The State Senator who has already proven that he will stand against immense political pressure to compromise freedom principles, is taking a tremendous stand right now. He ran the NAIS constraining legislation in Missouri and took unbelievable flack from proponents of NAIS and would not back down. Now he won't back down on a deceptively named bill that has had a lot of political intrigue behind it.
The "Manufacturing Jobs Act" is a bill that tries to bribe Ford Motor Company to stay here, even though Ford hasn't asked for a bribe, nor have they testified for the bribe. This is a Missouri attempt at following Federal economic policy, and Purgason is filibustering in this special session "till he drops" to stop this bill. What that means, is he went for more than 20 hours.
A little history on this bill indicates that there must be some push from on high in the Republican leadership in Missouri. In regular session, this bill was filibustered and dropped. At nearly the end of session, Missouri's Democratic Governor, Jay Nixon visited the President Pro Tem of the Senate at his office for a 45 minute closed door meeting with armed guards stationed outside. After that meeting, there was a Special Session called by the Governor.
Now,I am not clear on all the rules regarding irregular legislative processes, but I know enough to recognize untoward party and leadership pressure. Purgason was removed from his Chairmanship of the Government Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee by the President Pro Tem of the Senate because Purgason wouldn't bring the bill to a vote.....Remember this bill died in regular session.
Prior to removing Purgason as Chair and installing himself as Chair, the President of the Senate, Charlie Shields had a 45 minute meeting at the end of regular session with Democratic Governor Jay Nixon, who really wants this bill....Neither one of them, nor the armed guards outside of Shields' office, said what transpired in the meeting. But a Special Session was agreed upon.
During the Special Session, on the House side of things, House President Pro Tem, Bryan Pratt (who referred to the bill as a bail out bill) and Representative Kraus were removed and replaced from the Committee the bill had to go through to make it to House floor.
So, strong arm tactics with leadership in both parties pushing hard for the same legislation that is highly questionable, seems indicative of something seriously wrong in the General Assembly at least.....It would be my guess that if one were able to follow the money, it would go back to the powers behind the parties. It would take a good long while to chase that bunny down the trail, but the behaviour of the leadership strongly suggests that there is a bunny to run down.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Farmer's Killing Themselves --
The article below brushes the surface of the problems faced on the farm. Farmers are the most pro-life bunch of people you will encounter. The hopelessness resulting from market control and lack of access to viable markets is multiplying....Be a revolutionary and buy direct from a farmer. ....
Need a Real Sponsor here
July 26, 2009, 8:17 AM ET
The Human Toll: Farmer Suicides on the Rise
Fluctuations in oil prices over the last couple years have received no shortage of headlines, but they’re not the only commodity that has seen an increase – followed by a collapse – in prices. The same has happened in agriculture, and the impact of sharply lower prices combined with weak demand and tight credit is taking a devastating toll on farmers.
http://online.wsj.com/media/dairy_D_20090726081231.jpg
In Colorado, for example, 14 farmers and ranchers took their lives last year, double the rate five years ago, according to the Denver Post. In Maine, the Bangor Daily News has reported of at least three known farmer suicides so far this year. Two dairy famers in California have taken their lives in the last six months. The Iowa-based “Sowing the Seeds of Hope” hotline, which serves farmers in seven Midwest states, has fielded about 11,000 calls through April, a 20% increase from the same period a year ago, according to the Post and the Iowa Independent.
“The increase in calls really started with the change in dairy prices, as they fell last fall,” Mike Rosmann, a clinical psychologist and farmer who heads the hotline jointly sponsored by AgriWellness and Iowa State University Extension, told the Post.
Scott Hoese, a Minnesota dairy farmer, described the industry’s struggles in testimony before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy & Poultry on Tuesday.
“Dairy farmers of all sizes and across all regions of the country are enduring an unprecedented disaster,” he said. “Equity is rapidly disappearing, market prices remain at 1970 levels, creditors are cutting off producers - yet there is no relief in sight.”
“As quickly as dairy prices peaked last year, they have just as quickly collapsed and have been well below the cost of production,” he said. “Our latest data shows consumers paying $4.99 for a pound of cheddar cheese while the farmer receives less than $1.00; farmers receive $0.97 out of the $2.99 consumers pay for a gallon of fat free milk. At a time when more consumers are eating at home, thereby increasing retail dairy product sales, producers are losing money on every gallon of milk sold.”
The global nature of the current downturn has also taken a toll, he said, wiping out other nations’ demand for U.S. agricultural exports. “Time is of the essence for dairy producers. Many continue to lose $100-$200 per dairy cow per month with no immediate increase in the market on the horizon,” he said. “As a producer, it has been frustrating, to say the least, to weather one of the worst economic periods in 30 years yet it seems as though our society as a whole has not grasped how desperate our situation is.”
Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Need a Real Sponsor here
July 26, 2009, 8:17 AM ET
The Human Toll: Farmer Suicides on the Rise
Fluctuations in oil prices over the last couple years have received no shortage of headlines, but they’re not the only commodity that has seen an increase – followed by a collapse – in prices. The same has happened in agriculture, and the impact of sharply lower prices combined with weak demand and tight credit is taking a devastating toll on farmers.
http://online.wsj.com/media/dairy_D_20090726081231.jpg
In Colorado, for example, 14 farmers and ranchers took their lives last year, double the rate five years ago, according to the Denver Post. In Maine, the Bangor Daily News has reported of at least three known farmer suicides so far this year. Two dairy famers in California have taken their lives in the last six months. The Iowa-based “Sowing the Seeds of Hope” hotline, which serves farmers in seven Midwest states, has fielded about 11,000 calls through April, a 20% increase from the same period a year ago, according to the Post and the Iowa Independent.
“The increase in calls really started with the change in dairy prices, as they fell last fall,” Mike Rosmann, a clinical psychologist and farmer who heads the hotline jointly sponsored by AgriWellness and Iowa State University Extension, told the Post.
Scott Hoese, a Minnesota dairy farmer, described the industry’s struggles in testimony before the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy & Poultry on Tuesday.
“Dairy farmers of all sizes and across all regions of the country are enduring an unprecedented disaster,” he said. “Equity is rapidly disappearing, market prices remain at 1970 levels, creditors are cutting off producers - yet there is no relief in sight.”
“As quickly as dairy prices peaked last year, they have just as quickly collapsed and have been well below the cost of production,” he said. “Our latest data shows consumers paying $4.99 for a pound of cheddar cheese while the farmer receives less than $1.00; farmers receive $0.97 out of the $2.99 consumers pay for a gallon of fat free milk. At a time when more consumers are eating at home, thereby increasing retail dairy product sales, producers are losing money on every gallon of milk sold.”
The global nature of the current downturn has also taken a toll, he said, wiping out other nations’ demand for U.S. agricultural exports. “Time is of the essence for dairy producers. Many continue to lose $100-$200 per dairy cow per month with no immediate increase in the market on the horizon,” he said. “As a producer, it has been frustrating, to say the least, to weather one of the worst economic periods in 30 years yet it seems as though our society as a whole has not grasped how desperate our situation is.”
Copyright 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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