State Fairs are not just about food, entertainment and agriculture – they’re about ag policy. On Monday, Missouri Farm Bureau sponsored its Farm Family Day and among the displays was a “Cap and Tax” booth. Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse tells Brownfield the House-passed climate change bill under Senate consideration is nothing but a tax on carbon, coal and oil, “If the purpose of this, from Congress’ intent, is to have the largest transfer of dollars from the private sector to federal government coffers, this is a great plan.”Instead of taxed, he says clean energy options should be “incentivized” – such as biofuels and “clean” coal, “You know, the United States is the Saudi Arabia when it comes to coal. We’ve done a lot of things over the last several years to get clean coal technology to fire electric power generation plants. We need to keep doing those things.”
Kruse says – unlike U.S. Ag Secretary Vilsack and proponents of cap-and-trade – Farm Bureau sees little benefit to farmers and ranchers, “All the things that farmers have to buy that are so energy intensive – I just don’t believe that what little positive may come out of this for farmers is going to offset the increased costs.”
And, Kruse says, studies prove the potential impact on ag…
“You know our own University of Missouri FAPRI – Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute – has done a great study that shows a pretty dire consequence for agriculture if cap and trade were to be implemented.”
Ultimately – Kruse says Missouri Farm Bureau agrees with the American Farm Bureau Federation – that all Americans would be taxed greatly under such a system…
“Cap and trade is going to be harmful to senior citizens trying to pay their utility bills or people buying gasoline – and – you can’t hardly touch anything in our economy today that doesn’t have an energy component to it.”
The Farm Bureau booth encouraged farmers to write to their members of Congress and Senate – in opposition to what they refer to as “cap and tax” legislation.
AUDIO: Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse, at Missouri State Fair, (5:00 min., MP3)
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[...] Julie Harker reported yesterday at Brownfield that, “State Fairs are not just about food, entertainment and agriculture – they’re about ag policy. On Monday, Missouri Farm Bureau sponsored its Farm Family Day and among the displays was a ‘Cap and Tax’ booth. Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse tells Brownfield the House-passed climate change bill under Senate consideration is nothing but a tax on carbon, coal and oil, ‘If the purpose of this, from Congress’ intent, is to have the largest transfer of dollars from the private sector to federal government coffers, this is a great plan.’” [...]