01/24/05 Sacrifice for ag?

01/24/05 Sacrifice for ag?

Most everyone would agree that President Bush's inaugural address last week had a primary focus on our country's expanded role as the expeditor of freedom and democracy around the world, which in turn would best serve the U.S.'s national security interests. But also in the speech was a point not as analyzed by the national media. And that is the President's call for social change & updating New Deal programs by transforming entitlement programs into what is being called pillars of a new social order based on individual ownership. BUSH: In America's ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now, we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country. We will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. Now some of this agenda is already making headlines in the form of the President's call to revamp Social Security. But ask agricultural types what they heard about their industry in the inaugural speech, and they will tell you nothing specific. But what ag insiders like Mark Maslen of the American Farm Bureau Federation picked up on the speech is that several in agriculture feel the time is right for such reform and in the long run will benefit their individual operations, and industry as a whole. MASLEN: I think they view themselves in many ways as having or aspiring to those same ideals of individualism and patriotism and being of help to our neighbors here in this country as well as around the world. Yet that new policy might come with a cost to farmers, ranchers, and ag producers. As the Bush Administration continues commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the agenda set in the Inaugural Address, many speculate that will mean not only record setting deficits but cuts in the federal budget for domestic programs, especially for agriculture. Interestingly enough, Maslen believes American farmers and ranchers are more than willing to do their part budget wise. One factor that may help ease any blow is projections that 2005 will be a fairly good year as far as commodity prices are concerned.
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