Letter to Congress concerning tax relief

May 18, 2001

Dear NASDA Colleague:

I am pleased that we were finally able to achieve consensus at our membership meeting in Chicago on a financial safety net for America's agricultural producers.

I want to thank each of you who were able to attend the Chicago meeting or arrange to have someone from your staff represent you. I realize that such a meeting is unprecedented in the recent history of NASDA, but the financial stakes are high for our farmers and ranchers. I felt it was important that the directors, secretaries and commissioners of agriculture across this country be heard by Congress.

I especially want to thank the chair of our Rural Development & Financial Security Committee, Roger Johnson, for his diligence and perseverance and his true spirit of accommodation, in reaching out to everyone with concerns and working to address them. I believe we have a credible program to recommend to Congress and one that every NASDA member can embrace.

I know many of you are anxious to share details of NASDA's proposal with your constituents. Through this letter I want to share with you the document containing the elements of the financial safety net package which were agreed to in Chicago.

As I noted in Chicago, it is important that we deliver a compelling message to Congress. Consequently, we consider the enclosed document to be a "working paper" for our internal use only. This is not the document we intend to deliver to Congress. The NASDA Board, working with our writers at World Perspectives, will rewrite this document to position NASDA's recommendations by placing them into the context of the financial realities agricultural producers are facing today. In so doing however, I want to reiterate the pledge I made to you in Chicago, that the Board will be scrupulous in adhering to the points of agreement as delineated in this working paper. We will, of course, share the final document with you as soon as it has been signed off by the Board, which we hope to have done by Memorial Day.

I have asked the NASDA staff to prepare a plan for the Board for communicating this proposal to Congress over the summer months. We will be looking for opportunities to testify before congressional committees, brief members of congress and their staffs either individually or through caucuses, to brief the Administration and to communicate with other agricultural organizations. When the plan has been finalized by the Board, we will share that with you as well and would solicit your assistance in contacting your representatives and senators.

Again, I want to thank you for the time and effort you have given to this project and for your commitment to make NASDA an effective organization.

Sincerely,

Leon C. Graves
President, NASDA
Commissioner, Vermont Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Markets



	May 18, 2001 Dear NASDA Colleague: I am pleased that we were finally able to achieve consensus at our membership meeting in Chicago on a financial safety net for America's agricultural producers. I want to thank each of you who were able to attend the Chicago meeting or arrange to have someone from your staff represent you. I realize that such a meeting is unprecedented in the recent history of NASDA, but the financial stakes are high for our farmers and ranchers. I felt it was important that the directors, secretaries and commissioners of agriculture across this country be heard by Congress. I especially want to thank the chair of our Rural Development & Financial Security Committee, Roger Johnson, for his diligence and perseverance and his true spirit of accommodation, in reaching out to everyone with concerns and working to address them. I believe we have a credible program to recommend to Congress and one that every NASDA member can embrace. I know many of you are anxious to share details of NASDA's proposal with your constituents. Through this letter I want to share with you the document containing the elements of the financial safety net package which were agreed to in Chicago. As I noted in Chicago, it is important that we deliver a compelling message to Congress. Consequently, we consider the enclosed document to be a "working paper" for our internal use only. This is not the document we intend to deliver to Congress. The NASDA Board, working with our writers at World Perspectives, will rewrite this document to position NASDA's recommendations by placing them into the context of the financial realities agricultural producers are facing today. In so doing however, I want to reiterate the pledge I made to you in Chicago, that the Board will be scrupulous in adhering to the points of agreement as delineated in this working paper. We will, of course, share the final document with you as soon as it has been signed off by the Board, which we hope to have done by Memorial Day. I have asked the NASDA staff to prepare a plan for the Board for communicating this proposal to Congress over the summer months. We will be looking for opportunities to testify before congressional committees, brief members of congress and their staffs either individually or through caucuses, to brief the Administration and to communicate with other agricultural organizations. When the plan has been finalized by the Board, we will share that with you as well and would solicit your assistance in contacting your representatives and senators. Again, I want to thank you for the time and effort you have given to this project and for your commitment to make NASDA an effective organization. Sincerely, Leon C. Graves President, NASDA Commissioner, Vermont Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Markets