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Just in time for the holidays, here’s a positive progress report on some of the issues we’ve talked about in past columns including payment limitations to mega farmers, increasing the renewable fuels standard so we can replace some of the petroleum our Nation uses with bio-fuels, and increasing the retirement age for commercial pilots.
PAYMENTS
There’s good and bad news on the farm bill. I am pleased that the farm bill passed the Senate because it is critical to ensure our nation continues to have a safe, domestically produced supply of food. I am not pleased that it failed to contain a limitation of federal payments to mega farmers. Unfortunately, too often funding has gone to huge operations, putting family farms at a disadvantage.
Payment limitations were a reasonable approach and would have affected only about a dozen very large operations in Nebraska. The bill would have limited all farm payments at $250,000 per individual producer. Specifically, payments limits would be set at $20,000 for direct payments; $30,000 for counter cyclical payments; and $75,000 for marketing loan gains.
Fifty-six senators voted in favor of the limitations. While it was a majority, it was 4 short of the number needed for passage. It is unfortunate that many of the 43 who voted to block reform are the same individuals who have railed against wasteful federal spending during debate on this bill. However, when it came time to vote, their actions did not match their rhetoric. The Senate missed an opportunity to enact real reform and ensure that mega payments stop going to mega farms.
PETROLEUM
America needs to replace as much foreign oil as possible with homegrown fuels such as ethanol and bio diesel. It’s not only good in the battle for energy independence and cleaner air; it’s great for Nebraska’s agriculture based economy.
The new Energy Bill, which has now become law, will provide a huge boost to the renewable fuel industry. Nebraska is already the second largest ethanol producing state in the Nation. The new Energy Bill will allow for the continued growth of ethanol while also promoting other bio fuels such as those derived from cellulosic material.
Under terms of the bill, by the year 2022 the U.S. will be blending 36 billion gallons of bio fuels into gasoline, which is seven times more than is now being blended. That means a lot less foreign oil that will need to be imported.
PILOTS
Congress passed a bill to raise the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots from 60 to 65 and sent it to the President for his signature. A pilot who is 60 may serve as a passenger airline pilot until age 65 if the pilot flies with another pilot who is younger than 60. This not only recognizes that in this day and age 60 is an unreasonably low age and puts American pilots on equal footing with pilots from other countries.
Have a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.
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