tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77732328921833100972024-03-05T02:38:05.541-07:00Rural RepublicJon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-64255994351012994312010-11-11T17:38:00.006-07:002010-11-14T00:30:36.040-07:00Rural Schools: Going Forward by Looking Back?<div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 261px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539296624179410274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEypCQ_XG2T25P_aRrrRmmwiFjb10laPwQ8QIGrabiDnboJ7BuRjHj_ailuGEbX4FBnVGPLkXpzi3gnAYXH9obYKTIiY_69SOlKvMtnrq7964Joer4Pmqp4q2huL-BCbwA52r2GPRVag/s320/Amish_schoolhouse.jpg" /><br /><br /><div><br /><div>If you live in a rural area in the United States, chances are that you are near a school district that has undergone the consolidation of schools in multiple small towns into one, larger school in the past few years. As I wrote about <a href="http://ruralrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/09/clog-in-brain-drain.html">here</a>, rural communities are generally shrinking and aging, which obviously leads to lower school enrollment as there are fewer school-aged children around. At the same time, property tax revenues - nearly half of which <a href="http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/1308_The-Property-Tax-School-Funding-Dilemma">nationwide</a> are used to fund public elementary and secondary schools - have been declining in recent years due to lower property values and the generally poor economy (and, at least where I live [in Colorado], ag land assessments are not based on market value - thus limiting how much the upward spiral of land prices can contribute to property tax growth). Given these two considerations, it is natural for school districts to want to save money. What more could any conservative want than for government entities to do more with less?<br /><br />The problem - or, rather, the first problem - is that study after study concludes that the perceived savings achieved by consolidation are minimal at best. University of Michigan researches <a href="http://blog.mlive.com/headoftheclass/2010/09/small_rural_schools_leader_say.html">reported</a> in 1994 that "there is very little evidence that larger educational units will achieve economics of scale in administration or operations." The <a href="http://www.ruraledu.org/articles.php?id=2042">Rural School and Community Trust</a> summarized the literature on the subject by saying, "Projected cost savings from consolidation are either temporary or illusory because lower costs in some expenditure categories" [e.g., administration] "are often offset by higher costs in other areas" [e.g., transportation].<br /><br />The other major problem with school consolidation is simply that it tends to have negative results for both students and the surrounding communities. <a href="http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ783851.pdf">Bard, Gardener, and Wieland</a>, writing in <em>The Rural Educator</em> in 2006, summarize their findings by saying, in part:</div><div><blockquote>• Smaller districts have higher achievement, affective and social outcomes...<br />• Local school officials should be wary of merging several smaller elementary schools, at least if the goal is improved performance.<br />• After a school closure, out migration, population decline, and neighborhood<br />deterioration are set in motion, and support for public education diminishes.<br />• There is no solid foundation for the belief that eliminating school districts will improve education, enhance cost-effectiveness or promote equality.<br />• Students from low income areas have better achievement in small<br />schools.</blockquote><br />However, the fact remains that many rural schools are in drastic - and disproportionate - need of improvement. Only about a fifth of American students attend rural schools, yet those same rural schools "account for an estimated one-third of the roughly 5,000 schools nationwide targeted for improvement." But how can schools improve when facing decreasing revenue streams and frequent budget shortfalls?<br /><br />The answer - according to <a href="http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2008/09/Does-Spending-More-on-Education-Improve-Academic-Achievement">Lips, Watkins, and Fleming</a> - is not to simply throw more money at the problem (even if the money were available). They suggest that "policymakers should resist proposals to increase funding for public education" because "[h]istorical trends and other evidence suggest that simply increasing funding... has not led to corresponding improvement in academic achievement." Combine this with the case made above against school consolidation, and readers are probably wondering what other alternatives might exist.<br /><br />A starting point may be to realize that the very schools now threatened by consolidation are themselves the product of previous consolidation. As anyone who's ever read Little House on the Prairie or seen "Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman" knows, most rural areas in the Midwest and West were once served by iconic "one room schoolhouses." In fact, those schoolhouses were the primary mode of education for children up to about 8th grade in my part of the country until the middle of the Twentieth Century. The first half of my dad's siblings attended a country school; the younger ones were bused into town.<br /><br />So, what happened to all of those schools? Was there something fundamentally flawed with that model of education? In the view of Bard, et al., the biggest strike against them seems to have simply been intellectual fashion:<br /><br /><blockquote>The rise of industry in urban areas in the late nineteenth century contributed to the school consolidation movement. The prevailing belief during the industrial revolution was that education could contribute to an optimal social order using organizational techniques adapted from industry (Orr, 1992). Early school reformers and policy makers felt that an industrialized society required all schools to look alike, and began to advocate more of an urban, centralized model of education... urban and larger schools were adopted as the “one best model,” and from this context rural schools were judged deficient.</blockquote></div><p></p><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><p><p></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539296634287803634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1SoliK8zx-mz8-pNzihRKm6p8j9lAXehOJsca602nVyCVzMnXlkEOUsB_fR3eEjmmJCIuUzfw6OuBjI_sJsnV-IvoH0EMCV1wXHUtrC5FSGDpAK0sMjC8xy8JIQViaMQJQGfdaefqEC4/s320/Mennonite_Classroom_Pennsylvania_1942.jpg" /> <p></p><blockquote></blockquote><div>However, the new schools (which we now consider the mainstream) were inferior to the old model in several important ways. This is now being recognized by reformers of the large, urban schools that served as the "one best model" decades ago - so much so that <em>The New York Times</em> <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallschools/message/410?var=1&l=1">reported</a> that "the fundamental aspects of teaching inside them [one room schoolhouses] - from multi-age classrooms and peer tutoring to interdisciplinary projects and keeping students with the same teacher for more than one year - are being copied in large school systems across the country."<br /><br />The same <em>Times</em> article (which highlighted one of an estimated 380 traditional one room schools still operating in the US) quotes Professor Andrew Gulliford of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado as saying:<br /><br /></div><blockquote>One-room schools really represent, I think, the best model for training American children for the first through the eighth grades... In terms of ego development, in terms of character, in terms of personality, in terms of the well-rounded individual fitting in with the group, country schools are very efficient - they helped train generations of Americans... In a one-room schoolhouse, every child counts - they've always counted, whether it was 1890 or 1990. How can you say that in most modern educational systems today? It's just not true.</blockquote><div>This superior model may also be far more cost-effective than our current system. Charlie Martin, writing for pajamasmedia.com, conducted a <a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/a-one-room-schoolhouse-for-the-21st-century/">"thought experiment"</a> in which he developed a proposal for a one room school <em>in midtown Manhattan</em>. Parker used the general class-size and square footage of a preserved schoolhouse he had visited at the Adams County, Colorado Historical Society, but equipped his hypothetical school with new furniture and modern technology (including one computer for every two students, internet connections, plus $1,000 each for other books and supplies). Applying the current per-pupil funding in New York City, he was left - after paying to rent, furnish, and supply his school - with <em>$230,000</em> to apply to the cost of salary and benefits for a teacher.<br /><br />Sadly, the public education system in the United States has gradually become so unionized, bureaucratized, and monopolistic that such dramatic institutional change is likely to take decades (if it is even possible). There <em>are</em> some things concerned parents and/or taxpayers can do within the system to pursue real change: in Douglas County, Colorado, four Republicans ran for school board as an organized slate of candidates specifically to oppose union-backed candidates in November of 2009, and <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13717769?source=pkg">they won</a>. One year later, the Douglas County school district is seriously considering a proposal in which it <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_16538588">"could be the first wealthy, high-performing district to introduce vouchers."</a> In California, a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704462704575609781273579228.html">"parent trigger"</a> law went into effect this January which gives parents of students in failing schools a mechanism that can "trigger a forcible transformation of the school - either by inviting a charter operator to take it over, by forcing certain administrative changes, or by shutting it down outright."<br /><br />But these options will be (and have been) fought tooth and nail by those who benefit from the status quo - typically the teachers' unions - and inevitably take a great deal of time to set in motion. Once successfully implemented, they may still be for naught as an activist judge or court could overturn them, as the Colorado Supreme Court <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/carroll/ci_16535926">did</a> with the state legislature's last effort to provide a voucher program in the most poorly performing districts. As Eva Moskowitz, the charter school founder prominently featured in the film <em>The Lottery</em>, <a href="http://westsidespirit.com/2010/10/20/school-rezoning-plan-leaves-room-for-charter/">says</a>, "Parents need options now. Their 5 year old can’t wait five years."<br /><br />One immediate option available for parents who are able and willing to take on the work, financial hardship, and possible stigmatization is to homeschool. Especially when more than one sibling is being educated, children receive many of the benefits listed for one room schools: mixed age classes, peer tutoring, keeping students with the same teacher for multiple years, and (of course) individualized attention. If parents can find at least one other family with whom they share these ideals and are willing to keep "minimal records" and abide by other statuory requirements, <a href="http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Colorado.pdf">Colorado law</a> actually permits them to establish an "independent school" in which "The administrator can be one of the parents... teachers are the parents, and all teaching is done in separate campus sites in each home." So, even if the days of the schoolhouse are essentially over, rural parents may want to consider the idea of "house schools" for their young wards.</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 312px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539296638196424418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SlPkkpg3USiDb19Dci4i_xww2VFtHR7GhyphenhyphendGxeare7bbSANsVKqCjfb5Nd5scMct2a0X6BUIE6oLLvkL4_xKYk9foXLEuldGzhZQltSiyLRUw-68qF3iInprRKvOTq7Czrju48BEOzI/s320/Student_in_Lancaster_County_Mennonite_public_school_1942.jpg" /></div><div>*(Black and white photographs used above were taken for the United States Library of Congress and are considered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Student_in_Lancaster_County_Mennonite_public_school_1942.jpg">public domain</a>.)*</div></div></div>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-14959054268878313832010-11-02T19:43:00.000-06:002010-11-02T19:43:52.073-06:00Election Night Live-Blog!Come over to Facebook (link on the left) for our Election Night Live Blogging! Grab a beverage, pull up a chair, and discuss the latest returns from Election 2010. <br />
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Or, if you're not a fan of the Facebook for whatever reason, post your comments here. Should be an interesting night!Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-64160284959123364912010-11-01T04:47:00.007-06:002010-11-01T11:53:18.265-06:00Election SpyingIn light of the upcoming election, I wanted to be an educated voter, so I went online to research the candidates in my area and stumbled across a handy little quiz that pairs up your views on the issues with the best matched candidate. I knew where I stood on all the issues, but decided to take it anyway just for fun. I about fell out of my seat when the results revealed that I share the most views with Libertarians. WHAT? I went back and reviewed the questions and realized that I had misread a question regarding laws and marriage. I changed that one answer and the results threw me back to where I suspected, smack dab in the middle of conservatism. Phew! Dodged a bullet there. But then I started to wonder how could one teeny, tiny answer could cause such a rift between both sides. If we truly have that much in common with members of ‘the other side’ why are the emotions so animated over the few things that we don’t agree on?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf9yk4L_RjlGHM4Y3ah_4hOEErSSa9coGUYgrWPqNddXRqy-MZe94N4nEaD7sxby5CJiRYj2XTd7HLwb30tFzykoyj_0YAAACNKcZ5NBTGHJ1edotFO4Ca3C3NwBrKU0mfXx3mLLYLvtu/s1600/libertarian.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 201px; height: 209px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigf9yk4L_RjlGHM4Y3ah_4hOEErSSa9coGUYgrWPqNddXRqy-MZe94N4nEaD7sxby5CJiRYj2XTd7HLwb30tFzykoyj_0YAAACNKcZ5NBTGHJ1edotFO4Ca3C3NwBrKU0mfXx3mLLYLvtu/s320/libertarian.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534540319643904578" /></a><br />So, feeling like a spy, I decided to go to websites that support the other sides. I started with the Libertarian party’s website since the quiz almost catapulted me there. At first glance, it seemed promising because its slogan is ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Freedom’. Sounds good to me. I dug deeper. After searching its <a href="http://www.lp.org/introduction/what-is-the-libertarian-party ">website</a>, I quickly realized where I had problems with their way of thinking. It lists 5 points of Libertarian belief referring to: America’s heritage, caring for others, politics based on self-ownership (these three points I more or less basically agreed with), but then a couple of points threw up red flags for me: free and independent, and tolerant. I have a romanticized vision of the wild west and am pretty much for marshal law in times of crises, however, this idea of ‘live and let live’ seems a rather irresponsible approach to governing. It reminds me of the phrase, “you got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.” Another one of my biggest complaints is their opinion to legalize drugs. It would be like a parent who knows that their child smokes pot, but then is shocked when their child begins to do other illegal activity or loses all motivation to do anything but smoke pot. Responsibility is not a bad thing. I want a responsible government representing my family and me. I have since learned that the previously mentioned handy quiz was created by the Libertarian party to change the way others see them. They may have initially done that in my mind, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that almost half of their platform is ridiculous.<br /><br />On the particular quiz I took, Statism was listed as the opposite of Libertarian. While there is no Statist party in the U.S. (mainly because that belief system is essentially as un-American as you can get), I peaked at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statism">Wikipedia’s definition </a> only to confirm my sad belief that economic statism (a.k.a. socialism) is alive and well and is seeping into the mainstream of the foundation of the U.S.A. Maybe President Obama should refer to that the next time he wants the government to purchase an automaker. Quite frankly, I had nothing in common with the Statist belief. Oppression was the heavy word that came to my mind. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ijyfrA0CMWelbTLYCvh3W0kVKbaDJajvYD2gA-hrozF6O9HaRKm4j8B57P40bn5w2ZLQNglEhf9A9nEtXUHHNAheEx6Rezfb_ZtktSdvhqFCPlfEm3ik1y-CQInfM8lfO1Q8k1_3v7cn/s1600/oppression+on+hands.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ijyfrA0CMWelbTLYCvh3W0kVKbaDJajvYD2gA-hrozF6O9HaRKm4j8B57P40bn5w2ZLQNglEhf9A9nEtXUHHNAheEx6Rezfb_ZtktSdvhqFCPlfEm3ik1y-CQInfM8lfO1Q8k1_3v7cn/s200/oppression+on+hands.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534550146727257730" /></a><br /><br />And on to the opposite of most RR readers, I looked up Liberalism (a.k.a left wing, Democrat, crazy—oops wait, not that). I really have a hard time saying this, but some of my favorite people are Democrats. That is why I get so confused when someone that I would obviously have much in common with otherwise could possibly be on that side of the quiz. How different are we? Well, the <a href="http://www.democrats.org/issues">Dem’s website </a> has a very sweet sentiment when you read what they believe in. <br /><br />Here’s a quote from the website, <em>“Democrats recognize that our country and our economy are strongest when they provide opportunity for all Americans—when we grow our country from the bottom up…Democrats stand for an abiding faith in the judgment of hardworking American families, and a commitment to helping the excluded, the disenfranchised and the poor strengthen our nation by earning themselves a piece of the American Dream…Democrats believe that each of us has an obligation to each other, to our neighbors and our communities. Each of us has a role to play in creating our future—and while we have made great progress as a nation, we know that our work is never done.”