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May 17, 2002
FARM
BILL ASSESSMENT: TITLE VI -- RURAL DEVELOPMENT
The rural development title, Title VI, of the Farm Bill contains several
provisions of interest to the land-grant system. A particularly exciting
success is the Rural Electronic Commerce Extension Program (Sec. 6202).
The program authorizes $60 million annually for a competitive grants
program to state extension services to provide educational programming
and business development assistance in electronic commerce to businesses
in primarily rural areas. Of this $60 million, $20 million is authorized
for distribution to the Regional Rural Development Centers to assemble
regional electronic commerce expertise from a variety of sectors and
develop educational programs for delivery by the states.
PRESIDENT
BUSH SIGNS FARM BILL
Source: Congress Daily by Jerry Hagstrom
President Bush signed the farm bill, and defended it against critics
who have decried the bill's cost of at least $45 billion in additional
spending over six years, and who have argued the high level of subsidies
in it will make trade negotiations more difficult. "This bill
is generous, and will provide a safety net for farmers," said
Bush, and "will do so without encouraging overproduction and
depressing prices." Bush also said: "This bill better
balances loan rates, and better matches them to market prices. It
reduces government interference in the market, and in farmers' and
ranchers' planting decisions. The farm bill supports our commitment
to open trade, and complies with our obligations to the World Trade
Organization." Bush took the opportunity to ask the Senate
again to give him trade negotiating authority. "Let me put
it as plainly as I can: We want to be selling our beef and our corn
and our beans to people around the world who need to eat,"
he said.
Bush
also hinted he would not look favorably on emergency farm spending
this year. He said the bill "breaks a bad fiscal habit"
of emergency aid bills and is "generous enough to eliminate
the need for supplemental support later this year and in the future."
The drought in Western states seems to be getting worse, however,
and Western senators and House members are trying to add an amendment
to the FY02 supplemental spending bill to deal with the drought
problems. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., today wrote Senate Majority
Leader Daschle and Minority Leader Lott seeking their support for
that effort, and intends to send the same plea to Bush Tuesday.
Bush also noted the bill will provide conservation aid on "working
lands" and that restoration of food stamp eligibility to legal
immigrants will help "elderly" farmworkers and immigrants
who have been in the country for five years and fallen on hard times.
But he also noted that Congress had left out his plan for farm savings
accounts.
CANONS
OF PRACTICE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION
The Dean, Directors, and Department Chairs formally adopted the
Canons of Practice for Public Policy Research and Education at their
meeting on April 11, 2002. The Canons of practice are now a formal
part of the College of Agriculture and Home Economics policies and
procedures. The Canons can be found at: http://www.cahe.wsu.edu/.
These
Canons of Practice are based upon an extensive review of best practices,
principles, and guidelines available both within the Land Grant
System as well as from professional organizations involved in public
policy research and education. The faculty committee that drafted
the Canons of Practice consisted of Emmett Fiske fiske@wsu.edu,
Kay Haaland kayh@co.skagit.wa.us,
Rob McDaniel mcdaniel@wsu.edu,
Phil Wandschneider pwandschneider@wsu.edu
and Ron Faas (emeritus faculty).
A
short in-service on the Canons of Practice will be conducted at
this year's All Extension Conference in October. In the meantime,
faculty from the committee are available for presentations at department
meetings or can be contacted via email to answer questions.
SCHEDULE
Next week, May 20-24, Mike and Linda will be in Pullman.
Mike
Tate
Dean and Director
Linda Kirk Fox
Associate Director
Cooperative Extension
PO Box 646230
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-6230
Ph 509-335-2933
Fax 509-335-2926
lkfox@wsu.edu
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