KAAL-TV reports in Top Stories of 2008: Gas Prices:
And as the election approached, politicians tackled the issue as the economy took center stage.
"If the Democrats are saying the high cost of oil is strictly caused by oil speculation they're wrong. If the Republicans are saying the high cost of oil is because we can't drill that's wrong and not true either," says Minnesota Representative Tim Walz.
As temperatures and demand dropped, so did gas prices to about a dollar and 50 cents.
And as our global recession worsens, the U.S. Energy Department predicts gas will average around two dollars a gallon in 2009.
Earlier this month we posted the response of Land Stewardship Project to President-elect Obama's nomination of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as USDA head. LSP's Adam Wartheson sent us an update about the group's work with the Obama transition team.
...Last Tuesday, we spoke to these pieces in a conference call with that Obama team:
...Conservation Stewardship
Program pd (SAC Papers - Conservation Stewardship Program)
Undue or Unreasonable Preference – refers to livestock pricing and fairness Word doc (Undue or Unreasonable Preference LSP-SAC)
New Farmers and Ranchers – focused on the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Word Doc (New Farmers and Ranchers transition piece for SAC)
You’ll notice each document refers to SAC the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. LSP is a leading member of the coalition nationally and produced the last two word docs for a larger transition packet the coalition is submitting available at http://sustainableagriculturecoalition.org/.
While we at LSP didn’t produce the CSP paper, it is top priority and what I spoke to on the call last week, as a group from the Midwest who works directly with farmers.
Along with South Dakota representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Congressman Walz worked in the 110th session to get beginning farmer and rancher language inserted into the new Farm Bill. Walz received advice on the policy question from LSP, Minnesota Farmers Union, Farm Bureau and other ag groups.
That work by family farmers and LSP deserves a song. Here's a YouTube of Nathan Rogers singing his late father's great tune,"the Field Behind the Plow." A Canadian song writer, but the words ring true for many prairie farmers.
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