</em> Or rephrased from my observation: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” <br /><br />I can easily pick apart that paragraph alone: <em>provide opportunity for all </em>sounds nice, except when they step all over my freedom to do so. It’s like grading on a curve, the person with the highest grade always gets the bad end by making their hard work not as valuable because their grade is not based on the work, but on the comparison of everyone else’s work. <em>Grow our country from the bottom up</em>…yeah right. I’m sure there are certain circumstances that all politicians have had to overcome, but don’t try to fool me when the majority of people in power who are trying to <em>grow the country from the bottom up </em>were born with a silver spoon in hand. <em>Helping the excluded…by earning themselves a piece of the American Dream.</em> Have they forgotten that is what free enterprise is? That is the American Dream. You aren’t doing anyone any favors by giving that which they should do on their own. You can’t give gumption. You can’t give creativity. How ridiculous does it sound to “<em>help someone by earning themselves</em>”?!?!? They are missing their own point of earning themselves. That means without help. <br /><br />That does explain why I am so fond of several Democrats! I truly believe that most Democrats (minus Nancy Pelosi—she’s E-V-I-L haha) think that influence and money is enough to change others. It is a common pattern in life, but the truth always dispels that belief. They are the governmental version to enablers to drug addicts. They are the nosy and meddling aunt whose intentions are good, but the plan is flawed. They are the ‘Helicopter parents’ as described in the book “Parenting with Love & Logic”. They hate to see the natural consequences that others receive for making wrong choices. They are the wives that think controlling their husbands will change them. I won’t even go into their stance on the issues because I feel as though they look at problems in an idealistic view versus reality. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_nHgyhAfhZ0J2gHAUFulbu0ESvoBHdjHP6Oa7CQaCCbSkQu_jHdSEZW2Vp7DANOCHD8s-TZM-a1ZYzQ7HZYWtWYQzwujQogRJteyH7MFXJH5hpwAErIWp-ibbxINiniQHjZUNF010eAR/s1600/polls_democrat_republican_0001_749972_poll_xlarge.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_nHgyhAfhZ0J2gHAUFulbu0ESvoBHdjHP6Oa7CQaCCbSkQu_jHdSEZW2Vp7DANOCHD8s-TZM-a1ZYzQ7HZYWtWYQzwujQogRJteyH7MFXJH5hpwAErIWp-ibbxINiniQHjZUNF010eAR/s200/polls_democrat_republican_0001_749972_poll_xlarge.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534548832215506018" /></a><br />All in all, I see we have many similarities with our political counterparts, but the differences are valid. It is important to know who you vote for. If you vote because you like a guy’s personality rather than his belief system, you will be disappointed. Just look at all the angry people who voted for Obama. He was the most likeable presidential candidate, but that saavyness ended up polarizing most of America. We as a free society, do need the liberals even though they can frustrate us. They can provide a sense of balance (when debating on a mud-free platform). I can’t help but allude to the example that sometimes my husband and I don’t agree on personal matters and he can frustrate me. In our personal ‘debates’ we usually come to some sort of compromise or when he has a valid point, I submit to that stance. In the end, when we are respectful of each others feelings, the result is better than what I originally imagined. My idealistic hope would be that we as a country could somehow go back to the common ground and not demonize each other, but have healthy debates that could get our great nation back on track. <br /><br />Since that handy little quiz was taken, I received my handy little voter’s guide in the mail. Quite honestly, it wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. The majority of candidates didn’t even answer the questions. So, with Election Day right around the corner, I encourage you to really take some time to research who and what is on the ballot. I guarantee it won’t be easy, but being an informed voter is a good thing. Don’t just vote for your party just because. I think that is how so many crooks snuck into Congress to begin with. It always stinks when you are voting for the lesser of two evils, however, knowing that is empowering and can give you ammo for the next primary.<br /><br />Happy Voting, RR! Grab your tea and have a party!<strong></strong>J-Lohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964758680434680621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-62834059339235008852010-10-28T15:27:00.003-06:002010-10-28T21:02:38.076-06:00Monopoly Money<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7qtShT8Lt8QbTeREUvszlO1V5upVBe-tRogrfwlQ0UzSUsBLvPdK8NSBM_bOUHjWTaDtgUGoKZtXFjy-7e7tc96P6R1VmdlwLFZBTQ3IoGFkuB7HigbfAO4PHiO6jQbeotlT8E4Js-k/s1600/monopoly-bank-error-card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">The other day, frequent contributer J-Lo <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/10/22/912528/-My-response-to-my-affluent-Republican-brother">posted a link</a> on our Facebook page to an article her friend had sent her regarding one person's explanation of economic problems and potential fixes from a point of view of someone on the left. (Said friend has commented here, and I hope you're still reading). I later got a chance to read it fairly closely, and came to the conclusion that the whole thing is nonsense on stilts. The whole thing is full of weasel words (many, much, hardly any, etc.) that don't mean anything concrete, and sometimes even mean different things in different contexts. My favorite "weasel" is when 20-34% in one context is "only a fraction," whereas in another, 20-30% of the same figure is "much of the money." And, as an added bonus, the whole thing is steeped rather heavily in Marxist class rhetoric, with a few "Uber-Rich"es thrown in for good measure. If you want a fun exercise for your evening, click on over, print a copy, and black out every weasel word and gratuitous mention of class, wealth, and status. It'll end up looking like a FOIA request about Area 51. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: small;">Stylistic criticism aside, the whole thing is also full of contradiction and fallacy, but if you want a point-by-point rundown, I'd be happy to give one later. But for now, I'll keep this narrow, because it's going somewhere eventually, and I'd like to still have an audience by the end. In the article, the author makes the following assertion:</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: small;"> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: small;">Whenever The Fed buys securities in the open market, it pays for them with money that it creates out of thin air with a keystroke. It does not draw the money from some reserve account that is limited in size. It is "new money" that did not exist prior to the keystroke that created it. With any of its purchases of securities, the Fed provides loanable funds to banks that were not saved by any saver.</span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: small;">From a certain point of view, this is technically correct. The cash did not exist prior to the purchase. But cash and money are not the same thing. Cash is just a measure of the value that money has in an economy. But the Fed's creation of cash out of thin air did not add to the overall value of wealth in the economy. It just changed the relative value of the ratio between cash and money. Look at it this way:</span> <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs7qtShT8Lt8QbTeREUvszlO1V5upVBe-tRogrfwlQ0UzSUsBLvPdK8NSBM_bOUHjWTaDtgUGoKZtXFjy-7e7tc96P6R1VmdlwLFZBTQ3IoGFkuB7HigbfAO4PHiO6jQbeotlT8E4Js-k/s200/monopoly-bank-error-card.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Hasbro</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Say you're playing Monopoly on a table, with a real game set. I know, I know, it takes so long, and everyone always fights, and there are better things to do. It's sort of like life in that way. But say there's a blizzard, and the TV's out, and you've worn the spots off of all the decks of cards in your house, so you're left with playing Monopoly. After a while, the banker gets crazy, and decides to add an extra zero to some of the money. For a while, making change might get a little tricky, but you'll keep playing. Then say the banker adds some more, and some more, and some more, until every bill in the set has an extra zero on it. The banker has undeniably created more cash out of thin air. But the amount of wealth has not changed. There are still the same number of bills, same number of cards, and same amount of property. After a while, the game will get pretty dumb, and even staying at a hotel on Boardwalk won't hurt. Eventually, everyone will either tire of the game, or just add an extra zero to all the bills to restore balance between cash and wealth. What was gained by this magical creation of cash? Not a darned thing, but a few extra hours of frustration, and damaging the resale value of the set. </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SViwro-a1G2MaXncCGUOvqmvJhtasyG5aRR6nbW_36g4z9_i3wbpmRf50w2ffvaQKtCRLE-hwSsVsXuJ0_vtL60_IBoXNZjnS0zVArbHcG_XOfZajuQi5R59j_97hXsdnF8jVPg9vGE/s200/cornerfreepark.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy Hasbro</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SViwro-a1G2MaXncCGUOvqmvJhtasyG5aRR6nbW_36g4z9_i3wbpmRf50w2ffvaQKtCRLE-hwSsVsXuJ0_vtL60_IBoXNZjnS0zVArbHcG_XOfZajuQi5R59j_97hXsdnF8jVPg9vGE/s1600/cornerfreepark.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Now, say you could change the game and actually affect how it plays. What sort of rule changes could you make that would actually increase the wealth available? First, you could tinker with the "zoning code" of the game. You could add more houses and hotels to the available set. You could even increase the number that can be put on a property, and correspondingly increase the amount you can charge. Second, your mini Atlantic City could "annex" more property, increasing the size of the board and the available property to buy and charge rent on. But perhaps the simplest hack, one that doesn't require printing a whole new board or figuring out how to build more little plastic houses, also happens to be my favorite "house rule:" Put all of the tax money collected in the game in the middle, and whomever lands on Free Parking gets a tax refund. What good does putting your $150 income tax in the bank do for anyone, if it can't come back to someone who can turn it around into putting houses on Connecticut and Oriental? </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QRE7az58WUjpGNtVc8h86E6PBUPOuqZMJ3UuWdf98gR2qyspcRUGvt8rpCgw3K3j04olHzOM1htG3GCHWniXDrgULuGaKsAPWY5m_mp4zSuX3o9qaKY_mnb97VZxaE4iQspZ7lhX-WM/s1600/amity-shlaes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QRE7az58WUjpGNtVc8h86E6PBUPOuqZMJ3UuWdf98gR2qyspcRUGvt8rpCgw3K3j04olHzOM1htG3GCHWniXDrgULuGaKsAPWY5m_mp4zSuX3o9qaKY_mnb97VZxaE4iQspZ7lhX-WM/s200/amity-shlaes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="133" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Read this book.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Not that the idea of fixing the economy by toying with the value of money is a new one. According to Amity Shlaes in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Man-History-Great-Depression/dp/0060936428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288300879&sr=8-1">The Forgotten Man</a>, during the Great Depression, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. related the story of President Roosevelt deciding to increase the price of gold by 21 cents, because, in the President's words, <span lang="EN">"It's a lucky number, because it's three times seven." Another time of economic trial, before depressions were called "depressions," was the Panic of 1893. The Panic happened, as they often do, as a result of the bursting of a bubble, in this case a bubble that developed in overbuilding railroads. Another major contributing factor was a long period of low inflation, and even deflation, of the currency. The panic, combined with monetary issues, gave rise to a populist movement, of which a major goal was "Free Silver." </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XWJtJn-JmLAP-cry6mf2J7nRnrE5Ll56hxf2SE3uhZcUrOMbSnLQsWQe7q5mfZWKY7f6bC9ltUTk-Nv6GkgK7qahYqyRhTWeEf69YrBnvaHPrxbtMXaGbTXzYodjNoyBdJrHz7z1zq8/s1600/800px-Silver_Bar_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XWJtJn-JmLAP-cry6mf2J7nRnrE5Ll56hxf2SE3uhZcUrOMbSnLQsWQe7q5mfZWKY7f6bC9ltUTk-Nv6GkgK7qahYqyRhTWeEf69YrBnvaHPrxbtMXaGbTXzYodjNoyBdJrHz7z1zq8/s200/800px-Silver_Bar_01.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Free Silver was a movement that sought to include silver in the pricing mechanism of the dollar, which to that point had been based on the price of gold. At the time, the gold mining industry was slowing down significantly, while silver was so plentiful that many mines lay empty because it cost more to mine than you could sell the silver for. The ultimate goal of the populist movement, of which the rural farming population was a significant portion, was inflation. In the big picture, inflation helps debtors, while deflation helps borrowers, and folks who were still paying down land that they had bought in the rapid expansion of the nation in the previous decades definitely didn't mind any help in paying the mortgage, so to speak. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iFWMDbil2aygNPjloWwDSPWVWDT21J_sYFMVZtMKmFoQOLWcE4Zsldgf7PSk8rCpgLZamh6EgwMIs-5HaVAGp062k75LARaCsHtHUvOP4B4jrTvbquVrmfQxnNSDZeg9QUpkOiP1L4E/s1600/Gold1oz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iFWMDbil2aygNPjloWwDSPWVWDT21J_sYFMVZtMKmFoQOLWcE4Zsldgf7PSk8rCpgLZamh6EgwMIs-5HaVAGp062k75LARaCsHtHUvOP4B4jrTvbquVrmfQxnNSDZeg9QUpkOiP1L4E/s200/Gold1oz.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Going back to our Monopoly example, let's say you're playing the long-form version of the game, and happen to land on Boardwalk, which the bank still owns. The $400 price tag is a lot of scratch. What if you could set up the purchase on an installment plan of a $20 every turn for 20 turns? That would be a much easier decision, wouldn't it? Three turns after this agreement, though, is when our crazy banker starts putting zeroes on the money. Then each $20 becomes a $200 bill, and you can pay off the "mortgage" on Boardwalk in a couple turns, and be free and clear 15 turns earlier than the banker was expecting full payment. Similarly, if the crazy banker scratched out zeroes, causing deflation, those two former-$100 bills you'd have to start paying your mortgage with would run out pretty quickly. </span></span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJDMdO6ZY7zdSu8K96dkhJPvgoWNSt38QOKTUPcSPp42DcvleEl0QVD-ILb2nRKBgmsPDU1xoShcq0pOy_kRjL62s3HGA8LBMGtO_ZPJB3TzTidR5BEkQqs0hJbDOD-w4lOLzQm_wwO0/s200/450px-William_Jennings_Bryan,_1860-1925.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="150" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Jennings Bryan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJDMdO6ZY7zdSu8K96dkhJPvgoWNSt38QOKTUPcSPp42DcvleEl0QVD-ILb2nRKBgmsPDU1xoShcq0pOy_kRjL62s3HGA8LBMGtO_ZPJB3TzTidR5BEkQqs0hJbDOD-w4lOLzQm_wwO0/s1600/450px-William_Jennings_Bryan,_1860-1925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">So in the 1890s, the people who owed the most money – folks who had purchased property like farmers being a large number of them – wanted a monetary policy that included silver to inflate the currency and be out of debt that much easier. Of course the evil "Eastern Banking Establishment" would lose a lot of money, so clearly they were behind keeping gold as the only measure of the dollar. The Populist movement beginning in the Panic of 1893 gave voice to perhaps the most well-known populist in history, William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska. He was noted for soaring oratory, and was even nominated to be the Democratic Party's candidate for President once in Denver, although that was 15 years after the Panic. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">In a sense, this all sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it? Of course, nowadays, the biggest debtor in the country isn't landowners (although that's not to be discounted with the bursting of the housing bubble), and a growing global market has helped the farm economy improve with higher prices. The biggest debtor in the country, as you may have guessed, is the US Government, of course. So it's no wonder they'd want to tinker with the price of money, is it? Keep that in mind next time you read about the Fed tinkering with interest rates or buying debt. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;">Oh, by the way. In the year after the Panic of 1893 was the midterm election of 1894. As Michael Barone was quoted in <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703843804575534062655370740.html">the Wall Street Journal</a> saying, during that election, the Republican Party gained 130 seats on the Democrat and Populist parties, to take a 151-seat edge in the House of Representatives, or nearly three-quarters of the total seats in the House, making that election the tsunami of all electoral tsunamis. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: georgia,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take from that what you will, and please pass the dice. I think it's my turn to roll. </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpGiWIry1aNc4cRQHMLPMJZ9l2C275GINH5JI8op-YWA7_LW06Y4axEqgcoGYuvX_C5Zl16eK_o7vDcdSBrZmHhD66agoO9Li0B2C_3cmIp9R2hvRw_niCHsAktV0Yvuk2_soZpbuTcE/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpGiWIry1aNc4cRQHMLPMJZ9l2C275GINH5JI8op-YWA7_LW06Y4axEqgcoGYuvX_C5Zl16eK_o7vDcdSBrZmHhD66agoO9Li0B2C_3cmIp9R2hvRw_niCHsAktV0Yvuk2_soZpbuTcE/s200/PaintR2Border.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div>Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-57086333052212897692010-10-24T18:36:00.007-06:002010-10-28T21:03:06.863-06:00"Backwards Thinking" in the Rocky Mountain WestAlthough we are fairly diffuse now, we who contribute fairly regularly to Rural Republic all share a connection to Eastern Colorado. So, we would naturally be interested in the Colorado gubernatorial race in just about any year. However, the way it has shaken out this year has garnered national attention... and it just got even more interesting, especially from the viewpoint of rural Americans.<br />
<br />
