Common sense a battle on farm bill

Written by Paul Penner Wednesday, 27 February 2008 07:30

When common sense prevails in the halls of government, there is cause for celebration in the streets. And why not make a big deal out of it and express our gratitude to those who helped make common sense prevail.

According to a news release, Rep. Jerry Moran announced Feb. 20 the Kansas Corporation Commission has released a new policy regarding its interpretation of interstate commerce. He met Feb. 19 with the KCC to discuss this matter.

KCC released its interpretation that commodity shipments within the borders of Kansas will not be considered interstate commerce unless there is clear evidence the shipper intends for the commodity to leave the state.

This change means that many farmers and ranchers who deliver agricultural commodities...

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Predictions are at best possibility

Written by Paul Penner Wednesday, 23 January 2008 09:43

Crystal-ball gazing may not be an Olympic sport by any stretch of the imagination, but in light of recent news of alleged illegal use of performance-enhancing drugs by scores of athletes, predicting the future might stand a better chance of qualifying as a true sport. Even better than baseball.

Anyone can predict the future. No one can guarantee the prophecy will come true with absolute certainty. But that doesn’t stop people from trying.

Some predictions are instantly proven wrong, resulting in drastic consequences. For instance, the last words of Gen. John Sedgwick, Union commander in the Civil War, were, “They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist---”.

Looking back in the turbulent period of the ’60s, counter culture icon...

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Christmas is for us, Charlie Brown

Written by Paul Penner Thursday, 27 December 2007 06:13

One of my all-time favorite holiday videos is “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Within the larger plot, the story of the first Christmas comes alive with purity and simplicity as told by a little child.

Before that story is told, however, the Peanuts gang behaves like normal children. The focus is on the pageantry and the preparation for Christmas, of having fun and the giving and receiving of gifts.

The competitive nature of the children motivates each character to find his or her place in the social pecking order of the group. Lucy takes charge of the Christmas play and appoints Charlie Brown as director. Instead of being a place of honor and respect, Charlie Brown discovers his place in the pecking order is near the bottom.

As with...

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Know where your farm bill is now?

Written by Paul Penner Wednesday, 28 November 2007 01:32

Farmers, November 2007 is nearly gone and current farm bill legislation is about to expire. Do you know where your new farm bill is? More importantly, do you know why debate over the farm bill is stalled in the Senate?

From a historical perspective, the farm bill usually passes the House and Senate, not to mention out of the conference committee and through the final voting process, arriving at the president’s desk for his signature before the Christmas recess.

In my opinion, the bill may not even make it to the final vote before February 2008, even if the current deadlock is resolved.

In fact, odds are good that an extension of the 2002 Farm Bill will be approved, preventing permanent legislation of the Agricultural Adjustment Act...

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