JR’s Recent Comments

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  Unfortunate passage, tragic passing

  Mr. Grunwald has provided a real service in pulling the curtain back on the passage of WRDA in congress. Reform of the corps and restoration of the environment have lost again. But, as Corps reformers throughout the country know, the real tragedy of the past few days was the passing of Mark Beorkrem----a truth-to-power example for us all throughout the more than decade long fight against the Upper Mississippi locks boondoggle.

  This WRDA is a setback, but right back at it. Mark wasn't finished yet.On Why Bush's water-bill veto was actually a good idea posted 2 years ago 11 Responses

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  Reform conservation title, too

  First, farmers do try to increase income (through increased production primarily) in low price cycles. Tom is absolutely correct. The most absurd contention is that a farmer will not plant a crop in response to low prices. Bills come due all year every year and no farm will simply forgo its annual source of income because prices are low. That is the primary reality of agriculture, and what ultimately does make our business different than other industries.

  Still, the need for reform in current federal ag policy is clear for many reasons----including the very largest operations receiving unjustified sums at the expense and to the detriment of the mid-size and small farms, the environment and natural resources, and the food supply and marketplace.  But, for this very reason, I can not understand how the enviro-org reformers Tom identifies can accept and worse yet promote and expand an element of USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) that provides $450,000 for the construction and expansion of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO).  This is the single worst example of directly subsidizing the foundational costs of corporate factories in all of federal agricultural policy (and using "environmental quality" dollars of all things).  Considering the documented environmental destruction, the documented economic consolidation and farm losses, and the documented market disruption and domination all created by CAFO and their vertically integrated corporate ownership structure, it is astounding and offensive that some enviro "reformers" would enshrine this worst example of unjust subsidization.On Why gutting subsidies shouldn't be the focus of Farm Bill reform efforts posted 2 years ago 17 Responses