Let me begin my brief recap of the campaign by pointing out that, while I am pretty invested in my long-held unaffiliated voter status (I think the hierarchy of both major parties smells about as rotten as a town with a packing plant, a sugar beet refinery, and a history of sewer problems), I was just about ready to declare myself a Republican this year in order to vote for candidates I was excited to support in both the U.S. Senate race and the governor's race. Before I could even get that far, though, the national and state "powers that be" within the party did some major field-clearing and swept both candidates out of their respective races. And that's where the problems started for the Republicans in what had been expected to be a great opportunity to reclaim the governorship.<br />
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You can read up further on the subject <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2270950/">here</a> or at other sources, but here's what happened in a nutshell: the anointed choice of the party turned out to be a serial plagiarist and, well, just a jerk. By the time all of this became clear, though, it was too late for anyone who wasn't already on the primary ballot to get in the race - and the only other person who hadn't taken the cue to clear out was Dan Maes, a complete political novice who has turned out to be a serial... well, to be kind, "exaggerator." Seeing a chance to beat Denver mayor John Hickenlooper (the Democrats' relatively weak candidate) slipping away, former Congressman Tom Tancredo sought to bluff whoever won the primary into agreeing to step aside so that the party could name a more electable candidate. If they agreed, he said, he would stay out of the race; if not, he would enter as a "third party" candidate, potentially splitting the conservative vote.<br />
<br />
Well, Maes won the primary and proceeded to call Tancredo's bluff. It was generally assumed that having both Maes and Tancredo in the race would guarantee a Hickenlooper win... but Maes has continued down a path of historic self-destruction and Hickenlooper has failed to generate much statewide excitement. This has resulted in a situation today in which most polls show Hickenlooper with a lead over Tancredo just smaller than the margin of error (e.g., 44% to 40%), with Maes hovering in the 10% range.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to two days ago, when <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/battle10/250684/hickenlooper-bombshell-backwards-thinking-rural-western-areas-michael-sandoval">National Review Online</a> brought to light a 2009 interview in which Hickenlooper, when asked why the Matthew Shepard Foundation (named for a young, gay man murdered near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998) established its offices in Denver despite Shepard having no real connection to Colorado, said:<br />
<br />
<div><blockquote>I think a couple things, I mean, you know, the tragic death of Matthew Shepard occurred in Wyoming. Colorado and Wyoming are very similar. We have some of the same, you know, backwards thinking in the kind of rural Western areas you see in, you know, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico.</blockquote>Hickenlooper also went on to cite the vibrant gay (or "LGBT") community in Denver, but never, apparently, did he point out reasons such as the strong nonprofit and NGO network in his city, or the most obvious point that Denver is the political and economic hub for a multi-state region. His first, <i>primary</i>, explanation is that the entire region is populated with a significant number of people who subscribe to "backwards thinking" and, by extension, are only different in degree from the desperate <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=277685&page=1">meth addicts</a> who killed Shepard.<br />
<br />
Now, you might think that someone who embraces the nickname <a href="http://twitter.com/hickforgov">"Hick"</a> and appears in one of his campaign ads dressed as a <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2010/09/30/gubernatorial-ad-features-right-end-of-a-horse/15449/">rodeo cowboy</a> might have a certain fondness for rural Coloradans. However, these gestures have a certain sniggering, ironic quality to them - not unlike <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Whites">this</a> or <a href="http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-14515746.html">this</a>. Upon further examination of Hickenlooper's background, it seems more likely that he neither likes nor understands rural people and the issues that are important to them.<br />
<br />
As a child, Hickenlooper attended the all-boys' <a href="http://www.haverford.org/podium/default.aspx?t=204&tn=Denver+Mayor+And+Haverford+School+Alumnus+John+Hickenlooper+To+Be+Commencement+Speaker&nid=274551&ptid=3466&sdb=False&pf=pgt&mode=0&vcm=False">Haverford School</a>, described by <i>The Philadelphia Inquirer</i> as an <a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20100916_Gladwyne_teen_takes_unusual_transportation_to_Haverford_School.html">"elite private school."</a> He then went on to undergraduate and graduate degrees from <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_16175968">"storied"</a> Wesleyan University. He later co-founded a <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/election2010/ci_15928500">controversial philanthropic fund</a> that supports such groups as Re-create 68, and has <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_14900375">said</a> of former Obama "green jobs czar" Van Jones, "he is a rock star... he's bigger and better in life than what you've heard." He is, in short, a part of the "ruling class" outlined by Angelo Codevilla (and recently described <a href="http://ruralrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/10/country-citizens-revolt.html">here</a> by Jon), surpassed only by people with names like Bush and Kennedy - and, perhaps, his former chief-of-staff and fellow Wesleyan alum Senator Michael Bennet, whose father has served as Assistant Secretary of State for two Democratic presidents, CEO of National Public Radio, and president of... Wesleyan University.<br />
<br />
The kind of contempt Hickenlooper shows for many of his potential constituents is hardly unique. Barack Obama <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=4652934&page=1">told</a> a group of supporters in San Francisco during his 2008 presidential campaign that people in small towns in Pennsylvania, "like a lot of small towns in the Midwest" have grown frustrated by their region's economic decline and "they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."<br />
<br />
More than a century before that, <a href="http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAtweed.htm">William "Boss" Tweed</a> of Tammany Hall infamy told the editor of <i>Harper's Weekly</i>, "I don't care a straw for your newspaper articles, my constituents don't know how to read." (He continued, "But they can't help seeing them damned pictures," referring to the political cartoons Thomas Nast had been using to criticize him.)<br />
<br />
This time around, voters have a chance to prevent the election of someone who despises a large percentage of them. <a href="http://coloradopoliticalnews.blogs.com/colorado_political_news/2005/06/qa_with_senator_1.html">Leaders</a> from <a href="http://www.journal-advocate.com/sterling-local_news/ci_16125443">both major parties</a> acknowledge the importance rural voters play in statewide elections in Colorado; perhaps Mayor Hickenlooper's "bitter clinger" moment will be the impetus those voters need to demand a little respect.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br />
<div></div><br />
<div><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpGiWIry1aNc4cRQHMLPMJZ9l2C275GINH5JI8op-YWA7_LW06Y4axEqgcoGYuvX_C5Zl16eK_o7vDcdSBrZmHhD66agoO9Li0B2C_3cmIp9R2hvRw_niCHsAktV0Yvuk2_soZpbuTcE/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" style="display: block; height: 200px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 201px;" /></div>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-42319383911967354752010-10-19T01:22:00.001-06:002010-10-28T21:03:40.011-06:00The Country Citizens’ Revolt<div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Democracy As it Was</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ve been struggling with this essay for quite some time. I haven’t been able to answer the “So what?” question, but it may have come to me recently. You can let me know. Another problem I dealt with was in the topic and message. So far, this site has been heavy on the “Rural,” and not so much on the “Republic.” We’ve been trying to stay fairly non-partisan, although that’s not the same as unbiased, and I wasn’t sure if getting too overtly political would damage that. I have come to the conclusion that there’s nothing wrong with discussing the modern civic live in the Rural Republic. Indeed, one of the animating forces behind this concept, in my mind, was the image from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Democracy-America-Complete-Unabridged-Classics/dp/0553214640/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1287468693&sr=8-7">Alexis de Tocqueville’s <i>Democracy in America</i></a>, where he describes the unique political character of discourse in the rural stage of this republic: </span> </div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The cares of political life engross a most prominent place in the occupation of a citizen in the United States, and almost the only pleasure of which an American has any idea is to take a part in the Government, and to discuss the part he has taken… Debating clubs are to a certain extent a substitute for theatrical entertainments: an American cannot converse, but he can discuss; and when he attempts to talk he falls into a dissertation. He speaks to you as if he was addressing a meeting; and if he should chance to warm in the course of the discussion, he will infallibly say, “Gentlemen,” to the person with whom he is conversing. </span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Of course the esteemed Frenchman is having a bit of fun at early Americans’ inability to separate political discussion from other social interaction. The difference between the two cultures was incredibly portrayed in the HBO miniseries <i>John Adams</i>, in the episode where the eponymous founder found himself on a rather uncomfortable diplomatic envoy in France. He may have been English just a few short years earlier, but, as his later trip to England showed, it’s the difference between the politically free citizen and the socially free subject that caused the rift, greater even than that ancient Franco-English rivalry. Apart from his poking fun, Tocqueville had high praise for the new American society, though. </span></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> I am persuaded that, if ever a despotic government is established in America, it will find it more difficult to surmount the habits which free institutions have engendered than to conquer the attachment of the citizens to freedom. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This ceaseless agitation which democratic government has introduced into the political world influences all social intercourse. I am not sure that upon the whole this is not the greatest advantage of democracy. And I am much less inclined to applaud it for what it does than for what it causes to be done. It is incontestable that the people frequently conducts public business very ill; but it is impossible that the lower orders should take a part in public business without extending the circle of their ideas, and without quitting the ordinary routine of their mental acquirements. The humblest individual who is called upon to co-operate in the government of society acquires a certain degree of self-respect; and as he possesses authority, he can command the services of minds much more enlightened than his own. … I have no doubt that the democratic institutions of the United States, joined to the physical constitution of the country, are the cause (not direct, as is so often asserted, but the indirect cause) of the prodigious commercial activity of the inhabitants. It is not engendered by the laws, but the people learns how to promote it by the experience derived from legislation. </span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The men, and even the women, as mentioned in the remainder of that passage, of that era were steeped in democratic responsibility. The discussion in the “ale-houses” was as often as not discussion regarding various measures and policies in the local, state, and federal governments. Can you imagine having a discussion about state bill 1365, or the latest ballot proposals down at Buffalo Wild Wings? I mean, I can, but I’m a nerd and I’m writing this essay. But it certainly would be out of the ordinary. Either way, that’s an image that’s stuck with me for a long time. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perhaps more than that image, though, was what he said later in the passage. The reason everyone talked about politics was that everyone was involved in politics in one way or another. Everyone, even the lowliest citizen, would serve on some council or board, and would be a more complete, more informed, more confident citizen as a result. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Division of a Democracy</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My, what progress hath wrought. In the July/August issue of the American Spectator, Angelo M. Codevilla wrote an <a href="http://spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/americas-ruling-class-and-the/print">incredible, and incredibly influential essay</a> regarding the class stratification of American society. In a situation of which the “Tea Party” (more on that later) is a symptom, rather than a disease, he theorized that the society today is split not along Marxist class lines, but along lines of political influence and philosophy, into two classes: a Ruling Class and a Country Class. There have always been those with more influence than others; it’s likely Tocqueville’s extremely democratic democracy was more illustration than reality. </span></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Never has there been so little diversity within America's upper crust. Always, in America as elsewhere, some people have been wealthier and more powerful than others. But until our own time America's upper crust was a mixture of people who had gained prominence in a variety of ways, who drew their money and status from different sources and were not predictably of one mind on any given matter. The Boston Brahmins, the New York financiers, the land barons of California, Texas, and Florida, the industrialists of Pittsburgh, the Southern aristocracy, and the hardscrabble politicians who made it big in Chicago or Memphis had little contact with one another. Few had much contact with government, and "bureaucrat" was a dirty word for all. So was "social engineering." Nor had the schools and universities that formed yesterday's upper crust imposed a single orthodoxy about the origins of man, about American history, and about how America should be governed. All that has changed.</span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Indeed, it has. Today, as Codevilla uses polls and demographic statistics to illustrate, the Ruling Class is incredibly uniform in background and ideas. They’re usually coastal, went to an Ivy League or other extremely prestigious school, and work in more liberal “professional” careers, such as law, education, journalism, or politics. They all behave and believe a certain way, and even talk a certain way. They overwhelmingly self-identify as Democrat, although some other members of the class are establishment Republicans. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On the other side of the divide is the Country Class, a group as varied as the Ruling Class is uniform. (Let me note here that I’m not making this “Country Class” thing up, though it’s certainly a happy accident that the terminology chosen by Codevilla matches so well with the concept behind this site) The most interesting thing is they don’t identify as Republican consistently, but as “independent,” or perhaps in some polls as a practitioner of a generic “Tea Party” if given the option. Regardless, while some members of the Country Class may aspire to the same careers as those in the Ruling Class, a Country Class lawyer will have less in common with his Ruling Class colleague, and no one will know it more than the latter. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The whole essay is as fascinating as it is long, but it’s well worth the read. It’s already being treated as a fundamental shift in the way of looking at the American political scene. It certainly illustrates the difference between the democratic America described in <i>Democracy in America</i> and the aristocracy we experience today. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Democracy as It Is</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In their recent book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blueprint-Democrats-Colorado-Republicans-Everywhere/dp/1936218003/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1287469453&sr=8-2"><i>The Blueprint</i></a>, political journalist Adam Schrager and former Colorado state legislator Rob Witwer delve into the creation of a progressive political machine that has reshaped the state of Colorado, and indeed races across the country, in method and infrastructure. While there is much to glean from a relatively short book, a few things stand right out, in addition to the occasional despair experienced on the part of those who would lament the creation and effects of a progressive political machine. First, the system is what it is, or, as my college philosophy professor was fond of saying “Every system is perfectly designed to effect the result it does,” and the modern political system is apparently perfectly designed for such a progressive political machine. So what are the rules of the system?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first rule bounding the system is term limits. While it’s not a necessary condition, it accelerates the effects of the “machine,” and recalled a line from Aeschylus: </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">So in the Libyan fable it is told </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">That once an eagle, stricken with a dart, </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Said, when he saw the fashion of the shaft, </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">‘With our own <span class="ilad"><span id="IL_AD1">feathers</span></span>, not by others’ hands, </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Are we now smitten.’</span></i></div></blockquote></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The reason term limits matter is that any given seat in a state legislature will be in play at some point in an eight year period. With enough influence, no seat is safe. