Gregg's Campaign Begins to Emerge

V21, N21 Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016 Gregg’s campaign begins to emerge began to emerge. He Democrat’s IACT preceded Gov. Pence, appearance with Pence both giving about 20 minute addresses. begins to lay out issues Pence walked through a familiar litany of By BRIAN A. HOWEY economic development INDIANAPOLIS – For the past benchmarks and the year, John Gregg has been in the Healthy Indiana Plan shadows, dialing for dollars while Gov. 2.0. But with Gregg, Mike Pence has, for better or worse, the speech laid out the dominated the headlines. Some have first cursory markers of suggested the coming showdown. that the for- While Gregg has mer Demo- taken a position on the cratic House LGBT civil rights expan- speaker sion, most other policy should simply matters had not taken stay in the form. That segment corner, and drew to a close on let his rematch this November be a Thursday, and again on referendum on the incumbent and Monday when his build- driven by the first-term Republican. ing campaign released Last Thursday before the In- its first position paper diana Association of Cities and Towns calling for “greater “Bootcamp” for newly elected officials, John Gregg 2.0 Continued on page 3 Farming the Trump card By MARK SOUDER FORT WAYNE – It is not very often that the big business of agriculture is part of a major political story. Yet over the past few weeks in Iowa, and in Indiana, agriculture and the policies that support farming today have emerged as a potential major factor in Republican prima- “This legislation represents a ries – for President in Iowa, for United States Senate in Indi- good-faith effort to balance ana and even the third district religious liberty and civil rights congressional race in northeast Indiana. protections for gay and lesbian When I began my campaign for Congress in 1994 a Hoosiers.” 77-year-old farmer named Elmer - State Sen. Travis Holdman, Heinley asked me to sit down at his dinner table and discuss after Senate Rules Committee farming. He was moved to tears passed SB344 by a 7-5 vote as he described the old days Page 2 when the next generation farmed the little concern for American interests? family’s land. Now the children move In his farmhouse in rural to big cities and the farmers wait to Whitley County, Elmer Heinley con- farm suburbanites. vinced me that the system, as messed But Elmer also raised some up as it is, was worth preserving important basic policy questions that though it needed significant change. I never forgot. Obviously the costs of Congressman Marlin equipment, farmland, environmental Stutzman also plunged into another regulations, seed, fertilizer, labor and area of controversy: WIC and food other such expenses were turning stamp programs that are under the Howey Politics Indiana agriculture into what WOWO radio in Department of Agriculture and thus in WWHowey Media, LLC 405 Fort Wayne had touted on its nation- their budget. Should they be con- Massachusetts Ave., Suite ally famous “Little Red Barn Down on sidered farm programs or welfare 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 the Farm in Indiana” morning show as programs (Stutzman argues welfare)? the “big business of farming.” When I first went to Wash- www.howeypolitics.com There has been a steady ington in 1983 as Republican staff decrease in the number of farmers director of the House Select Commit- Brian A. Howey, Publisher and likely will continue to be. Should tee on Children, Youth & Families, Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington subsidies of many types attempt to the Democrat staff director was Allan Jack E. Howey, Editor slow this trend or at least give smaller Stone. He had worked for Sen. George farms a chance to survive? Times McGovern, with the particular respon- Mary Lou Howey, Editor change but is such dramatic change sibility for developing those programs. Maureen Hayden, Statehouse always good? If smaller-scale farmers (Stone later became one of President Mark Curry, photography disappear what will the social impact Clinton’s speechwriters.) He said that be? How will green space in America be affected? Does any- Subscriptions body even talk about this? HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 If you oppose subsidies, HPI Weekly, $350 does that include Purdue exten- Ray Volpe, Account Manager sion offices and their programs? 