Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- August 15, 2007
Government officials discuss the Farm Bill, renewable energy at Ag Progress Day (:60)
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Suggested Intro:
THE 2007 FARM BILL, RENEWABLE ENERGY AND IMMIGRATION REFORM WERE KEY THEMES AS TOP GOVERNMENT LEADERS VISITED PENN STATE'S AG PROGRESS DAYS WEDNESDAY. CHUCK GILL REPORTS:
Story:
(:14) A CROWD OF MORE THAN 800 PEOPLE ATTENDED A LUNCHEON AT PENN STATE'S AG PROGRESS DAYS WEDNESAY TO HEAR SOME OF THE STATE'S TOP LEADERS OUTLINE THEIR AG-RELATED PRIORITIES.
(:20) ON THE 2007 FARM BILL, U.S. SENATOR ROBERT CASEY SAID HE WILL PUSH FOR REGIONAL EQUITY FOR PENNSYLVANIA PRODUCERS, WHO HE SAID ARE UNDERSERVED IN THE AREAS OF CROP INSURANCE, CONSERVATION FUNDING AND SPECIALTY CROPS. GOVERNOR ED RENDELL ASKED FOR SUPPORT FOR LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES TO REPLACE ONE BILLION GALLONS OF TRANSPORTATION FUELS WITH PENNSYLVANIA-PRODUCED BIOFUELS BY THE YEAR 2017:
Rendell Actuality:
(:16) "THE COMMONWEALTH IS ALREADY BECOMING A LEADER IN THE PRODUCTION OF RENEWABLE FUELS. BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, FIVE ETHANOL PLANTS WILL BE IN PRODUCTION, AND THEY WILL LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION OF 340 MILLION GALLONS OF ETHANOL A YEAR, INCLUDING ONE OF THE BIGGEST IN THE UNITED STATES."(:10) ACKNOWLEDGING THE AG INDUSTRY'S LABOR NEEDS, U.S. SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER TOLD THE AUDIENCE THAT HE'S FLOATING A NEW IDEA FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY FUGITIVE STATUS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SO THEY WOULD STEP FORWARD AND BE REGISTERED. FROM AG PROGRESS DAYS IN ROCK SPRINGS, I'M CHUCK GILL.
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EXTRA ACTUALITIES:
U.S. SENATOR ROBERT CASEY
AS THE 2007 FEDERAL FARM BILL IS DELIBERATED IN THE SENATE, CASEY SAID HE WOULD WORK TO ACHIEVE REGIONAL EQUITY, SO THAT THE BILL WOULD ACCOUNT FOR THE DIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA'S AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY:Casey Actuality #1: [mp3 file]
(:17) "WE'RE AN UNDERSERVED STATE WHEN IT COMES TO CROP INSURANCE COVERAGE, FOR EXAMPLE. WE'RE AN UNDERSERVED STATE WHEN IT COMES TO HELP ON OUR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS -- ONLY $20 MILLION ANNUALLY IN FUNDING FOR ALL THE CONSRVATION PROGRAMS COMBINED. THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR OUR STATE AND FOR OUR PEOPLE."Casey Actuality #2: [mp3 file]
(:23) "OUR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS RECEIVE ONLY MARGINAL ASSISTANCE. AND EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE SPECIALTY CROPS ALL ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA THAT ACCOUNT FOR 51 PERCENT OF ALL AGRICULTURAL OR FARM RECEIPTS. AND YOU KNOW THE LIST -- WE'RE IN THE TOP TEN IN VIRTUALLY ANY SPECIALTY CROP YOU TALK ABOUT, WHETHER ITS PEACHES OR MAPLE SYRUP OR APPLES. WE'RE OF COURSE NUMBER ONE IN MUSHROOMS."U.S. SENATOR ARLEN SPECTER
SPECTER SAID SECURING THE BORDERS AND HOLDING EMPLOYERS LIABLE FOR HIRING ILLEGALS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT HE SAID HIS NEW PROPOSAL FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM WOULD TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT 5 PERCENT OF THE U.S. WORK FORCE IS IMMIGRANT LABOR, WHICH IS NEEDED IN MANY AGRICULTURAL SECTORS:Specter Actuality: [mp3 file]
(:28) "I'M FLOATING A NEW IDEA, AND THAT IS NOT TO HAVE AMNESTY WITH CITIZENSHIP, BUT JUST REMOVE THE FUGITIVE STATUS, SO THAT UNSCRUPULOUS EMPLOYERS CAN'T BLACKMAIL IMMIGRANTS, SAYING THEY'LL TURN THEM IN IF THEY DON'T LIVE IN SQUALID CIRCUMSTANCES AND WORK FOR PRACTICALLY NOTHING, AND TRY TO GET PEOPLE TO COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS SO WE COULD REGISTER THESE 12 MILLION PEOPLE. YOU CANNOT DEPORT 12 MILLION PEOPLE. IT SIMPLY CAN'T BE DONE."
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