Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
The selection of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture was more political pay back to the Hawkeye State than smart policy, according to an editorial by the Fort Dodge Messenger.
The Messenger, which endorsed John McCain, calls the move a “thank you” to Iowa for helping get Barack Obama elected president and calls into question Vilsack’s skills for the job.
It’s probably good news that an Iowan has been selected to fill this important post. Obviously the decisions made at the USDA have an enormous impact on the Hawkeye State’s economy. Clearly, any former Iowa governor would have at least some familiarity with farm life. It doesn’t seem obvious from Vilsack’s career, however, that his knowledge of agriculture goes much beyond the minimum one would expect from any farm state politician. Being a Des Moines lawyer isn’t the ideal preparation for the country’s most important agriculture post.
It is true that Vilsack as governor worked hard to promote Iowa products including the rapidly growing renewable fuels industries. The homework behind those efforts should be a useful starting point for leading the USDA. Certainly, having Vilsack at the USDA will make it easier for Iowans to get a friendly hearing at the department. It’s not so certain, however, that Vilsack brings to this new assignment the broad-ranging knowledge of agriculture that would be desirable for one occupying this crucial post.
(h/t Doug Burns at Iowa Political Alert)
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