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The second bound to the system is the campaign finance law. To contribute to a campaign or a party, a person must pass a minimum standard (e.g., citizenship), will have their identity recorded and made public, and can give a maximum amount, which is usually fairly nominal when compared to the amount of money spent on a campaign. There is one major exception to all of these caveats, however: so-called 527 organizations. Simply put, these 527s can collect an unlimited amount of anonymous money from anyone, anywhere, and put it toward a political goal, or, more properly, against a political candidate. See, one of the restrictions on 527s is that they can’t collaborate with a political campaign, which in practice means they can’t support a given candidate; they can only oppose the other candidate. Incidentally, if you were wondering why you were getting covered in mud this campaign season, that’s why. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Out of these rules grew an organization designed to take advantage of them for progressive political ends. Various “anonymous,” though we know who they are, ultra-rich donors funded massive coordinated smear campaigns under numerous 527s, all with vague, fuzzy-as-a-bunny-sounding names to get their candidates elected. It was devastatingly effective in Colorado, and is surely on its way to a political race near you. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Democracy as It Is Becoming</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But the other side of the political spectrum has an answer to the coordinated, hierarchical, unified structure of the progressive 527 machine: the “Tea Party” movement. As I noted above, of the two classes, the Ruling Class identifies with progressive politics, while the Country Class can be said to identify with the Tea Party. Although, since there is no real “Tea Party,” perhaps a better way of saying that is that the Tea Party is a loose collection of politically-motivated members of the Country Class. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Either way, the Tea Party movement is as different from the progressive machine as can be imagined. Where the “machine” is hierarchical, the Tea Party is organic. Where it is well-funded, the Tea Party survives on small donations and volunteer leadership. Where the machine has defined objectives and carefully-calculated campaign strategies, the Tea Party runs on free information and sheer energy. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the end, both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. In an <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20100911_8855.php">article in the National Journal</a>, Jonathan Rauch discussed the advantages of the Tea Party’s disorganized structure with a few of its facilitators. In one such vignette, one of the leaders explains to a newer volunteer how things really work:</span></div><blockquote><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Rick, from Albuquerque, N.M., asks if the national agenda includes investigating voter-roll irregularities, something his group is concerned about. Mark Meckler, a Tea Party Patriots coordinator and co-founder, weighs in. Newcomers "often don't understand how badly we need <i>you</i> to lead the way," he says. "If this is an area of concern to you," he admonishes, "the way the Tea Party Patriots works is that you guys really lead the organization. We're a relatively small group of people who are just trying to help coordinate. We're not in charge; we're not telling anybody what to do. You need to take a leadership role and stand up." Meckler suggests that Rick gather a group of people concerned about the issue and go to work.</span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rick gets the message. "We'll get on the <i>Ning</i> [social-networking] site and try to take the lead on that."</span></div></blockquote><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> The interesting thing about the Tea Party movement is not that it’s spontaneous, not that it’s organic, but that it’s not at all novel. As Rick in Albuquerque may soon discover, he might become a volunteer expert on voter-roll irregularities, and have his understanding and methods of dealing with other problems change. And if he is successful, Rick may find himself chosen as a subject matter expert by other volunteers interested in the same problem, and bringing his newly-found expertise to other races and other areas of the country, if not in reality, at least virtually. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Rick is just one of hundreds of volunteers who are “The humblest individual who is called upon to co-operate in the government of society.” In the formless, leaderless structure of the Tea Party, it’s not the goals, or the races, or even the politics that matter the most. It’s that the people are rediscovering “the habits which free institutions have engendered” one conference call, one social-networking post, one political action at a time. It’s no accident that the new organization of the Ruling Class is hierarchical and precise, while the new organization of the Country Class has turned out to be so chaotically democratic. Politics is, after all, just the practical application of a given philosophy. </span></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Democracy as It Will Be?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Where is all this taking us? The obvious answer is all the way to November 2nd. If you are interested in politics or the election, but don’t feel you have enough background or experience, that’s no excuse. As Tocqueville said, everyone was involved in politics in one form or another, and not only did they learn from it, they became better citizens and built a better republic as a result. For my part, the recognition that the system is, if not broken, far from perfect has made me recognize the need for balance in future policies that may emanate from the political realm, particularly regarding campaign finance. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But the real big picture we see is something more than just “man a phone bank” or “knock on doors” or even “here’s my new wonkish policy solution.” What all of these things paint is a picture of our Country Class as an active political society, diverse and unique in every way imaginable, independent-minded, and interested in any number of important and practical subjects. Corn prices matter. But so do elections. Maybe we shouldn’t be as afraid to say so. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpGiWIry1aNc4cRQHMLPMJZ9l2C275GINH5JI8op-YWA7_LW06Y4axEqgcoGYuvX_C5Zl16eK_o7vDcdSBrZmHhD66agoO9Li0B2C_3cmIp9R2hvRw_niCHsAktV0Yvuk2_soZpbuTcE/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKpGiWIry1aNc4cRQHMLPMJZ9l2C275GINH5JI8op-YWA7_LW06Y4axEqgcoGYuvX_C5Zl16eK_o7vDcdSBrZmHhD66agoO9Li0B2C_3cmIp9R2hvRw_niCHsAktV0Yvuk2_soZpbuTcE/s200/PaintR2Border.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-47180627963394734422010-10-14T06:20:00.006-06:002010-10-28T21:04:02.884-06:00Country Roads, Take Me Home<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWqfUDcbmh38YMwQgJ8DvABg7U9e0KD7N8g98Z0wtWMlXkNwcWd6ikvYtzSAdq8Z6H6_6fOfugb1gFhZmVsAm5zozzZEUXnH3pUvytSld2W90mPED7gmlCwu5uvWEEx6fyQrcPdlWJmhl/s1600/IMG_0104.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527937356481985794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWqfUDcbmh38YMwQgJ8DvABg7U9e0KD7N8g98Z0wtWMlXkNwcWd6ikvYtzSAdq8Z6H6_6fOfugb1gFhZmVsAm5zozzZEUXnH3pUvytSld2W90mPED7gmlCwu5uvWEEx6fyQrcPdlWJmhl/s320/IMG_0104.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
There’s pride in wherever you grew up: your home turf; your ‘hood. Whatever you call it, no matter how much you may have despised it growing up, home will always have a special place in your heart. Just look at the national pride that erupted for Chile the past week when the Chilean miners were finally rescued. Chileans loved Chile! American reporters even showed their national pride by mentioning how American companies and people helped in the rescue efforts.<br />
<br />
For anyone who has ever left home, the image of Dorothy clicking her heels chanting ‘There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.’ is a familiar chant in their own mind. Go back home. There’s comfort there.<br />
<br />
Last week, I was delivering a meal I had made for a friend. To get to her house, I had to take a gravel road for only about a mile. When I was driving I looked down and laughed. I was driving 40 miles per hour. Darn city slicker!!! I remembered fondly growing up and driving at least ten miles of country roads (one way) every day and cruising at a speed of 60+ mph. It didn’t faze me to speed on gravel roads. Now, my lack of familiarity had me nervous going at only 40. <br />
<br />
Then, a beautiful thing happened. The song ‘Country Roads, Take Me Home’ by the late John Denver popped into my head. After a few tries on my phone on Pandora, I hit the song. I savored it. It is so sweet. Growing up in Colorado, ‘Rocky Mountain High’ also is a sweet song for me, but I decided to focus on the first for now. I had to look up the lyrics. They are so good.<br />
<br />
“Almost heaven, West Virginia” (Or in my mind Colorado)<br />
“Blue Ridge Mountains” (Rockies)<br />
“Shenandoah River” (Frenchman Creek—hey that’s all I had growing up!)<br />
“Life is old there. <br />
Older than the trees.<br />
Younger than the mountains<br />
Growing in the breeze.”<br />
<br />
“Country Roads, take me home. To the place I belong.<br />
West Virginia, mountain momma. Take me home, Country Roads” <br />
<br />
“All my memories gathered ‘round her. Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water.<br />
Dark and dusty. Painted on the sky. Misty taste of moonshine. Teardrops in my eye.” (There’s no place like home)<br />
<br />
“I hear her voice<br />
In the morning she calls me<br />
The radio (or Pandora) reminds me of my home far away<br />
And drivin’ down the road, I get a feelin’<br />
That I should have been home, yesterday, yesterday.” (Grab a tissue because it’s getting sappy)<br />
<br />
“Country Roads, take me home. To the place I belong.<br />
West Virginia, mountain momma. Take me home, Country Roads” <br />
<br />
So on that note, I'm curious as to what some of your favorite songs are that bring you to that place you belong. Response encouraged.<br />
<br />
Happy trails, R2 readers!J-Lohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964758680434680621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-58503305551555141892010-09-24T06:00:00.001-06:002010-09-24T06:27:59.673-06:00Friday RoundupHarvest-time, high efficiency roundup today. Hope all is well, and you have a great weekend!<br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703556604575502033444964138.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">"Why Small Towns Breed Pro Athletes"</a> - "Only one-in-four Americans come from towns of fewer than 50,000 people, but nearly half of NFL players and PGA golfers do..." Raiders QB Jason Campbell, who grew up in Taylorsville, MS (pop. 1,341) says, "you have nothing else to do [there] but sit outside and throw a football at trees."<br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704062804575510101294267136.html">"Farmland: The Next Boom?"</a> - "Is farmland going to be the next gold?" Wealthy non-farmers are joining farmers in paying too much for ground. Real-estate investment trusts that would allow regular investors to specifically target ag land are in the works.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-22/in-rural-missouri-an-it-outsourcing-company-challenges-india.html">"In Rural Missouri, an IT Outsourcing Company Challenges India"</a> - Onshore Technology Services, founded by Gulf War vet Shane Mayes, teaches software development skills to unemployed or underemployed people in very rural areas and offers prices for IT services competitive with overseas companies. "While I was in Turkey for the Air Force, a sort of zealous patriotism that I have began to solidify."<br /><br />Finally - and most importantly, given yesterday's <a href="http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/23/5165574-facebook-says-outage-was-worst-in-more-than-four-years">outage</a> - "There is an <a href="http://www.examiner.com/farmville-in-national/facebook-outage-how-to-get-to-your-farmville-farm">alternative</a> to accessing your FarmVille farm outside of Facebook." If any future outages are like this most recent one, though, farmers may have nothing to fear. Zynga, the makers of FarmVille, assured its customers, "Wither will be off until all is well and your puppies will not get hungry and run away in the meantime, either."<br /><br />Well, that's a relief. Happy Friday! <div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdw8nJa3dr9irwFzhlc7GzK5NSVhHJhYgFaWEPu41zyif5zY53TlGYtE18DYPixc2rW4JrKQpa0LCmSBvl6b3lIfzapx8-DOmpfiPUzzUqPwPEmwDj93d61yaTZZF-DZrXJF8CGJj66c/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></div>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-48396523609801511432010-09-22T05:30:00.000-06:002010-09-22T05:55:11.011-06:00Wednesday RoundupWelcome to Wednesday! I hope you are all having a good week; in my part of the Rural Republic, fat cattle are going out today and high moisture corn will be coming in tomorrow. So, without further ado, here is (some of) the news of the day.<br /><br />As I wrote about <a href="http://ruralrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/09/clog-in-brain-drain.html">here</a>, a major concern for many rural communities is the out-migration (or "brain-drain") of young people from their hometowns. <a href="http://www.hpj.com/archives/2010/sep10/Sep20/0906PreventingExodusofRural.cfm?title=Exodus%20of%20rural%20youth%20puts%20communities%20in%20jeopardy">The High Plains Journal</a> reported this week on a presentation by Weldon Sleight, the dean of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, on the college's philosophy of encouraging agricultural entrepreneurship - going "back to our base" in farm country - to revitalize rural areas. Also important, according to Sleight, is instilling a sense of community pride both in youth and adults. This includes supporting local, small businesses. "It kills me," he says, "when people drive 40 miles to go to Walmart when their local hardware store is about to close."<br /><br />However, not everyone is convinced that focusing so much attention on getting young people to stay (or come back) is the best way to "bring new life" to small towns. Kathie Starkweather of the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Nebraska told <a href="http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/09/20/expert-says-recruit-baby-boomers-and-seniors-to-bolster-rural-areas/">Radio Iowa</a> this week that small towns would be better served to "let them go" and target, instead, Baby Boomers and senior citizens. Many people over 50, she says, are interested in starting small businesses and small towns offer what they want: "“The basic quiet, not having to be involved in the rat race but also being allowed to participate in the community.”<br /><br />To change subjects a little bit, the <a href="http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20100920/BUSINESS/9200304/Don-Curlee-Some-farm-living-makes-growers-edgy-enough-to-study">Visalia (CA) Times-Delta</a> ran a story about a University of California study examining tensions between six "semi-rural" cities in California and the neighboring farmers. The author detailed frustrations on both sides, such as farmers having equipment stolen and vandalized, and city dwellers being irritated by dust and noise. Perhaps not surprisingly, though, the "authors of the university report indicate that the chances for compatible relations between farmers and urbanites will mostly require farmers to adjust or revise their traditional practices."<br /><br />Finally, <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129757511">NPR</a> had an interesting report on Cuban agriculture that could serve as something of a cautionary tale. "After five decades of state-controlled agriculture," the story says, "the country struggles to feed itself, forcing the government to import some 70 percent of the island's food." When all of the farmland was nationalized with the rise of the communist regime, those who had farmed it walked away. Now, the government is trying to encourage food production by giving anyone willing to farm a free ten-year lease on federal land. Some of those taking advantage of the program are highly educated former employees of the government who are eager for entrepreneurial opportunities, however limited. As one new farmer says, "We can't all be intellectuals, because then there'd be nothing to eat."<br /><div></div><br /><div>Now <em>that's</em> food for thought.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdw8nJa3dr9irwFzhlc7GzK5NSVhHJhYgFaWEPu41zyif5zY53TlGYtE18DYPixc2rW4JrKQpa0LCmSBvl6b3lIfzapx8-DOmpfiPUzzUqPwPEmwDj93d61yaTZZF-DZrXJF8CGJj66c/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></div>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-67300838232460832962010-09-21T09:37:00.001-06:002010-09-21T09:37:46.117-06:00Tuesday Roundup<div>Good morning, all! I didn't get a chance to get to the roundup for the past few days, so we've got a pretty good selection of links this morning.</div> <div> </div> <div>From the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-eating-local-20100901,0,1556847,full.story">Chicago Tribune</a>, a story on the "locavore" movement. It's a fairly in-depth look at the advantages and disadvantages, and even includes a somewhat critical discussion of its inefficiencies. I can certainly sympathize with the concept; a freezer full of meat you've met before is a good and delicious thing. But I'm not convinced that everything in your refrigerator and pantry can or even should be locally procured. To me, it seems like taking a good idea too far. This may take the form of a longer essay in the future. Until then, does anyone have any thoughts? </div> <div> </div> <div>Locusts have been a major pest since the days recounted in the Bible. Now, <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/17035914?story_id=17035914&fsrc=scn/tw/te/rss/pe">scientists in Australia</a> are attempting to model the swarms of immature locusts as they walk, in an attempt to be able to destroy them before they take flight. The model of the marching swarm is unpredictable, so scientists are attempting to observe swarms using unmanned aircraft, to either identify a pattern, or, more likely, to figure out what influences a swarm to change direction. </div> <div> </div> <div>Part of the aim of the Rural Republic is not only to discuss purely rural issues, but to observe and comment on the faults in society as a whole between the rural and the more urban way of life, whether that fault is social, economic, cultural, or, in this case, political. The <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_16076817">Denver Post reports</a> on the Republican candidate for Senate, Ken Buck, attempting to woo suburban voters. While Greeley isn't exactly the middle of nowhere, he seems to identify more strongly with the rural than the suburban way of life, as evidenced by a previous proud proclamation that his boots had real, eh, bull manure on them, rather than just the more figurative variety. In the article, one such targeted suburban voter comments that "He definitely doesn't act like he's lived in Denver in the commercials." I'm inclined to view that as a positive attribute, but, then again, this is the Rural Republic. Others may feel differently. As we approach November, this election in particular may be an interesting study in the population at large's preference for either the social elite, or the "country bumpkin."