317.602.3620 What about the county 4-H fairs and state fairs that all the as- email: [email protected] sistance props up? If there were Contact HPI five corporate farmers per coun- [email protected] ty, the fairs wouldn’t amount Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 to much. There are soil and water districts, the federal rural Washington: 202.256.5822 development loans, the REMCs, Business Office: 317.602.3620 ethanol subsidies, and hundreds of McGovern and Republican sponsor other programs that people don’t even Bob Dole had been interested in poor © 2016, Howey Politics realize exist. children, but that the political appeal Indiana. All rights reserved. What happens to competi- for them in South Dakota and Kansas tion if the farms get consolidated as was that it would provide a market for Photocopying, Internet forward- the processors have? Will the corpo- farm products. Thus it became part of ing, faxing or reproducing in rate conglomerates gain control of the the Ag Department and its appropria- any form, whole or part, is a land as well? For example, I remem- tions. violation of federal law without ber discussing with John and Joe Do conservatives really think permission from the publisher. Hilger the incredible power of Lay’s that moving these programs under on the potato industry, which is just a welfare department supervision will tiny chip of the issue. improve their management? Shouldn’t If America suddenly would the goals of a taxpayer-funded pro- drop agriculture subsidies, what would gram include supporting American happen to food prices and food sup- farmers versus just finding the world’s ply? Would food, even more essential lowest prices for commodities? Does than energy, be subject to the same anyone today really believe that sup- boom/bust patterns, and become port programs for low income families controlled by international cartels with are going to be cut by anybody? Page 3 In Iowa, government financing of agriculture has didate Kip Tom, were focused on not capping agricultural become vital to keeping Trump ahead of Ted Cruz. Even subsidies based upon income. Others maintained that Sen. Chuck Grassley appeared at a Trump rally. Gov. Terry the programs were designed to help smaller family farms Branstad says that Cruz must not prevail. Not surprisingly, survive, not make the big farmers richer. Iowa gets the most direct subsidies to farmers. Will agri- Tom Farms has received millions in federal dol- culture subsidies be the factor that puts Trump over the lars. Marlin Stutzman has received at least a quarter mil- top? lion. Kip Tom argues, as do other corporate farmers, that it Here in Indiana, Senate candidate Stutzman rolled is the small farmers that inflate prices through inefficiency. out his first ad, highlighting his farm background. The farm Modern corporate farmers disdain the folksy “inefficient” lobby opposes him because of Stutzman’s opposition to family farmer Stutzman portrays. their favored agricultural policies in Washington. I would My political takeaway is this. The farm lobby may argue that Stutzman’s ad is not really about agriculture, feel under duress, but by its putting the subsidies first and but about the personal and social implications of being a foremost, and not acknowledging the more comprehensive homespun farmer in Indiana. It is a “values” commercial mix of the cultural and economic issues, they are endan- masquerading as an agricultural one. gering their broader support in every race, including their In Iowa, personally conservative farmers are indirect support of Donald Trump in Iowa, attacking Marlin trying to decide if Trump’s social positions and lifestyle are Stutzman’s Senate campaign in Indiana, and using cor- less important than his positions on government aid. In porate agricultural funding to prop up Kip Tom in the 3rd Indiana it is the reverse. Farmers are trying to decide if District. Stutzman’s social conservatism trumps his public positions As someone who supported almost all of the dif- on aiding farmers. ferent agriculture efforts for 16 years in Congress, I am But I used the word “public positions” carefully appalled at the tone deaf response of the industry in the because it is still more complicated in real life. Over 60% political arena this cycle. Without some adjustments, it is of American farmers collect no subsidies. The top 10% the ag industry itself that could trigger the changes they collect about 75% of the direct subsidy dollars. fear. v In my congressional agricultural advisory committee this debate was a point of some contention. Several Souder is a former Republican congressman. members, including current 3rd District congressional can- Campaign preamble Gregg, from page 1 Gregg spun this preamble: “The press has been asking, “What’s your plat- transparency.” There was a clear political angle as it came form? What’s your platform?’ It may not be glitzy, but it’s on the first anniversary of Gov. Pence’s JustIN controversy. three simple steps. It’s competence, it’s common sense “While this governor would have created a taxpayer- and it’s inclusiveness,” Gregg began. “Competence means funded propaganda machine to control what information you understand the needs of Hoosiers. Competence means reporters and the public have access to, I want to throw that you learn about the problems. Competence means open the doors of state government,” Gregg said.

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