Show Farmers Can un Least Afford ABord Government Cuts By Congressman Gunn McKay Since Christmas the Agriculture Department Department De De- has announced the termination termination termination tion of several basic programs influencing influencing farmers and rural homeowner I am discouraged that the Administration tion seems t to be singling out those who live in rural America to bear a disproportionate disproportionate disproportionate dis dis- proportionate share of the budgetary burden DECEMBER 26 the Department Department Department De De- announced that funds for the Rural Environmental Assistance Program Pro Pro- Program Program gram REAP were being frozen Anyone concerned with the environment environment environ environ- ment went should regret the loss of this pro pro- gram In the words of the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee Representative Poage this program has done more to reforest forest private lands than any other Mr Poage also pointed out that sedimentary runoff creates 30 times the water pollution that sewage does The REAP program worked to control control control con con- soil erosion through cons conservation programs and it was paid for primarily by the participants I feel the REAP program has been very successful in protecting the rural environment FARMERS Home Administration Administration Administration Ad Ad- ministration IA Fl-IA loans were the next to go They were available to farmers In counties which carried an emergency designation from the Secretary of Agriculture Agriculture Ag Ag- which affects all but three or four counties in Utah because of either the drought or crop freeze offices in Utah always have been busy with loans of thi this type and this decision definitely will wig alter the farmers farmers farmer's farm ers er's ability to weather periods of crisis THE MOST recent announcement curtailed cur tailed the two percent loan program administered through the Rural Electric Electric Elec and the Rural Telephone lions In Utah these two programs have vastly improved the phone and power service ervice available to rural dwellers Though REA and money will till still be available at higher interest rates sates the decision to alter the programs pro grams crams comes at a time when the two associations were on the verge of functioning functioning boning nationally with no government subsidy This action could affect the efficiency and the cost of rural phone and power service FARMERS AND RURAL homeowners make up 46 percent of ot Amerl Americas America's as a's pop pop- Yet they are assuming budget cuts totalling 15 billion out of the 10 billion the President hopes to withhold Clearly rural residents are bearing more than their share I agree with the Presidents President's efforts to balance the budget and trim spending spending spend spend- ing tog but I seriously question his prior prior- flies These cuts will jolt the rural economy economy econ econ- omy and could speed the migration from rural areas atea |