</div> <div> </div> <div>From the Financial Times, a few updates on the markets. First, <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/924864c6-c23d-11df-a91c-00144feab49a.html">corn prices are on the rise</a>, over $5/bushel at the time of this story. This is mostly attributable to yields that are a little lower than average, though being coupled with a larger commodities rally in general doesn't exactly hurt. Additionally, we've been keeping up with the issues involving the Russian wheat crop this year. Unfortunately, it seems <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8ce9980a-b9e2-11df-8804-00144feabdc0.html">their woes may continue</a>. Unless the Russian breadbasket can get some timely rains, the soil may be too dry on the planting of their winter wheat crop to germinate a successful crop next year. We'll keep an eye on this story. </div> <div> </div> <div>The FDA is going to hear <a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/we-can-build-whatever-animal-you-want-to-eat-say-scientists/story-e6frfro0-1225927239022?area=technology">arguments this week</a> regarding the approval of the first genetically-modified meat; a breed of salmon that has been modified to continue producing growth hormone throughout its lifetime, and in effect grow very, very large. In light of recent GM plant rulings, this could really go either way. No word on how the monster salmon tastes. </div> <div> </div> <div>Finally, from Farm Industry News, a list of <a href="http://farmindustrynews.com/mag/farming-things-need-know-0215/index.html">20 things everyone needs to know</a> about the past, present, and future of agriculture. It's a really fascinating list, and I guarantee that everyone will learn something. If you click through to any of the articles in this roundup, click through to this one. </div> <div> </div> <div>Thanks for reading! Keep coming back for more updates later this week.</div> Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-30093977572182648802010-09-17T06:00:00.000-06:002010-09-17T06:00:05.429-06:00Friday RoundupIt's a busy, busy time of year in the Rural Republic, so we've been kind of on again and off again with our daily roundups. We'll try to keep this site somewhat responsive to our readers' interests, so if you feel <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">something's</span> missing on the days we don't post a roundup, please let us know. Conversely, if you'd rather see us focus less energy on roundups and more on something else, we'd like to know that, too. We're a no-budget, volunteer outfit here, but we aim to please!<br /><br />So, for your consideration, here are some stories that caught my attention today.<br /><br />The U.S. government has been pouring a lot of money into expansion of <a href="http://www.ncbr.com/article.asp?id=53549">rural broadband</a> recently, but not all broadband is created equal. Apparently, some of the broadband connections in rural areas of the United Kingdom are inferior to a much lower-tech solution: carrier pigeons! The <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11325452">BBC</a> has a report on a competition held in which ten pigeons with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">USB</span> drives strapped to their legs took on a five-minute video upload. Seventy-five minutes after the pigeons were released and the upload was started, the birds had reached their destination 120 km away, while the upload was only 24% complete.<br /><br />Moving back across the pond and heading north, a column in <em><a href="http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_cariboo/williamslaketribune/opinion/103029829.html">The Williams Lake Tribune</a> </em>details a British Columbia feedlot's creative attempt to find a niche market. Seeking to "produce a product that is equal to Japan’s Kobe beef, where <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Wagyu</span> cattle are fed a beer a day and massaged with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">saki</span> before they are slaughtered," Bill and Darlene <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Freding</span> are experimenting with feeding each of their cattle a litre of wine every day. Reportedly, the results so far have been delicious... and, as the author says, "the cattle aren't drunk, just happy."<br /><br />Some other cattle that may not have been so happy were reported having been "rustled" near <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chadron</span>, NE. <a href="http://www.krvn.com/news/index/714fde9c-c769-4211-b95f-83478379d095"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">KRVN</span></a> tells us that, while cattle rustling is no longer the <a href="http://bustlesandspurs.blogspot.com/2010/05/cattle-rustlers-risk-for-every-rancher.html">hanging offense</a> it was in the "Old West," the state of Nebraska still takes this crime very seriously. Thirty-year-old Jacob <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Otte</span> was convicted of two different instances of stealing about 10 head of cattle and reselling them in another part of the state. The penalty: two consecutive 3-5 year terms in prison, plus about $17,000 in restitution (mainly to the insurance company that covered both ranchers' cattle). Don't mess with Nebraska cattlemen.<br /><br />And don't mess with Texas... or, at least, the Texans in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Hemphill</span> County in the northeastern corner of the state's panhandle. <em><a href="http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/cash-flow">The Texas Observer</a></em> has an interesting article about the residents of the county and their confrontation with billionaire <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Boone_Pickens">T. Boone <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Pickens</span></a>, who has been systematically buying up water rights in rural Texas to sell to the state's sprawling cities. In another "water is for fighting over" story, the county is ground zero for a legal battle in which Texas courts will decide whether or not groundwater is - like oil and gas - owned in place by the person with rights to that water and, if so, whether a groundwater management district placing restrictions on pumping is an uncompensated "taking" of that property. It obviously gets complicated with legal jargon, but read the article: the people trying to sell their water rights are <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">somewho</span> both victims and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">victimizers</span> in this scenario. The same story will no doubt be played out across the High Plains in the coming years.<br /><br />So long for now, and have a great weekend. I hope sometime soon, we all get a little time to relax!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdw8nJa3dr9irwFzhlc7GzK5NSVhHJhYgFaWEPu41zyif5zY53TlGYtE18DYPixc2rW4JrKQpa0LCmSBvl6b3lIfzapx8-DOmpfiPUzzUqPwPEmwDj93d61yaTZZF-DZrXJF8CGJj66c/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdw8nJa3dr9irwFzhlc7GzK5NSVhHJhYgFaWEPu41zyif5zY53TlGYtE18DYPixc2rW4JrKQpa0LCmSBvl6b3lIfzapx8-DOmpfiPUzzUqPwPEmwDj93d61yaTZZF-DZrXJF8CGJj66c/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></a>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-26455764091105216222010-09-15T06:00:00.002-06:002010-09-15T06:00:08.520-06:00Wednesday RoundupDan Maes, the embattled GOP candidate for governor in Colorado, recently compounded a campaign-finance snafu by <a href="http://www.libertyinkjournal.com/blog/2010/09/new-letter-from-tancredo-why-am-i-doing-this">stating</a>, "If people want a seat at the table, what's the first thing they've got to do? Write a check." As uncomfortable as this observation may make us with the political process, ag-industry groups seem to subscribe to the same theory. According to <a href="http://www.agri-pulse.com/20100908_Ag_PAC_Donations.asp">Agri-Pulse</a>, political action committees (PACs) representing food and agricultural industry groups have increased contributions to candidates in congressional races this year, compared to the 2008 election.<br /><br />As it turns out, this may be a prudent strategy. At least two issues with regard to the federal government and its relationship with agricultural producers are in the news this week. First, Progressive Farmer Senior Editor Victoria Myers <a href="http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do;jsessionid=D18BBC39A5A2DBE592AC67BE0818CAE5.agfreejvm1?symbolicName=/free/livestock/news/template1&product=/ag/news/livestock/features&vendorReference=0702DDBA&paneContentId=70116&paneParentId=70104">reports</a> on concerns from farm groups such as the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) about what she calls an "impending train wreck" with the return of the estate tax. As I mentioned <a href="http://ruralrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/08/thursday-roundup.html">here</a>, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack thinks exemptions will be created that cover most farmers and ranchers, but Myers quotes the NCBA's executive director of legislative affairs as saying that, "as things stand today the estate tax, or death tax, will revert to pre-2001 levels January 2011. Those tax rates are graduated, with 55% being the top bracket..." As Myers points out, many farms and ranches are asset-rich (especially with today's high land values), but cash poor. If heirs in this situation are forced to pay 55% of the value of their inheritance in taxes, farms may have to be broken up and sold in order to do so.<br /><br />Another story involving federal policy appeared in <em>The New York Times</em> under the headline, "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/us/15farm.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss">U.S. Meat Farmers Brace for Limits on Antibiotics</a>." The <em>Times</em> links the timing of expected FDA guidelines intended to prevent the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with the recent salmonella outbreak and egg recall (even though, as the reporter adds parenthetically, no drug resistant strains of salmonella have been implicated in the egg cases). According to the article, many medical and health experts are calling for action that would prohibit most uses of antibiotics on healthy animals, either for disease prevention or for speeding growth (the latter of which appears to be the scope of the the forthcoming guidelines). Opposing these experts are meat producers and many veterinary scientists, who cite Denmark's experience with similar regulations as evidence that they may be counterproductive.<br /><br />As a cattle feeder, I can attest that overly restrictive guidelines would probably result in many more treatment expenses for our operation, as well as a likely increase in the number of animal deaths. We give chlortetracycline (CTC), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, to pens that seem to be experiencing a large number of sick cattle at once. The most efficient way of distributing CTC is to mix it with the feed for the entire pen, which of course includes some currently healthy cattle. If we were to wait until the cattle are visibly sick, however, some of them would already be too far gone to save. Those that do survive generally have lower weight gain. This in turn makes the beef at your supermarket more expensive. As such, I concur with what one pork producer told <em>The Times</em> for this article: "In the end, the producers will do what is right... My only concern is that we make decisions in a scientific fashion, not a political fashion."<br /><br />Of course, many of these kinds of decisions will be made by politicians, who almost by definition will be making them in "a political fashion." So, it might not be such a bad idea to figure out how to "get a seat at the table." <div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdw8nJa3dr9irwFzhlc7GzK5NSVhHJhYgFaWEPu41zyif5zY53TlGYtE18DYPixc2rW4JrKQpa0LCmSBvl6b3lIfzapx8-DOmpfiPUzzUqPwPEmwDj93d61yaTZZF-DZrXJF8CGJj66c/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></div>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-49948843008865699442010-09-13T23:35:00.000-06:002010-09-13T23:35:00.898-06:00Tuesday RoundupBack after a few days of hiatus, driven mostly by really, really slow news days (or at least news being focused elsewhere), it's your daily roundup. <br />
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First, thanks to everyone who's followed <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rural-Republic/140090616022004">our page on Facebook</a>. We're now at 100! It took us just over 5 weeks to get to the century mark. How quickly can we get 200? If you like what we're doing, recommend us to your friends. <br />
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I'll start with the quirky story, and save the controversy for the finish. <br />
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Dekalb County, Georgia, is suing a resident for growing <a href="http://www.wsbtv.com/news/24979774/detail.html">too many crops on his property</a>, apparently against county zoning regulations. From the story, it sounds like he's got quite the variety of crops, and does quite well for himself and his neighbors. Unfortunately, the proverbial overzealous regulator (I like to think of the bad guy in the first Ghostbusters movie), combined with the tightening of government budgets everywhere due to the economy, resulted in his being highlighted as someone they could probably get some fines off of.<br />
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Corn harvest is moving along. Brownfield Ag News reports that <a href="http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/09/13/indiana-corn-harvest-ahead-of-%E2%80%9991-record-pace/">13% of Indiana's crop is already in the bins</a>, and moving along. Meanwhile, the Nebraska Corn Board has <a href="http://www.nebraskacorn.org/crop-progress-updates/september-13-2010-crop-progress-update/">compiled pictures and reports</a> from FFA students across the state, depicting the trends toward harvest in the Cornhusker State. <br />
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Finally, once again, water is for fighting. Only this time, in the Land of Enchantment. The New Mexico Environment Department filed a petition to designate 1,450 miles of waterways, 29 lakes and about 6,000 acres of wetlands in federal wilderness areas as "Outstanding Natural Resource Waters." The New Mexico Cattle Growers Association <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I78PTG0.htm">filed for a restraining order</a> to prevent the designation of that land until more information could be gathered. However, the <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I79P0G0.htm">State Supreme Court</a> rescinded that order, and it looks as though designation hearings will go on apace. The fight isn't over yet, as the petition will now be heard Water Quality Control Commission. <br />
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According to the AP story, the only two areas currently under the "outstanding natural resource waters" designation, the Rio Santa Barbara and streams in the Valle Vidal area. A quick review of the Google and a little local knowledge make me tend to agree with those to designations, at least on the surface. Both areas are high-mountain watersheds in the Sangre de Cristo range, and probably do little but make good camping areas and then get that water somewhere else more useful. There's no information on where all of the areas listed in the new petition are, so I can't comment on that one, although there are bound to be more than a few that might infringe on grazing lands (despite claims from the Environment Department that grazing will be unaffected). It's also not exactly clear whether all of the land is contained within "federal wilderness areas," or if that just refers to the location of the wetlands. More to follow, to be sure. <br />
