For release NOT BEFORE June 25, 2003, 7 p.m.

Rural development, access to technology proposed by State Grange leader

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Okanogan, June 25 – Ongoing needs of residents living in our state’s rural areas and small towns occupied much of State President Terry Hunt’s report given to delegates attending the 114th annual convention of the Washington State Grange in Okanogan.

Hunt, who addressed delegates shortly after the convention officially opened on Wednesday evening, June 25, spoke about problems in rural areas ranging from failing roads, railroads and bridges to non-existent broadband Internet service.

The Grange leader disapproved of “one size fits all” approaches to rural America’s problems. The best way to approach local problems, he stressed, is to focus on local solutions. “Overbearing state and federal agencies imposing costly regulations often restrict the growth of our communities,” Hunt said. “Local communities can best decide how to develop, constrain or use their resources for the benefit of rural economies.” The state’s role, Hunt explained, is to help where it can without hindering where it is unnecessary. More local control will also lead to more civic involvement and higher participation in the democratic process, Hunt predicted.

Among the reforms Hunt called for was expedited permit processing coupled with local appeals of unnecessary regulations. “Reforms such as these could boost our local economies,” Hunt said. Another factor in local growth is returning development decisions to those who are most affected by them. “Rural areas have three basic assets – natural beauty and amenities that draw tourism and retirement; low-cost, high-quality labor and land; and natural resources for farming, forestry and fisheries,” he explained. “To apply generic statewide or nationwide rules and ideas to rural areas unfairly restricts those assets.”

One key to ensuring a healthier climate for rural Washington is to make sure farmers living and working there have an environment where they can earn a decent living. Hunt said that as we dig deep into the soil of Grange history, farming and ranching have remained as the soul of Grange policy. “Even as fewer citizens and Grange members actually work in agriculture, we all understand the need for strong farms and the unacceptable cost of not maintaining our nation’s food security,” he said. “Family farms offer a symbolic heart for communities, where rural and urban people witness their connection to the food that nourishes them and to the land that sustains the food.”

Hunt pointed out that the new federal Farm Bill may provide some new tools to help our struggling family farms. He praised the bill’s expansion of the Conservation Reserve Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program that have helped many Washington farmers become even better stewards of the land. He also noted the introduction of the Conservation Security Program for farmers who use best practices in taking care of the land.

“While I see these programs as beneficial, given the Grange’s longstanding conviction that farmers are the best stewards of the land, I would like to see the implementation phase take into consideration the costs to family farmers in cost-share agreements,” he said. “We need to take care of the land, but not at the price of putting farmers out of business and removing land from agricultural purposes.”

Another feature of the Farm Bill that Hunt likes is a requirement that all fresh meat and produce be labeled to show where it was grown. Starting next year when the labels will be required consumers will be able to choose American-grown products over imports.

Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the Farm Bill, Hunt pointed out, is the funding it provides for rural development grants. In addition to funding for rural business incentives, value-added products and renewable energy development, the Farm Bill offers $1.4 billion in loans and loan guarantees to expand broadband Internet access in rural areas. “This part of the bill creates opportunities for economic development, education and community revitalization in rural Washington,” Hunt said. “As more farmers depend on global information, non-farm income sources and the digital economy, I believe this funding from the USDA can begin to address the needs of our small towns and farms. It also reinforces the Grange’s historical and ongoing commitment to provide equal access to technology for all citizens in the state.”

Hunt also touched on the recent court decision that led to the closure of the Washington Apple Commission. He traced the Grange’s involvement and support of commodity commissions back into the early 1950s. The commissions, he said, “were set up to help fruit and vegetable growers, meat and dairy producers and fishermen to market their goods and to provide research assistance. I sincerely hope we can find a reasonable and balanced solution to prevent commodity commissions from closing down, as the Apple Commission did in early April. There is still a place for the commissions, and we must find a way to preserve their core missions.”

Hunt outlined for the delegates some of the 70 bills about water that were introduced in the most recent session of the Legislature. Only a few key ones passed, he noted, a lack of action that is creating a great deal of unrest in rural Washington because solutions to serious water problems are evidently not forthcoming. “Our water laws have been in a state of contention for as long as Washington has been a state,” he observed. “Water is the life-blood of everything we do. We cannot live without it and the regulations need to be fixed. It’s about creating balance for the state: a balance for people and the environment – one can’t survive without the other.”

