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Enough alreadyBy Holly Martin Who would have thought that it would be the first of May--of 2008--and we would still be discussing the farm bill? To be absolutely honest, I'm tired of it. It was a long, long time ago when then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns kicked off his farm bill listening tour, to much fanfare. He's no longer even in Washington. I'm a journalist and should thrive on a huge news event like this. Instead, I'm tired--tired of the bickering; tired of the veto threats; tired of the political posturing. And, I'm tired of writing this column with the subject of urging Washington to do what's best for farmers. It's long past that point. Sure, the bill could still make changes that could severely harm or help farmers. But they've already made it unbelievably difficult by forcing producers to make crop decisions without knowing what the farm bill will hold. If I'm tired, I can only imagine how farmers must have lost interest and become frustrated a long time ago. To be fair, I know that it is not any one segment's fault. I am not pointing fingers. I understand how difficult it must be to get legislators from all corners of the country and city to agree on a particular bill. But to me, it seems that there has been very little leadership in the House or Senate to accomplish what needed to be done. And now, it is hard to work up enthusiasm for a bill that has been promised many, many times and still hasn't been completed--or at least not as a write this. Let's all hope that by the time you read this, things may have changed. And we have a good, solid bill to help farmers ensure the food supply of America. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 1-800-452-7171 ext. 1806 or e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com. 5/5/08 Date: 4/30/08 Advertisement
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