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Whether it's grazing in federal wilderness areas, or farming and ranching on lease land around on military-owned land around a military range like Pinon Canyon or elsewhere, it's going to be an incredibly touchy subject. After all, peoples' livelihoods are at stake, however not only do they not have property rights, but the land is owned by the folks who make the rules, run the courts, have bottomless pockets, and always have eminent domain to fall back on. Sometimes, it seems land is for fighting, too. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdw8nJa3dr9irwFzhlc7GzK5NSVhHJhYgFaWEPu41zyif5zY53TlGYtE18DYPixc2rW4JrKQpa0LCmSBvl6b3lIfzapx8-DOmpfiPUzzUqPwPEmwDj93d61yaTZZF-DZrXJF8CGJj66c/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdw8nJa3dr9irwFzhlc7GzK5NSVhHJhYgFaWEPu41zyif5zY53TlGYtE18DYPixc2rW4JrKQpa0LCmSBvl6b3lIfzapx8-DOmpfiPUzzUqPwPEmwDj93d61yaTZZF-DZrXJF8CGJj66c/s320/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></a></div>Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-35619060972223113502010-09-09T23:20:00.005-06:002010-09-10T00:16:50.515-06:00Friday Roundup and Open Thread<div>Today's roundup is a little thin, partly because it seems to be a fairly slow news day for rural issues, and partly because we really got going on silage in earnest this afternoon (so I haven't been home much today). Nevertheless, I hope something here is of interest to you, and that you have a good weekend.<br /><br />First up is a story from our friends in Canada. One frequent complaint among farmers is that a large percentage of non-rural people think their food magically appears at the supermarket, and are ignorant of what it takes for it to get there. Thirty-five farms in Manitoba have signed up for a project to help alleviate this problem in Canada: on September 19th, they will be available for public tours during the province's first <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/09/09/mb-open-farm-day-manitoba.html">Open Farm Day</a>. According to one participating farmer, "It's very important because it connects people back to what they eat. It's just a good think [sic] to see that, okay this chicken running around is now roasted chicken dinner on a Sunday." Indeed.<br /><br />If you read my <a href="http://ruralrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/08/subsidiarity-in-rural-america.html">"Subsidiarity"</a> post a while back, you might remember my reference to farm subsidies as a Faustian bargain. Well, the Iowa Farm Bureau may agree with that assessment. In what <a href="http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/09/09/iowa-farm-bureau-supports-end-to-direct-payments/">Brownfield news</a> refers to as "to our knowledge, the first time a farm group has made it part of their policy," the organization passed a resolution calling for the end of direct subsidy payments to farmers and their replacement with an improved revenue insurance program that would cover both crops and livestock. Interesting, but I predict they will gain little traction on this issue for the foreseeable future.<br /><br />In the "perception is reality" department, <em><a href="http://www.hpj.com/archives/2010/sep10/sep6/0825RuralEconomiesContinuet.cfm?title=Kansas,">The High Plains Journal</a></em> reports that a Creighton University survey of rural bankers' economic optimism showed a decline for the second straight month. Contrast that with a story I linked to just over a week ago under the headline, <a href="http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/newsnow/x353248738/Reports-show-encouraging-growth-in-rural-economy">"Reports show encouraging growth in rural economy,"</a> and what do you get? If you're like me, it's confusion.<br /><br />Finally, <em><a href="http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/coolestsmalltowns/CST2010.html">Budget Travel</a></em> magazine has released its list of "America's Coolest Small Towns." Sadly, there seems to be a pretty large "cool" dead zone in the middle part of the country, with Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, and both Dakotas completely shut out of both the Top 10 and the "Best of the Rest." Hang in there, though, Midwesterners: football season has started, and hope springs eternal.<br /><br />With that, have a good weekend, take care, and please say a prayer or two tomorrow in remembrance of those who died 9/11/01. They are not forgotten.</div><div> </div><div> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jx1a2culOpeJdZ7p70o23AMUz47UW6OI_qwO4YpOjZ5JFZtwFg_utPLHw4_stXM0Cc5g6rPocrtzKfmhItR9UFxih73FIb1M5HnEzKOuOzLofgGEgWl5NILkzMJKHFxot0CFxsNbV90/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" />Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-10690749036329872602010-09-09T08:32:00.003-06:002010-09-09T10:13:20.236-06:00Thursday RoundupGood morning, good morning, good morning! Welcome to the Thursday Round up. Let's get started.<div><br /></div><div>I hate to start off a post with a story this depressing, but I believe there is no other issue of more importance. PJTV posted <a href="http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=174&load=4110">this video</a> on illegal immigrations impact on ranchers and rural communities along Arizona's border. No matter what your stance on this delicate issue, immigration, this video is something that you must see. If you are to read (watch) one article from todays post, please make it this.<div><br /></div><div>Coming up faster than we know is harvest, the holiday season and then the turn of a new year. Oh, the opportunities that new beginnings hold! Well, the new year also holds a surprise for producers as well. Okay, it really isn't a surprise because we all know it will be happening. What is it you might ask? The EPA's interim Tier 4 emissions regulation will be in effect. So no matter whether the tractor you drive is <a href="http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do?symbolicName=/free/equipment/news/template1&product=/ag/news/equipment&vendorReference=0702DDD1&paneContentId=71707&paneParentId=70073"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;">Red</span></a> or <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#009900;"><a href="http://www.deere.com/en_US/rg/emissionsinfo/tier4/ag/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#009900;">Green</span></a>, </span>all new tractors will have to meet these stringent (ridiculously over stringent in my humble opinion) emission regulations. Click on the colors for information about what you will see from two leading ag equipment manufacturers, Case IH and John Deere.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though harvest keeps on rolling, we cannot keep it in the bins! There is some very strong <a href="http://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/black-sea-drought-raises-asia-cn-dem_2-ar9193">demand</a> for US ag commodities on the global stage from the effects of the Black Sea drought. The recent demand has caused supplies of <a href="http://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/cash-grain-commerical-supplies-slide_2-ar9215">commercial cash grain</a> to slide by 2% this last week. This will be welcome news to farmers expecting to harvest a large corn and soybean crop this year. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you for joining us here at the Rural Republic. I hope everyone has enjoyed their abbreviated work week and have a fabulous Friday-eve day.</div></div>Nicholas Colglazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913680190315541411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-88224334176479250882010-09-08T22:27:00.008-06:002010-09-08T22:58:51.377-06:00A Clog in the Brain Drain<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RLAwX0MauNRGFzw8vevp-unmfwYdvdPB8AIranw3wf8sRIf5yA49uobvXipJE6drXnuM09lNa1IUx_uGtNpcVzLuqibO3LdWBGsez7GMsGwbihbItnXesDt9Oo6WJVwicalXbStjPvU/s1600/playground.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514769780636088914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RLAwX0MauNRGFzw8vevp-unmfwYdvdPB8AIranw3wf8sRIf5yA49uobvXipJE6drXnuM09lNa1IUx_uGtNpcVzLuqibO3LdWBGsez7GMsGwbihbItnXesDt9Oo6WJVwicalXbStjPvU/s320/playground.bmp" /></a> By most accounts, the first half of the 1940s was an exciting time to be living in the rural “neighborhood” in which I (and my father before me) grew up. There was, of course, anxiety throughout the country about the war, but it was also hard to ignore <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/money_02.html">how much of a boon World War II had been to farmers</a>. At the same time, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rural_Electrification_Act">Rural Electrification Act of 1936</a> was enabling sparsely populated areas such as this to get “on the grid.”<br /><br />Electricity is today so much a part of our daily existence that I know I, for one, completely take it for granted. It was new enough then, though, that the wonder of such things as vacuum cleaners, washing machines, electric lights, and more was certainly not lost on country people who had almost literally been given what we always seem to be wishing for: more hours in the day. While electricity was making the land more able to support greater production by providing power to large irrigation wells, it was simultaneously giving farm wives and children something novel to them. Farm life was still hard, but household and farmyard chores that had previously required hours of drudgery to complete were now often a matter of minutes. For many of these people, this allowed more leisure time than they had probably ever had before.<br /><br />In our neck of the woods, people responded to this extra free time in a uniquely American way: they built a baseball field. There were enough children and young people nearby to make games possible, and enough neighbors cared enough about the project to bring it to fruition. One land owner donated a few acres of flat ground in the corner of an otherwise very hilly pasture, and gradually fences, bleachers, and even lights were erected. In the 1970s (around the time my dad was entering high school), a nice metal building was put up that would double as a community center and concession stand - complete with a hood and grill that would allow parents to serve up some of the best hamburgers I ever tasted. A playground was built to entertain the kids who weren’t out on baseball field. My siblings, cousins, and I all have very vivid memories of times playing there.<br /><br />Gradually, however, something started to change at the ballpark. By the time I was old enough to be on a baseball team in the mid 1980s, some of the original families who had helped establish the area (and the ballpark) had nearly died out or moved completely away. My extended family seemed to have large families for the time, but these families of 2 to 5 children were small compared to what their parents had raised. Contraception had become as widely available here as virtually anywhere else in the country, and the mentality had changed from “having more children around will help us get all of the necessary work done” to “we can’t afford to have any more children.” The teams I played on already had to bring in a few “ringers” from town to fill out the roster; my brother, nine years my junior, played during some of the last years that a team could be fielded.<br /><br />In the first few years of the 21st Century, there were almost no members of my generation in the surrounding area and certainly not enough children for a baseball team (even now, after a few more of us have returned to the neighborhood, we could probably only come up with half a baseball roster - and it would have to be co-ed). Just about 60 years after the ballpark was built, the fences and lights were sold off, the outfield planted with NRCS-approved windbreaks, and the old “pop stand” hauled off to serve as a storage building on the corner of a cornfield. The concession stand continued to serve as a community center, but it has since become unusable due to burst pipes during this past winter (it is currently in a purgatory of contractors bidding and the neighbors trying to decide what to do with it). And the playground <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituwJzgjkCy_n3dh2cib3JmTiQ6FYANhUeaztwHB1R5t3wiI9VwCd4xeboVwJUsRGzj1SEA4fU8UGz5uVcySTygrYpTyBv48ZCOb51smbgBs3_wDldusYEpGrZ2qBULlcdPiSz2PAhVYw/s1600/untitled.bmp"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514770241392647442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituwJzgjkCy_n3dh2cib3JmTiQ6FYANhUeaztwHB1R5t3wiI9VwCd4xeboVwJUsRGzj1SEA4fU8UGz5uVcySTygrYpTyBv48ZCOb51smbgBs3_wDldusYEpGrZ2qBULlcdPiSz2PAhVYw/s320/untitled.bmp" /></a>has fallen into disrepair, with a tree growing up around the bottom of the slide.<br /><br />The same pattern of aging, shrinking communities is repeating itself throughout rural America. This is documented a book published this year by husband-and-wife sociologists Patrick Carr and Maria Kefalas, entitled <em><a href="http://hollowingoutthemiddle.com/">Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America</a></em>. A few weeks ago I came across an article in <em><a href="http://ruralsociology.org/index.php?L1=left_Home.php&L2=body_membership_RuralSociologist.php&outside=y">The Rural Sociologist</a></em> called, simply, “The Rural Brain Drain,” in which Carr and Kefalas outline their book.<br /><br />The authors start by recounting the grim statistics: in little more than 20 years, more than 700 rural counties lost 10 percent or more of their population. About half of all rural counties in the United States have more annual deaths than births. Perhaps worst of all, the out-migration of young people - especially most of the college-educated “best and brightest” - from rural to urban areas has “reached a tipping point,” with consequences that “are more severe now than ever before.” To study the reasons for this phenomenon, Carr and Kefalas spent a year and a half living in a northeastern Iowa town of 2,000 people, interviewing more than 200 young graduates of the local high school (both those who had left and those still living in town).<br /><br />By their reckoning, the 20 and 30-somethings the authors met fell into four general groups (with some overlap between them). “Stayers” were generally under-achieving students who often came from less affluent families and went on to fill blue-collar jobs in the community. “Achievers” were most of the kids who went on to college, very few of whom came back to town. “Seekers” were similar in background to the stayers, but wanted to see the world - often by joining the military. And “returners” were those young people who (obviously) returned to town after some time away. About 30 percent of the people the authors interviewed were returners, but only a very small number of them were the highly educated, professional returners they call “high fliers.”<br /><br />Their interviews with these various categories of young people led Carr and Kefalas to the two-pronged thesis of their book, which they state in their <em>Rural Sociologist</em> article by writing:<br /><br /><div><blockquote>What surprised us most was that adults in the community were playing a pivotal part in the town’s decline by pushing the best and brightest young people to leave, and by underinvesting in those who chose to stay, even though it was the latter that were the towns’ [sic] best chance for a future.</blockquote>Now, most of you who grew up in towns like the one Carr and Kefalas visited would not have been “surprised” the way they were by the first half of that statement. I spent quite a bit of time during high school feeling pretty schizophrenic because of the mixed messages I was being given: so much of my identity was wrapped up in being from my hometown, I had been taught to love my hometown, but I was fully expected to get the heck out of dodge and only return for holidays (if I knew what was good for me).<br /><br />The parents and teachers the authors met weren’t surprised by this paradox, either. At one point, Carr and Kefalas dropped what they seem to have thought was a bombshell that it took outsiders to see on the principal, telling him the school was systematically encouraging what were potentially the town’s best civic leaders to leave for good. Their response was essentially a shrug and a “that’s what we’re supposed to do” kind of statement.<br /><br />The part of their statement about stayers being the best chance for a future for these towns is something to think about, though. The authors discuss how, after spending so much time and energy getting achievers ready to leave, many small towns are focusing primarily on getting high-fliers to come back as a way to rejuvenate their communities. However, very few of these programs seem to have had much success (which stands to reason, as there just aren’t that many of the white-collar jobs these young people have been encouraged to do in most small towns). What these towns should be focusing on more, the authors say, is working with what they have: spending more time when future-stayers are in school on helping them improve their own lots, and the corollary of helping young adult stayers become stronger leaders in their communities.<br /><br />Carr and Kefalas don’t have everything right: a year and a half doesn’t seem to have been enough for them to really “get” small-town people; as well-intentioned as they are, they still seem condescending about their subjects (referring snidely in the book’s introduction about the gun cases in many living rooms, for example); they try too hard to draw parallels (and moral equivalents) between urban and rural problems; they seem to blithely accept that the way the film Food, Inc. portrays current - and ideal - agricultural practices is accurate and unbiased. They look to government (including the Obama administration’s stimulus fund) for too many of their solutions. And, as far as I can tell, they never address the impact wider acceptance and availability of contraception had on the demographics of rural America, but rather toss around terms like “corporatization of agriculture” and “globalization” as reasons for the problem’s compounding impact. Bill Kauffman, writing in <em><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704322004574480250107329602.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs%3Darticle">The Wall Street Journal</a></em>, says of one of the authors’ claims about interactions between economic classes, “[it] is so howlingly inaccurate that only displaced urban academics could believe it.”<br /><br />But I think their two basic points are correct. First, by defining success as moving away, people in small towns impose a certain exile on high-achieving young people; conversely, if moving away is success, then staying is failure… and young adults who stay are often looked upon as failures for doing so. Second, while it would be nice (and it’s worth pursuing, to some extent) to get those young people who have left to come back, it is absolutely vital for rural communities to focus more on maximizing the potential of those who stay.<br /><br />Some of the ideas Carr and Kefalas have for placing greater emphasis on the needs of stayers are laid out in an essay they wrote for the <a href="http://carey.jhu.edu/one/2009/fall/perspectives_3.htm">Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business magazine</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote>Matching students not headed for university with appropriate vocational or community college programs and nurturing their interests through internships and training will prepare them for new, developing economic opportunities. Such partnerships require close collaboration among business and civic leaders, elected officials, and secondary school and community college administrators. Business leaders and educators should partner to counsel younger workers—those not headed to four-year colleges—to cultivate the right skills and interests to meet the new demands for labor in their region. That partnership will need to develop pathways for the next generation to pursue opportunities that may have only come into existence in the last five years, such as in medical technology, wind energy, or sustainable agriculture.</blockquote>Again quoting Bill Kauffman in <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>, this “language of policy (‘invest more efficiently’) is inadequate to what is really a crisis of the soul.” But, however people smarter than I figure out how to do it, the “stayers” must be nurtured. They are small towns’ future, for better or worse. Their hometowns can make it “better” by raising the expectations we have for them. If we treat them like leaders, they will take on leadership roles. If we expect them to be losers, we will get exactly what we expect (and deserve). Not all of the “brains” have been drained out of our communities; we just need to learn to value the ones we still have. </div><div></div><div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514770762858088674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXCDWujOWvux16hgBn8cE3Y2oiXSxut9KuNZknvQqJtOWrDyLtunC4InlSCUKXTaVQ6AnZwYFup23FTFiIF5og_mFxiXK7nCMvfEsrh6y3pxRQ1JCZ1dP1ZS7jWddq2lEAg3x__9-Do0/s320/slide.bmp" /></div>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-41256099547209365132010-09-08T00:14:00.002-06:002010-09-08T01:08:59.749-06:00Wednesday RoundupWell, the good news is that we all made it back safely from our whirlwind trip; the bad news is that I am still working on my upcoming post. Like the exchange students along with us, I wasn't quite able to finish my "homework." If you look carefully at today's roundup, though, you may get an idea of what I've been reading up on.