Grange members are very much involved with their local schools, Hunt noted, and Granges are making a real difference in the education of our children. The Grange is actively supporting the Ag in the Classroom program that provides instructional material to elementary students. These materials help the students understand our agricultural system – making them more aware of how food gets to their table. The Grange is also working closely with the older students through FFA and 4-H. Locally, many Granges are donating dictionaries to third grade students in the “Words for Thirds” project. “I am proud to see a swell in the energy and devotion of Granges this past year as they give more of themselves to promote the education of our children,” he said.

Medical care in Washington is another area that could benefit from increased Grange involvement, Hunt said. “Washington state continues to struggle with the crisis in health care. In the past two years, 156,000 residents in Washington have lost their health insurance, many of them from our rural areas. One in 10 people in the state lack any form of health coverage. Moreover, 25 of 44 rural hospitals in Washington are considered financially vulnerable. Because smaller hospitals lack the financial reserves of larger hospitals and have fewer patients, they are in need of critical care.”

A big factor in the rural hospital crisis, he pointed out, is low reimbursement rates from Medicare. “Washington state ranks 42nd in the nation in Medicare reimbursements. The national average is $5,490 per patient; in Washington it is only $3,921,” he said. “Because of this, many of our doctors are no longer accepting new Medicare patients. This year, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray introduced legislation called the ‘Medi-Fair’ Act, which would bring our state up from the bottom of the national reimbursement rates. This legislation would significantly help the needs of our Medicare patients. Sen. Murray and other members of Congress continue to drive home the need for health care access in Washington state.”

Our state’s vital transportation system is a topic that has involved members of the Grange in Washington since their organization was formed in 1889 and Hunt devoted some time to it in his report. Washington is facing a mass exodus of business because of gridlock on our roads, rails and public transportation, Hunt feels, and something needs to be done.

“I believe the transportation problems in the state affect us all,” he said. “When traffic is blocked for hours in King County, trucks from Yakima can’t get through. When freight rail is not improved, even more money is lost on wasted time for trucks in traffic. We all need these roads built, for our safety and for our economy.”

The Grange supported the unsuccessful Referendum 51 last November. The measure, if adopted, would have raised gas taxes to help improve the state’s crumbling and inadequate transportation infrastructure. The Grange now supports the Legislature’s recently enacted boost in gas taxes. Those funds will help get us moving again and that is important to everyone in the state. “This transportation funding package can also stimulate our sluggish employment rates by immediately providing family-wage jobs,” Hunt said. “It is imperative that our state joins together to foster a better business environment, and that includes fixing and building our roads and rail.”

Hunt closed his lengthy report by pointing to two impressive accomplishments by the Grange over the past year. The Grange’s Technology Project currently has 14 Granges participating and more are in the wings. The project has established these sites in rural areas where community members can go to access high-speed Internet. The project is funded in part by a generous grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “I hope we can see an expansion of technology in Granges in the future, so people in rural areas have equal access to sources of public information, health news and assistance, research capability for students and others, and all of the Internet’s vast resources.”

The second recent accomplishment Hunt mentioned was the organization’s ongoing fight to preserve the state’s blanket primary that was implemented in the 1930s thanks to Grange initiative. The latest move in the continuing lawsuit brought by the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian political parties was a hearing before the ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in February. The State Grange’s attorney presented a vigorous defense of the blanket primary as did attorneys for the secretary of state. A ruling has not yet been released by the court.

In closing, Hunt left the delegates with a vision for the Grange’s ongoing work to improve the quality of life for all of Washington’s citizens, especially those in rural regions of the state. “The landscape of rural America is changing, and lines blur between what is rural and what is urban,” he said. “More people seek the peace, beauty and rich community life available beyond our cities, but they, like all of us, want good schools, emergency services and health care. To enable them to become part of rural life, the Grange needs a vision for community development. We must build our role as a group of equals that share a concern for family, community and the land. We must show that the Grange is more than great meeting halls. Each community Grange can act as a source of strength when pursuing good legislative policy, a source of fun when families and others want a safe place to congregate, and a source of support for citizens who want the same access to technology and services.

“However, this vision should not be limited to rural Americans,” Hunt concluded. “The values of community involvement, compassion for those in need, strong families, and liberty do not end at the edges of our metropolitan areas. Whether a person lives in downtown Seattle or outside of Quincy, they deserve the chance to be part of great organization in the Grange. Our vision should encompass all of Washington’s citizens, because therein lies the heart of the Grange. Our core values live in our people, the Grangers who care about their communities and the rights of the people who live there.”

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The Grange will be maintaining a press room at the State Grange convention in Okanogan. That number (operational June 24-28) will be (509) 422-2132.

For information about the Grange, including please see our media kit, or go to www.wa-grange.org

For more information contact Larry Clark, Communications Director, (360) 943-9911