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SENATOR ADDRESSES ADDITIONAL ISSUES AT FARM BUREAU MEETING

By Wes Clement/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Friday, September 4, 2009 12:40 AM CDT

U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) spoke at the annual meeting of Jefferson County Farm Bureau Thursday night to address a variety of topics.

Prior to her speech, Benny Fratesi introduced the senator and expressed his stance on some issues.

“Cap and Trade will raise input cost to farmers with little impact on greenhouse gas levels,” Fratesi said. “On estate taxes, the estate tax exemption at $3.5 million per person and top rate at 45 percent. We need a higher exemption and a lower rate.

“We opposed the Clean Water Restoration Act (787) because it would expand the regulatory rip of the original Clear Water Act by removing the requirement that waters must be navigable or connected to navigable waters to be federal regulated.

On the subject of health care reform, Fratesi said, he favored a tax credit to help self employed purchase of health insurance for them and their families.’ He expressed opposition to a compulsory health care plan.

“When you see people and they’re angry or they’re anxious, it’s mostly because of the economy,” Lincoln said. “Health care is a big issue and its a big part of the economy. People know we are at a crossroads in the country. We have to become more prepared.”

She said she would not vote for a non-deficit-neutral health care reform plan.

Fratesi presented Lincoln a new pair of hip boots because of her family farm roots and because, he said, she needs them for walking through a bunch of “stuff.”

“You know one of the questions I asked from the senate agriculture committee when we had the secretary of agriculture there, was what are we going to do for food for people, the cost of food for everyday people” she said. “Looking at what it’s going to effect below dealing only with the basics of life.”

Lincoln said she was not entirely pleased with the new farm bill, but it was more harmless than it cold have been.

“We got through that farm bill a lot less worse that it could have been.”

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