception that
agriculture is dying in Connecticut; the state has growing nursery, specialty
agriculture and aquiculture industries that need support. If these departments
are merged, it will be necessary to strengthen the Agriculture section and have
it be led by qualified Deputy Commissioners so that it doesn't get lost. Particular
concern was addressed concerning the merging of the Departments of Consumer Protection
with Agriculture. Although both perform the important task of inspecting food
as it moves from farm to market, Consumer Protection does not have anything to
do with the promotion of products grown in the state of Connecticut. Of
everyone who testified that day, the only one in favor of this merger was Secretary
of the Office of Policy and Management, Marc Ryan. He claimed that the consolidations
would actually benefit both of the agencies because it would eliminate duplication
of services. Mr. Ryan noted that both parties would be better off because inspectors
with the Department of Consumer Protection could be trained to inspect farms,
livestock and other agricultural activity. Each department that the Governor proposes
to merge serves its own unique purpose. If these departments are merged, they
will lose sight of those purposes, resulting in decreased effectiveness.
top Conservation
Reserve Program Sign-up Extended
The National Grange recently joined
forces with other agricultural and environmental groups in a joint letter to urge
USDA Secretary Ann Veneman to extend the time frame in which farmers and landowners
can sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) beyond the May 30 deadline.
The issue of extending the CRP signup period was also raised with USDA chief of
staff Dale Moore when he visited with the PA Grange Washington DC Legislative
Bus tour (see related story). Mr. Moore promised to take the request for a sign
up extension back to USDA for consideration. The CRP is the nation's largest private
lands environmental improvement program, it protects millions of acres of American
topsoil from erosion, provides wildlife habitat and safeguards America's streams
and bodies of water. CRP is administered through the Farm Service Agency (FSA),
which has offices throughout the nation where farmers can sign up to participate.
The coalition concluded that more time was necessary for farmers to sign up for
this important program because many are in the midst of this year's planting season.
The National Grange is pleased that the USDA extended the sign-up period to June
13th. This allowed additional farmers more opportunity to take advantage of the
program. For additional information, please visit FSA's
web site.
top Rural
America Gaining Attention for Election 2004
With the passing of the 2002
Farm Bill last year, the rural community was given much needed attention regarding
their role in America's economy. This legislation was created not only to address
economic concerns, it tackled issues affecting the quality of life in rural America,
such as telecommunications access, prescription drug coverage for seniors and
promotion of responsible land stewardship. When President Bush signed the 2002
Farm Bill, he said that "American farm and ranch families embody some of the best
values of our nation; hard work and risk-taking, love of the land and love of
our country. Farming is the first industry of America - the industry that feeds
us, the industry that clothes us, and the industry that increasingly provides
more of our energy. The success of America's farmers and ranchers is essential
to the success of the American economy." In
an attempt to gain a foothold on the White House, Democratic hopefuls are also
seeking the support of rural Americans. One such example is Sen. John Edwards
(D-NC), a contender for the 2004 Democratic presidential candidacy. Recent news
reports indicate that Sen. Edwards has identified rural voters and rural Democrats
in particular as an important constituency that could help propel him to his party's
presidential nomination and beyond that to the White House in 2004. In an effort
to gain support from the rural community, Senator Edwards has proposed a five-year
plan to revitalize rural America by connecting investors and management experts
in cities with entrepreneurs in small towns. Also embodied in the plan are incentives
for deploying Internet access and obtaining development grants. Other Democratic
candidates for President are fine-tuning their campaign messages to respond to
the needs of rural voters as well. Related
article - "Edwards unveils rural agenda".
According
to a survey on past elections, rural Americans have been favoring Republican candidates
in recent general elections, a trend that is said to have started in 1994. If
this tendency holds true in 2004, it may make the prospect of gaining the presidency
a challenge to Democrats, but not impossible because many rural voters prize their
political independence. Although Election 2004 seems to be a long way away, these
examples are indicative of how rural votes can shape our government. This is an
opportunity the National Grange must seize; with the increase and effectiveness
of legislative and grassroots activity, the Grange is well on its way to becoming
a force in shaping America's policies.
top |