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailyyonder.com/are-there-jobs-it-depends/2010/09/06/2925">The Daily Yonder</a> has some fairly interesting analysis of a new Bureau of Labor Statistics report on unemployment in rural areas. Using the author's somewhat tounge-in-cheek nomenclature, most of the Great Plains falls into the "What Recession?" category of low unemployment. What the post fails to mention is that much of the area has seen a steady population decline (as I discussed <a href="http://ruralrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/08/life-in-frontierville.html">here</a>), so there are fewer people to do at least the same amount of work. And only people in my family (including myself) seem to be crazy enough to move back out here without a job lined up in advance. Still, the unemployment levels look much better here than what they have in much of the South, where many counties are saying, "What Recovery?" instead.<br /><br />According to <em><a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-recruits_05met.ART0.State.Edition1.35da4c7.html">The Dallas Morning News</a></em>, the problem of high unemployment is contributing to excellent results for military recruiters - particularly in rural areas of the South. The article quotes the Department of Defense's data, saying "Southern states account for 36 percent of the nation's young adults... but provide 41 percent of the nation's recruits."<br /><br />If some of those rural recruits would like to get into farming when their service has ended, they may be able to get some assistance, according to <a href="http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do?symbolicName=/free/farmlife/news/template1&product=/ag/news/farmlife&vendorReference=0702DDCB&paneContentId=71107&paneParentId=70083">DTN/The Progressive Farmer</a>. The University of Nebraska-Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) has a relatively new program - available to young veterans from anywhere in the country - called "Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots." A major goal of the program is to help revitalize rural areas by "send[ing] students back to the farm as owners instead of as hired hands."<br /><br />Other young people may want to stay involved in agriculture, but may not be able or willing to directly work on the family farms many of them hail from. Another <a href="http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do?symbolicName=/free/farmlife/news/template1&product=/ag/news/farmlife&vendorReference=0702DDCA&paneContentId=71107&paneParentId=70083">DTN</a> article reports that these types of jobs are actually going through something of a boom, with a high demand in the industry for young adults with a practical familiarity with farming. One drawback to this is that, while the jobs may be related to agriculture, more often than not they are not in the small, rural communities that would be grateful to see their young people return.<br /><br />The people replacing some of those young people, according to a <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/09/07/go-rural-young-lawyers-go-rural/">Wall Street Journal blog</a> could be... lawyers. A blogger on the legal profession named Eric Cooperstein is cited as encouraging lawyers to consider moving to the country, writing (among other things), "The folk in small towns sometimes get divorced, commit the occasional DWI, and get in car accidents. They need local lawyers and they do not want to pay for some lawyer from the city to drive out to the rural courthouse to represent them."<br /><div>With that in mind, let me leave you with this thought from Will Rogers (with a wink toward my attorney friends): "Make crime pay. Become a lawyer."</div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" /><br /><div></div>Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-60681157965393106952010-09-07T06:00:00.002-06:002010-09-07T06:38:28.771-06:00Tuesday RoundupHappy Tuesday, all! We'll kick off today's roundup with a little international flavor...<br />
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The European Union's budget chief, Janusz Lewandowski, has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/business/global/07iht-farm.html">started a bit of a firestorm</a> over comments in preparation for a review of farm subsidies in the EU. In addition to seeking cuts, he wants to reduce or eliminate rebates to nations that don't receive as much subsidy allocation, such as Britain. Countries in a united economic bloc, with different geographies and different labor markets, trying to figure out how to agree on agricultural subsidies? Pass me the popcorn, because this stands to get interesting. <br />
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Flooding that has destroyed this year's crops in Pakistan stands to do the same to next year's wheat crop as well. <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39016941/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/">According to the AP (via MSNBC)</a>, some areas are still underwater, and even if the floods hadn't taken away or destroyed the seed for next year, the ground wouldn't be ready for the fast-approaching Pakistani planting season. Yes, that's even more troubles for the international wheat market.<br />
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Back on US soil, <a href="http://www.agrinews-pubs.com/articles/news/markets/default.asp?article=1F31B6E0F153826C045BDD81775C76AED16D956F99DB4059">estimates on the corn crop</a> are still uncertain, according to AgriNews online, which, coupled with high demand, are causing some unsteadiness in the prices of the commodity. In the meantime, with the recent egg recalls, egg farms in Connecticut are experiencing increased interest in folks looking to buy their eggs. Sure, there is a "local food" aspect to this, as<a href="http://fairfield.patch.com/articles/local-farmers-scramble-to-meet-egg-demand-6"> the Fairfield Patch</a> notes, but it seems pretty cut-and-dried to me: A reduction in supply, no matter how it's achieved, is going to result in better prices on the remaining supply, provided demand remains the same. The story mentions increased demand, of course, but it's not the demand that's increasing - it's just moving to a new supply.<br />
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Finally, <a href="http://www.indianabiofuels.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17&Itemid=9">Indiana Biofuels has an interesting video</a> describing the process by which ethanol fuel is made. It's entertaining AND informative! (Also, it kind of makes me want to get back to home-brewing beer, for some reason.)<br />
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Have a great day, everyone!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jx1a2culOpeJdZ7p70o23AMUz47UW6OI_qwO4YpOjZ5JFZtwFg_utPLHw4_stXM0Cc5g6rPocrtzKfmhItR9UFxih73FIb1M5HnEzKOuOzLofgGEgWl5NILkzMJKHFxot0CFxsNbV90/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jx1a2culOpeJdZ7p70o23AMUz47UW6OI_qwO4YpOjZ5JFZtwFg_utPLHw4_stXM0Cc5g6rPocrtzKfmhItR9UFxih73FIb1M5HnEzKOuOzLofgGEgWl5NILkzMJKHFxot0CFxsNbV90/s320/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></a></div>Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-14610858246560534472010-09-06T08:37:00.005-06:002010-09-07T06:38:53.368-06:00Monday RoundupGreetings Rural Republic goers and happy Labor day! I hope y'all are enjoying the extra long weekend. <a href="http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day">Here's</a> a little back ground to the holiday that people have come to see as the signal that Summer has ended and that Fall in all its glory, Football, harvest and post season Baseball, is upon us. Growing up in rural America on a farm, all I can basically recall is that it was just another day with work to be done. So we celebrated our holiday by, you guessed it, laboring! Now to the stories of the day...<br />
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</div><div>As harvest rolls on across the fruited plains, a new yield report has been released by <a href="http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do?symbolicName=/free/news/template1&paneContentId=5&paneParentId=70104&product=/ag/news/topstories&vendorReference=81adb8a8-9bec-43c0-ac3c-07dea59a884d">Informa</a>. The new yields could have a substantial impact on grain prices. It also leads nicely into the next story.</div><div><br />
</div><div>As the world watches commodity prices climb the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11177346">UN</a> has called a meeting over the looming concerns that food prices will rise. The impact of the Russian export ban is still being felt along with anticipation of wheat yields from the southern hemisphere.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The quality and safety of our food is a major concern to us all. The latest egg recall illustrates just how delicate this balance can be. We charge todays farmers and ranchers to provide us with safe, quality staples and usually never give it a second thought. Recently the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/GuidanceComplianceEnforcement/GuidanceforIndustry/UCM216936.pdf">FDA</a> has developed new guidelines for the judicious use of medically important antibiotics used in the raising of livestock. The <a href="http://cei.org/news-releases/fda-warned-against-hazards-curtailing-antibiotic-use-livestock">Competitive Enterprise Institute</a> illustrates how detrimental the new guidelines would be to meat production in this country. So as you grill up that burger today, remember to thank a rancher for supplying you with such a safe, quality and inexpensive product. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I hope y'all are enjoying the last of the extended weekend. I wish you the best of it with BBQ's, a little R&R and good times with friends and family. Thanks for joining us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvf7HMZUy9qIdv7toubjwDBiVQC3rUqRh049gUZ6YQsaoKsKfJLwacUmFM8rmOHxxrCOCbuOi_x3yt3XVTVyMnF5UKmYizuVzHZkEboLPLsZ7CZzcvDtK6X1mmk3SgfibB503JP6nVOo/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvf7HMZUy9qIdv7toubjwDBiVQC3rUqRh049gUZ6YQsaoKsKfJLwacUmFM8rmOHxxrCOCbuOi_x3yt3XVTVyMnF5UKmYizuVzHZkEboLPLsZ7CZzcvDtK6X1mmk3SgfibB503JP6nVOo/s320/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></a></div></div>Nicholas Colglazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913680190315541411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-45993907292868466292010-09-04T14:20:00.001-06:002010-09-04T18:09:09.620-06:00Weekend Roundup and Farmer Rig of the WeekWell, it's Labor Day weekend, but more importantly, this weekend marks the return of football season. Part of the rural mentality is its tendency toward local patriotism, and to me, that's best represented by the attachment people have to their local teams, and the intensity of the "friendly" rivalries between schools and states. <br />
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Speaking of local preference, <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9I0M7K00.htm">Business Week</a> has a story on the results of a study regarding a program in South Carolina supporting "SC Grown" labels of origin. The study suggests that the program could create as many as 10,000 jobs per year. While I'm skeptical of a number that large, it certainly doesn't hurt the sales of products. Such programs are growing nationwide, spurred on by the conjunction of the "local food" movement and economic interests. While I don't necessarily entirely agree with "local food," that such labels support agriculture is undeniable. It might even bring people a step or two closer to their food; when they can recognize where their steak or vegetables came from, they might even have to recognize that they came from a farm. And that's a good thing.<br />
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More on highway funding. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-02/u-s-highway-funds-have-most-effect-on-smaller-rural-states-study-finds.html">Bloomberg</a> reports that highway funding does more to support rural transportation than urban transportation. That's not surprising, given two obvious factors: The first being that the cost of living to support construction crews is often lower in rural areas than in urban ones, and the second being that in rural areas, diverting traffic is a matter of adding a little width to the road, while in urban areas, it could be a function of closing down and diverting multiple major arteries to repair one overpass. It's good to consider, however, when you're looking at transportation funding numbers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/Indiana-farm-income-expected-to-jump-20-percent">WANE-TV in Ft. Wayne, Indiana</a>, is reporting that farm incomes in that state are likely to increase this year as much as 20%. This is expected as a result of normal economic factors, such as lower costs of fuel, fertilizer, and other consumables, in addition to the fact that China is buying US corn for the first time in 15 years. While global trade has its disadvantages in an industry where the cost of labor plays such a major role in price, it has its advantages in opening markets and expanding the number of consumers, as well. <br />
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Finally, every week, I want to add a new segment to the weekend roundup, highlighting the ingenuity and resourcefulness of farmers everywhere. I call it the Farmer-Rig of the Week.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Sep/Week1/15712989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Sep/Week1/15712989.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Sky News</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We've got two entries, though neither are pure farmer-rigs. First is an <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hxQyJ-N14uO-3Q2v5-GAnmMG0GkwD9I0A1K80">AP story</a> on retro-fitting rollcages and seatbelts in older tractors to increase farm safety. I'd say not being crushed by a few tons of tractor is a good thing. Second is the tale of The Police Tractor. From <a href="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Lincolnshire-Police-Force-Ditches-The-Squad-Car-And-Takes-Up-With-A-Tractor-To-Fight-Crime/Article/201009115712964?lpos=Strange_News_Third_UK_News_Article_Teaser_Region__5&lid=ARTICLE_15712964_Lincolnshire_Police_Force_Ditches_The_Squad_Car_And_Takes_Up_With_A_Tractor_To_Fight_Crime">Sky News</a>, police in Lincolnshire, England have created a police tractor. They won't be engaged in any high-speed chases, or hunting down criminal cow-tippers, however. The idea is to go around to local rural gatherings, and use the tractor to display their interest in fighting rural crime. I'm not sure how effective that will be in actually fighting crime, but it's a pretty cool rig, if you ask me. <br />
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Have a great weekend, everyone! If you're traveling, drive safely! Have fun rooting for your teams!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZro_NjwMItc2Iorgfmyxr_H_waBjZaflEVOLpF_xFwco3IyxgCYZY39QZaSAaokzLxC3O_53UvKUVib1-uzkqvuscAbV7ncSxv8wQ4HSwyHVlOLjEPmjkedN4K0pu8qfDtNstfWlYi4/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZro_NjwMItc2Iorgfmyxr_H_waBjZaflEVOLpF_xFwco3IyxgCYZY39QZaSAaokzLxC3O_53UvKUVib1-uzkqvuscAbV7ncSxv8wQ4HSwyHVlOLjEPmjkedN4K0pu8qfDtNstfWlYi4/s320/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></a></div>Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-73580322299283839702010-09-03T07:00:00.001-06:002010-09-03T07:00:10.687-06:00Friday RoundupAs Lewis Carroll once wrote, "O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!" I'm chortling in my joy this morning, as my wife and I, our two kids, my mom, and two exchange students are getting ready to roll for a quick pre-harvest trip to the Black Hills. Fear not, though: I've still got your daily roundup right here. And hopefully -<em>hopefully </em>- I'll have another, more substantial post ready before my next scheduled roundup on Wednesday. I'm a-gonna try, anyway.<br /><br />Nick has been doing a great job keeping us up to date on the drought in Russia and its effect on the wheat market here. Now, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-03/wheat-in-chicago-gains-as-russian-extends-export-ban-as-much-as-11-months.html">Bloomberg</a> has a report that Russia has extended its ban on exports of wheat and flour "at least until next year's crop is harvested." Expect wheat (and food) prices to rise this year in response.<br /><br />Another story Nick shared with us involved a meeting in Ft. Collins, CO with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, dealing with proposed regulations for contracting between cattle packers and feeders. At times, the discussion broke down into a virtual shouting match between supporters of the new rule - largely coordinated by an organization called R-CALF USA - and opponents. In the aftermath, five (five!) U.S. senators have written a <a href="http://www.hoosieragtoday.com/wire/news/00952_openinvite_222206.php">letter</a> to Vilsack expressing their concern about "questionable" tactics employed by R-CALF USA leading up to the meeting.<br /><br />Speaking of Tom Vilsack, he took some heat this week for comments attributed to him in <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-26/broadband-trumps-farmer-payments-as-obama-remakes-assistance-to-rural-u-s-.html">an article</a> I referenced last Friday, indicating that "traditional" farm subsidy programs may be sacrificed to some extent in order to finance more creative projects like expanding broadband access. Now, Vilsack is disputing the details of the story and saying he was not quoted accurately. <a href="http://brownfieldagnews.com/2010/09/02/vilsack-disputes-bloomberg-article/">Brownfield</a>'s account says, though, that "the article aside, Vilsack’s USDA has been criticized by some for putting too much emphasis on rural development programs, and organic and so-called 'local food' initiatives, and not enough on traditional farming."<br /><br />Finally, could farm kids really be the height of fashion? <a href="http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/08/29/why-didnt-i-think-of-that-farm-boy-and-girl-farm-inspired-fashi/?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk1%7C168113">AOL</a> says the founders of the Farm Boy & Girl clothing company are betting that they are. Dan Adamson and Brian Goldenman first marketed their clothing line at the Minnesota State Fair in 2002, and have since expanded the idea into a $2.5 million company. The AOL reporter did not mention whether the clothes are equipped with farm-scented scratch and sniff, however.