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<h2><b><font size=4 color=black face=Verdana><span style='font-size:14.5pt'>Editorial:
Cut farm subsidies now<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h2>
<h3><st1:country-region w:st="on"><b><font size=3 color="#666666" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>U.S.</span></font></b></st1:country-region>, <st1:place
w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> must take bold action<o:p></o:p></h3>
<h4><b><font size=2 color="#660033" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><br>
<i><span style='font-style:italic'>Published 2:15 am PDT Thursday, October 27,
2005 <br>
Story appeared in Editorials section, <a
href="http://www.sacbee.com/content/print_edition/#EDITORIALS">Page B8</a></span></i><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h4>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;font-weight:bold'>On
their own, no president and no <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
Congress will have the political will to slash the billions in subsidies that
flow to farmers and agribusinesses in key electoral states. The ending of
subsidies, and the beginning of a fairer market, will only happen through an
international deal that calls for mutual disarmament, a simultaneous phaseout
here and in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
font-weight:bold'>Fitful negotiations toward that end have been going on in <st1:place
w:st="on">Europe</st1:place>, so far with minimal success. Everyone seems to
agree on the principle of lowering subsidies, but consensus remains elusive.
That must end if progress toward a new global trade agreement is to be made at
a crucial meeting in <st1:place w:st="on">Hong Kong</st1:place> in December. <font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:black;font-weight:bold'><img
border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1029"
src="cid:image001.gif@01C5DACC.B1B26810" class="OAS_adspace">U.S. Trade
Representative Rob Portman has called for eliminating all agricultural
subsidies and all agricultural tariffs for all 141 member countries of the
World Trade Organization within 10 years. The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> spends about $19
billion yearly on farm subsidies. If various price supports and other low-cost
water contracts were counted as subsidies and quantified, the figure would be
much higher. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:black;font-weight:bold'>It would take years for free
trade to sort out the "winners" and "losers." Undoubtedly
there would be hardship for farmers of certain commodities during the
transition. In <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:State>,
where most crops (rice and certain cotton varieties are notable exceptions)
have no subsidies, the transition may be easier. But making this transition is
necessary, not only for this and other rich countries but also for the developing
world. Farmers there can't compete against the developed countries' subsidies.
Aid to these countries is no substitute for free trade. <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p><b><font size=2 color=black face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:black;font-weight:bold'>Bush, a president in a second
term who doesn't have to worry about re-election, is well positioned to make a
deal. Congress, which has lost its fiscal compass and can't balance a budget,
could desperately use an example of prudent cost cutting. And if <st1:country-region
w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> would stop trying to rein in a European
Union trade commissioner who seems open to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> proposals, real progress could
be made. Leadership would help, starting with the president.<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><em><i><font color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Consultant, California Trout, Inc.</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net">bwl3@comcast.net</a></span></font></u></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'><a
href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org">bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</a><u>
</u></span></font><font color=gray><span style='color:gray'>(secondary)</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org">http://www.fotr.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'><a href="http://caltrout.org">http://caltrout.org</a></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span><o:p></o:p></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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