Legislative Comments from Senator Kittell

[Chris Santee]

Sent to The Fairfax News from
Franklin County Senator Sara Kittell

"Legislative Comments"

As your senator from Franklin County and Alburgh, my impression of the first week of the session was “business as usual”, although there was more energy due to the troubled economic times. Members of the Senate are trying to define and solve problems but as the session opened I did not hear these words- food, farmers or working landscape.

Gov. Douglas has focus, but no consensus, and there is not enough transparency. His inaugural speech was too divisive. For example, I agree we must take care of early education but disagree with short-changing students from poorer towns.

I start my 14th year in Montpelier and I am pleased with my re-appointment as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee (11yrs). Franklin County has 246 of the working farms that produce milk, and we have over 100 other farms that produce food. This area, including Grand Isle, has the largest concentration of farms in the State. My overall mission in the Senate is to be proactive for food, farmers and the working landscape.

I also start my seventh year on the Senate Health & Welfare Committee. Among other important issues, we will be talking about health care and the impact that budget cuts might have on Catamount Health.

Unless we are willing to be proactive, we will be at the mercy of the economic troubles that are weighing upon our nation and Vermont will flounder, although to a lesser extent than the rest of the country. The small size and population of our state present problems, but also offer opportunities. We can make changes here in Vermont that will improve our future prospects.

Federal stimulus monies should address future food needs. We must plan for local food production and add value to these products through local processing. Farming is a major source of activity and money in Vermont, especially here in northwestern Vermont. We should enhance this. Food production and value-added processing will create the jobs that we need.

Sara Kittell
827-3274
skittell@leg.state.vt.us

[special ED]

and yet they still post their land ,they are a business if they cant make it then let them fail

[Loctavious]

Hmmmmmmmm.  true Farms ARE a business, but they also are our neighbors - which plays upon Vt's heritage of 'helping each other out' values.  They also produce milk and meat locally - in view of the public.  Unlike Giant Agro-farms that have steadily replaced the locally-owned, family farms which house their operations MAINLY inside or use vast over-crowded holding pens ( this for chix, beef and pork), local farms tend to use traditional methods of farming - and because they're in the public eye - less controversial means of production ( humane slaughter, all natural breeding and nuture of the animals, etc)

Some may seem them as a drain on our economy  -  but then i have to question where the motivations of those folsk lie, when these local farm 'businesses' literally supported the region and were thebackbone of Vt economy at one point. 

I ALSO feel we shouldn't help EVERY failing business out - we could never afford that as community, state or country... but i think special considerations SHOULD be made for those local 'businesses' that are pivotal to Vt's heritage and image.

[special ED]

Look I know your not tring to offend anyone here but the fact is this is a free market economy . you either make it or you dont ,why is it the metallity lately that we have to rescue evey failing business . if they cant make it they did something wrong.It`s the american dream to make something better for yourself and your family but should not have any guarantees of your success or failure that sould be up to the person not the government,local or not .Me personally I`m on a buy american kick but finding thing for everyday life made in america is hard to find ,why do you think that is? Since the 70`s the cheap imports have slowly eroded at the marketplace of america now we have no jobs  go figure.

[cedarman]

Fortunately, American raised food is still something that is easy to find here - especially in VT were buying local is more strongly supported than in other areas (even if those buy local stickers are on the back of a Volkswagon, Subaru, or Honda).  ]

I do agree that our society has been built on a free-market concept (that has never been completely free market), and I don't think we should be "Bailing out" businesses.  I agree with letting them fall, no matter how big they are, because there will be another company who is better managed that will consume the pieces and grow (eventually).   ALL of that said, I think government money spent on food production should be in the form of low cost loans for farmers/food growers to expand. 

NO FREE MONEY. PERIOD.  STOP the gov't payments to farmers to keep land idle.  Fertile land should be utilized IF there is a farmer who decides to take advantage of it, NOBODY should be paid to NOT produce anything.  That is absolutely rediculous.  Let everyone produce as much as he or she can or wants to produce and let the market adjust accordingly based on the fabled supply and demand theory.  I'm sure it will lead to more diversity and more creative solutions to farmers marketing their products to get better prices.  IT WILL ultimately benefit us all.

[Loctavious]

Good points all.  One more thing to NOT FORGET is what happens when these farms go under.

Plain and simple - once Vt was about keeping it green and rural-esque.  Once there was a real effor to prevent urban sprawl and keep it under control.  For the most part - we HAVE slowed the rate far more than other similar areas have.  BUT, when the big farms go under, that land becomes VERY ATTRACTIVE to development.  Look no further than the new mini-city development going in on Spear Street.  Farmland was finally sold and is now makign perhaps the biggest develoment project in VT histroy - complete with it's own traffic lights, stores and school. 

I guess that's what bothers me also about letting the folks who've toiled the land and made this place what it is, just fall to the side, is what happens to all of it.  Sure there's some farms that are so poorly maintained that they SHOULD go under - for the safety of the people and animals.  BUT LET THEM ALL just fold up?

No one said anything about free money.  No such thing exists.

[trussell]

I agree- if a business can't be run profitably, then it shouldn't go on.  In my opinion, IBM is doing the right thing- they could just keep loosing money until they go under completely, or downsize until they show a profit.  One way is a sure path to all their people becoming unemployeed, while the other path at least reduces the chances.  Yes, I understand that if there were no agriculture industry, we wouldn't eat, etc- but it's a case of supply and demand.  If there is enough of a demand for a product, the price (and profit) should go up.  How many times have you gone to the store and seen a shortage of milk (I know, I know, when Steeple Market burned..)?  If there were a smaller supply, consumers would accept a higher price.  When the market is drowning with a surplus, it inevitabily drives the price down- look at recent scrap metal activity, or any other commodity.  Perhaps the elimination of a few farms wouldn't be such a bad thing....

As far as the "Giant Farms", I totally support them.  Having worked in an agriculture-related field for several years, I had the opportunity to visit many, many farms.  By far, the cleanest, most well-run farm (and one of our largest customers) that I saw was a HUGE one, I believe in Richford.  I don't know how many people they employ, but it must be several dozen- and one employee told me that they paid better than any other farm they had worked on.  Not to mention all the public scrutiny and pressure to remain a "good citizen".  The likelyhood of a large farm suddenly going belly-up is lower than a small one as well- Which gives places like UVM more of a reason to give them funding for projects like a "methane digester".

Also, why is it that farms don't pay sales tax?  The only explanation I ever got was "Because it's a FARM".  The company making computer chips in Essex needs to pay sales tax on their spare parts.  The company in Waterbury that makes (delicious) coffee pays sales tax on their parts- Why should a company in Franklin County making milk be any different?

Oh, and Ed, I do enjoy un-posted land as much as the next person, but how would you like to be told that you couldn't post yours? Perhaps that needs to be a whole new discussion

(Sorry for the lack of continuity in this post...)

[special ED]

trevor, trevor, trevor, you silly boy.........that is what I was trying to say that if they are taking all these funding monies from the government in one form or another i.e. "tax free"that they souldnt be allowed to post there land, that is like double dipping .Then I have the thinkingHEY they are getting help with their taxes why cant I get help.then me thinks HEY what gives the town the right to tax me on schools I dont have kids in school,the me thinks HEY.......................................................

[trussell]

Ed,

You seem to be doing a lot of thinking.  Are you sure that's safe? Hehe just kidding buddy...

-Trevor