White House Budget Mixed Bag for Rural America
White House Budget Mixed Bag for Rural America
According to the Center for Rural Affairs, the White House budget proposal for agriculture has some good and some bad for rural America. Center for Rural Affairs Media Director John Crabtree says it will have a huge impact on rural states like South Dakota.
The farm and rural advocacy group says the White House budget proposal for agriculture that was released last week is a double edged sword for rural South Dakota and rural America. John Crabtree with the Center for Rural Affairs says his group supports proposals calling for more effective payments limits for federal farm programs but opposed White House efforts that make deep cuts to rural development programs. He says that funding for these programs is vital to helping rural citizens strengthen their communities and the rural economy.
“The federal agriculture and rural budget for next year needs in invest in America in a meaningful way. We need to look at rural revitalization not cutting the programs that do that. And, one of the best ways we can do that is through payment limitations and use the savings to invest in rural development and conservation and the types of programs that really make a difference for farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” said Crabtree
Crabtree says the administration’s payment limitation proposal would save money and provide potential for rural communities, but adds that the additional cuts to rural development and conservation programs will hurt states like South Dakota.
“We have to invest those savings in rural America and this proposal does the opposite. It cuts the very programs that provide the capacity for the federal government to invest in rural communities and that really works to the detriment of rural communities and rural people,” added Crabtree.
Crabtree says the farm payment limits proposal is similar to the one proposed by Senators Grassley of Iowa and Dorgan of North Dakota and that many of the other proposed cuts are the same as the President’s budget proposal from last year. He said included in the cuts are rural development programs, value-added producer grants and small business micro-loans for rural small business development.
post a question or comment here or contact John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org
Center for Rural Affairs
Values. Worth. Action.
According to the Center for Rural Affairs, the White House budget proposal for agriculture has some good and some bad for rural America. Center for Rural Affairs Media Director John Crabtree says it will have a huge impact on rural states like South Dakota.
The farm and rural advocacy group says the White House budget proposal for agriculture that was released last week is a double edged sword for rural South Dakota and rural America. John Crabtree with the Center for Rural Affairs says his group supports proposals calling for more effective payments limits for federal farm programs but opposed White House efforts that make deep cuts to rural development programs. He says that funding for these programs is vital to helping rural citizens strengthen their communities and the rural economy.
“The federal agriculture and rural budget for next year needs in invest in America in a meaningful way. We need to look at rural revitalization not cutting the programs that do that. And, one of the best ways we can do that is through payment limitations and use the savings to invest in rural development and conservation and the types of programs that really make a difference for farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” said Crabtree
Crabtree says the administration’s payment limitation proposal would save money and provide potential for rural communities, but adds that the additional cuts to rural development and conservation programs will hurt states like South Dakota.
“We have to invest those savings in rural America and this proposal does the opposite. It cuts the very programs that provide the capacity for the federal government to invest in rural communities and that really works to the detriment of rural communities and rural people,” added Crabtree.
Crabtree says the farm payment limits proposal is similar to the one proposed by Senators Grassley of Iowa and Dorgan of North Dakota and that many of the other proposed cuts are the same as the President’s budget proposal from last year. He said included in the cuts are rural development programs, value-added producer grants and small business micro-loans for rural small business development.
post a question or comment here or contact John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org
Center for Rural Affairs
Values. Worth. Action.
posted by Center for Rural Affairs @ 8:11 PM
4 Comments:
At 10:04 AM,
Anonymous said…
"....And, one of the best ways we can do that is through payment limitations and use the savings to invest in rural development and conservation and the types of programs that really make a difference for farmers, ranchers and rural communities,” said Crabtree
I agree, but we know the savings are to enable tax cuts and war, not to reinvest in rural America.
At 2:22 PM,
Center for Rural Affairs said…
and that is our main objection to the White House budget proposal. Thanks for your comment. Investing in rural America should be a priority for the White House, Congress and the next farm bill. I'd love to hear your ideas on how to make that a reality.
John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org
Center for Rural Affairs
Values. Worth. Action
At 6:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
I am not going to hold my breath waiting for this administration to make rural development a priority, we will need to do it at the state and local level.
At 10:11 PM,
Center for Rural Affairs said…
I agree, and I'll tell you what, if a relatively small number of people would work diligently and succeed in making sustainable rural development a priority at the state and local (their state and local) level, it would BECOME a priority at the federal level.
John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org
Center for Rural Affairs
Values. Worth. Action.
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