Response to "NAWG supports climate change legislation"
Mr. Scronce (NAWG, July 13, Page 4-B) calls the support for the climate change legislation of the National Association of Wheat Growers as being made with a sense of "inevitability." I assume that means, "it is coming, so we may as well give up and get on board." He also says that we only have two choices, either participate and take the cash or don't be a part and just accept whatever comes. I do not agree. I believe that we should continue to make every attempt to influence the legislation to lessen its negative effects, but we should also do all we can to defeat the total package. He mentions that the legislation "is going to be costly to farmers and many other sectors in the economy." What it is probably going to do, in the long run, is eliminate our agriculture industry's ability to compete worldwide for many, many years. And it will put huge cost increases on everyone, especially those least able to afford it--the poor and those living on limited incomes.
Mr. Scronce says we should try "to benefit as much as possible under any green house gas regulation scheme." Sounds a bit selfish and shortsighted! With the huge cost increases that will be put on those forced to buy credits, they will be forced to do all they can as fast as they can to reduce that need to buy credits. That will leave us with a short time to "benefit," and a long time to regret our inability to compete worldwide.
How about if we as an industry do our best to reduce the impact of this disastrous legislation for everyone and, at the same time, work for its defeat? I am.
--Linden Baker, a wheat producer from Enid, Oklahoma
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