<br /><br />I hope you all have a good weekend (and enjoy an extra day off, maybe). As for me, I'm off to go look at some dead presidents carved into a mountain. See ya next week! <div> </div><div> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 77px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" />Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-20438251066726384502010-09-02T08:25:00.003-06:002010-09-02T09:20:25.540-06:00Thursday RoundupGreetings fellow blog goers! It is Thursday and only one more workday remains between you and a nice, long three-day weekend. But first, here's what is happening today.<div><br /></div><div>This story saddens me. Growing up rural, each and every year I would look forward to the county fair. Animals, parades, questionable carnival rides and time spent with friends hiding out in the equipment on display were all apart of the excitement. But I'm afraid one fair tradition has come to an end. After 160 years the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gV9fg5V--x_5czUai1iR-ExTEiIQD9HV72NO0">Michigan State Fair</a> has been cancelled.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of fairs, the Colorado State Fair is underway in Pueblo, CO. Recently the it held the Colorado's Touchstone Energy Cooperatives <a href="http://cofarmbureaublog.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/state-fair-junior-livestock-sale-nets-360000-for-youth/#more-3645">Junior Livestock Sale</a> which netted about $360,000 for youth. Check out how much the Grand Champion Beef went for.</div><div><br /></div><div>The combines are rolling through the fields in the Corn Belt. Brett reported on this yesterday that harvest is ahead of schedule but is sooner always better? Doesn't seem so as <a href="http://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/cn-yields-disappoint-in-early-harvest_2-ar8989">yield reports</a> are coming in lower than expected. I would sure hate to try marketing crops right now!</div><div><br /></div><div>I touched on this possibility in <a href="http://ruralrepublic.blogspot.com/2010/08/drought-sparks-wheat-prices-ablaze.html">Drought Sparks Wheat Prices Ablaze</a> and it looks like we are at the start. It is thought that because of the drought in Russia the grain handling infrastructure would come under stress as soybean and corn harvest came under way. It is becoming apparent that this could hold true. The <a href="http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do?symbolicName=/free/news/template1&paneContentId=5&paneParentId=70104&product=/ag/news/topstories&vendorReference=eddd1310-50bf-4ee7-adbd-597512891e22">Gulf terminals</a>, from where most corn is exported, are filling rapidly with corn. And we could see more stress on this infrastructure as demand for US wheat could rise as <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-30/wheat-jumps-most-in-three-weeks-as-argentina-russia-crops-hurt-by-drought.html">Argentinean and Russian </a>wheat crops are hurt by drought.</div><div><br /></div><div>That is all for today. I hope y'all have a good rest of the week and enjoy your three day weekend. I know I will. Cheers!</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></div>Nicholas Colglazierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08913680190315541411noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-24572547108957985302010-09-01T07:00:00.002-06:002010-09-01T07:15:28.169-06:00Bonus Wednesday RoundupWelcome to hump day! If you're reading this after noon, you're on the downward slope - so you can coast for a few minutes and read this roundup. If it isn't noon yet, well, go ahead and read it anyway. You can bust your "hump" to make up the time later.<br /><br />First up today, a slightly offbeat story in the wake of the egg recall: the Dalai Lama issued a statement last week that, according to <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2010/08/dalai-lama-egg-recall-iowa-farms.html">P.J. Huffstutter</a> of the <em>Los Angeles Times</em>, "(ever so nicely) lambastes egg farmers in commercial agriculture and advocates that consumers switch to cage-free eggs." Veterinarian (and subcommittee chair with the National Academy of Science) Craig Reed, however, says neither the size of the egg farms involved nor their use of cages made them any more prone to salmonella outbreaks. In fact, Dr. Reed told <em><a href="http://www.feedstuffs.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=F4D1A9DFCD974EAD8CD5205E15C1CB42&nm=Breaking+News&type=news&mod=News&mid=A3D60400B4204079A76C4B1B129CB433&tier=3&nid=2451F70E28B2490D9C79ABAB4CBAF8D5">Feedstuffs</a></em> magazine that a lot more is "left to chance" in cage-free environments where hens are likely to eat one another's droppings and lay eggs in unsanitary locations.<br /><br />In the political arena, <a href="http://www.dailyyonder.com/most-shaky-incumbents-are-rural/2010/08/24/2904">The Daily Yonder</a> is reporting that nearly two thirds of the House districts identified as "most likely to switch their party leadership" are in rural areas. Of these 64 house districts, 55 are currently held by Democrats. A gain of 39 seats or more would hand control of the House of Representatives to the GOP, which means rural America quite literally has the ability to reshape the political landscape this fall. And, as the authors put it, "The rurals are politically restless."<br /><br />While rural areas may be politically restless, economically they may be better off than many other areas of the country. The <em>McPherson </em>(Kansas)<em> Sentinal</em> headlines a story, "<a href="http://www.mcphersonsentinel.com/newsnow/x353248738/Reports-show-encouraging-growth-in-rural-economy">Reports show encouraging growth in rural economy</a>." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is quoted saying, “As they have time and time again, American farmers and ranchers are stayed resilient and working to support a foundation of economic prosperity for the rest of the nation.” Urban Lehner of DTN has some interesting thoughts about this divergence between the rural economy and that of the nation as a whole <a href="http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do?symbolicName=/ag/blogs/template1&blogHandle=editorsnotebook&blogEntryId=8a82c0bc2a8c8730012ab347874e01f8&showCommentsOverride=false&blogRegionCode=">here</a>.<br /><br />Finally, <em>Successful Farming'</em>s <a href="http://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/cn-crop-accelerating-to-finish_2-ar8905">agriculture.com</a> site is reporting that corn harvest is ahead of schedule this year throughout much of the country, with 17% of the corn crop ready to harvest - "6% ahead of the previous average, and 12% above a year ago." Corn farmers aren't the only ones harvesting crops, though: <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20014817-248.html">CNET</a> reported this week that Facebook's Farmville game now has 63 million active users per month, each spending an average of 15 minutes a day virtually farming. According to the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/oecaagct/ag101/demographics.html">EPA</a>, there are fewer than 2 million people in the United States who list farming (for real) as either a primary or secondary occupation. Just some (virtual) food for thought.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 81px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 80px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" />Bret K.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16390323883644019990noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-51703309023815428982010-08-31T22:42:00.008-06:002010-08-31T23:19:08.371-06:00A Non-Typical Daily RoundupI enjoy browsing through the miscellaneous links that are presented here via the daily roundup. I was shying away from volunteering to roundup any rural related reports (say that three times) because I feel that I am the most ill-qualified contributor to RR (refer to my Country Mouse/City Mouse post).<br />
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However, this morning while flipping through the channels, I came across Ann Curry from the <a href="http://today.msnbc.msn.com/">Today show </a> interviewing a woman. The way they were talking, I assumed that this woman had lost her job because of the economy and they were going to discuss steps she was taking to get her career back. A few seconds later, I realized that they were talking again about Lindsay Lohan. Gag! They went on and on (and on) about how poor Lindsay is trying to regain her Hollywood cred as an actress. I flipped away quickly, but then a thought entered my mind (right after “Who cares about a spoiled rotten little Hollywood starlet who can’t handle the demands of being famous?”). <br />
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My thought was: Does Hollywood affect agriculture? I think that it’s pretty obvious the reverse is true: Agriculture affects Hollywood. We saw that when even the movie industry took a hit during the food crisis in ’07 because people were choosing to eat versus going to the movies. That hit was temporary and really wasn’t felt so much by such an opulent industry, but the realism of the hit had many producers a little antsy. Also, Hollywood always likes to use rural living (or any other topic) to sell movies (Field of Dreams is a favorite of mine) So, like any other curious person, I googled 'Hollywood's affect on agriculture'. Boy oh boy! Hollywood is OBSESSED with saving the planet, which I think is an interest of farmers as well since it is their livelihood. Thus, my curiosity birthed a non-typical Daily Roundup.<br />
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I came across an <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/2010-08-18-living-in-the-latest-hollywood-global-disaster-movie/">article</a> written recently mostly about climate change worldwide. But what caught my attention mostly was its finger-pointing at the green house effect. Thanks, Al Gore, for hyping up the warming climate. Hollywood not only affected agriculture by this non-scientifically backed claim, but also changed the world. This article led me to surf for about an hour finding other articles.<br />
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The “I can’t believe they actually have a website for this” award of the day went to <a href="http://www.grinningplanet.com/6001/environmental-movies.htm">Grinning Planet</a> where they are apparently saving the planet one joke at a time. Their list of environmental movies got my attention. The most interesting movie that I’d like to see is a 2008 documentary called “A Farm for the Future” that was presented on BBC regarding the belief that oil is at its peak and then explores solutions for “fuel/farming/food” issues. However, my favorite movie title was “Shooting Vegetarians”. I would never endorse such an action and since this is a tree-hugger website, I imagine this is not a comedy, but the title made me laugh nonetheless.<br />
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Then, I stumbled across a blog called ribbonfarm.com. According to the site, “The name ribbonfarm refers to the ribbon farms of 18th century Detroit — strips of lands 2-3 miles long, each with 2-300 yards along the Detroit river waterfront — that the then governor invented to resolve water disputes. I (the blogger) thought it was a great metaphor for a blog trying to get its thin slice of attention from the great river of eyeballs that is the Web.” I read a particular two month old <a href="http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2010/06/16/the-missing-folkways-of-globalization/">blog</a> that I thought would be of interest to some RR readers regarding his view of how globalization cannot replace the cultures and subcultures we currently have. It’s a little long-winded (no, I didn’t write it-haha), but it had some interesting points. My favorite point was the thought that we can’t really claim ourselves as global citizens. We are unique in the relationships we form and the geographical location. I laughed at one comment to the blog (from a Latte-drinker in DC) where they said they were disappointed in the realization that they had more in common with a card-carrying NRA member in Oklahoma than they did with a Latte-drinker in Paris, even though they wished the opposite were true. That comment is kind of profound when you think about all the hulabalu of people wanting all red states to succeed from the nation and form their own country. <br />
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Finally, not to disappoint, I’d like to leave you with a <a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Cormier+suspended+indefinitely+after+vicious/2456640/Vineyard+breakthrough+wins+water+startup+prize/2670454/story.html">link</a> to a hot topic in RR: WATER! I was taught at such an early age that water is such a precious commodity, but also one we don’t often think about. However, there are people who are. This link shows a recent small breakthrough in water conservation. I love it when people use technology and find small, but simple and inexpensive ways to work towards accomplishing a goal! <br />
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So, in conclusion, Hollywood changed farming, extreme environmentalists like wacky movies, there is hope for the fellow man as long as he's your neighbor, and a cell phone app is going to solve the water crisis. Okay, maybe not, but read and decide for yourself.<br />
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Happy reading!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s320/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></a></div>J-Lohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13964758680434680621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7773232892183310097.post-62501558527014064582010-08-31T06:00:00.001-06:002010-08-31T06:00:04.528-06:00Tuesday RoundupHappy Tuesday, everyone! We've scoured the interwebs for some of the latest in news affecting agriculture and rural communities today. So let's get started. <br />
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First, a mandatory story about the salmonella outbreak and resulting egg recalls. It turns out that <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/642632.html">the FDA investigated the farms</a> in question after the outbreak, and found a whole slew of violations, including rodents near feed grain, flies and larval flies (maggots). Who would have guessed those would have been found on a farm? In all seriousness, there were likely some serious violations, particularly in sanitation practices. But I think the media's going to blow this just a little out of proportion for a population that is shocked to find that mice like to eat grain and flies come from maggots. <br />
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At a dual press conference in <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2010/08/30/daily6.html">Wichita</a> and Little Rock, the <a href="http://transportation.org/">American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials</a> touted a plan to improve the nation's transportation and freight capacity, focusing on rural roads and intercity freight. From the <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/7178521.html">Houston Chronicle story</a>: <br />
60 million people who live in rural America equal the population of the nation's largest 100 cities. <br />
<blockquote>"Too often what we found, the needs of rural America ... are not understood," [AASHTO Director John] Horsley said.<br />
...<br />
The report notes that 66 U.S. cities with a population of 50,000 or more do not have direct access to interstate highways. The list includes Jefferson City, Mo., which is a state capitol. In Arkansas, Hot Springs and Jonesboro are on the list, although the state has the 12th largest highway system in the U.S., Arkansas highways director Dan Flowers said.<br />
California has 19 cities on the list, Texas has seven and Georgia and Wisconsin have three each. No other state has more than two.<br />
Many two-lane rural roads were constructed decades ago and don't have shoulders or emergency lanes. Three times as many fatal crashes occur in rural areas as in cities, so upgrades can be justified on the basis of safety alone, the association said.</blockquote>Certainly, improvements can be made in much of rural infrastructure. The difficulty of getting crops to market in a timely manner, and fighting with road and rail freight over the costs of doing so, has long been a major issue to farmers. You can read the whole <a href="http://expandingcapacity.transportation.org/">AASHTO proposal here</a>. <br />
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An aid package from Washington, DC directed to farmers in embattled Senator Blanche Lincoln's state of Arkansas might arrive behind schedule, <a href="http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article.aspx?aID=123628.54928.135769">according to Arkansasbusiness.com</a>. You may or may not insert your own cynical comments regarding government largess appearing a couple months before a close election here.<br />
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On the international front, <a href="http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/New-Effort-Brings-Latrines-to-Rural-Cambodia-101789343.html">Voice of America news</a> has a story about efforts to improve access to latrines in rural Cambodia. Such forms of sanitation, that we often take for granted, could be had relatively cheaply and make huge strides in the health and indeed the economy of poor countries around the world. This story is about latrines, but beneath it, it's always about access to clean water. As Nick noted last week, water's for fighting over, and there's a reason for that. <br />
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Finally....<br />
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No word on whether or not the landowner was out hunting when it was found, but the <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iAwrwHgUVv4a_vNUNvUpx2Uofd_gD9HU14N80">AP reports</a> a farm in North Carolina recently uncovered a 65-carat emerald. Where would you move if you made such a discovery? Beverly? (Hills, that is) Would you stay right where you were and keep digging? Would you have some other plan? Let us know in the comments, and have a great day!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s1600/PaintR2Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkDZdC6Xa53RPZdhAlMlNyA8ghjUO9xWa5E3kP250IV-5glxpEhuoWhiq8NnKEsJfRqTihe_t8xTYFQMi_uliSL4u3y1VrGWc5uZvUyn4DjzM2-m1LfWW0Lfb6x4aIAqjuTB9kUdCrk/s320/PaintR2Border.jpg" /></a></div>Jon Klhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09956720704093836925noreply@blogger.com2