Vote Expected on Dorgan-Grassley Amendment as Early as Today

Des Moines, Iowa – With a U.S. Senate vote expected as early as today, Senator John Edwards is urging members of the Senate to approve a cap in farm subsidy payments so that family farmers aren't at a competitive disadvantage to large corporate farms. The Dorgan-Grassley amendment is similar to what Edwards has proposed as part of his agenda to revitalize rural America.

Edwards is also outlining a comprehensive agenda to protect family farms against agribusiness conglomerates. In Iowa alone, more than 50,000 hog farms have disappeared in the last three decades – leaving fewer than 9,000 remaining today.

"I will never forget rural America -- it's part of who I am," said Edwards. "I am running for president to bring attention to the struggles of rural America, which are too often ignored by Washington. But I don't talk about family farming because of nostalgia. I talk about it because the corporate greed that's killing the family farm is hurting America. These farms and the men and women who work them don't have a hundred lobbyists in Washington. They depend on what small towns in America have always depended on – Americans standing up for each other.

"The farm bill is critically important to rural America, but today instead of serving the interests of family farms, big corporate farms receive the bulk of the subsidies. Corporate farms buy up land, consolidate farming operations, drive up the price of land and rents, contribute to overproduction, stifle innovation, and squeeze out smaller and younger farmers. It's time to put fair payment limits on farm subsidies to ensure that we're helping family farmers instead of lining the pockets of big agribusiness."

Edwards supports a "hard cap" of $250,000 on payments to individual farmers and their spouses. Edwards supports closing payment loopholes by strengthening standards for determining whether someone is "actively engaged" in farming and therefore eligible for subsidies. He will also repeal the three-entity rule that lets farmers avoid the limits through complex organizational structures.

A similar proposal before the Senate today – sponsored by Senators Byron Dorgan and Charles Grassley – would save more than $1 billion over 10 years, resources which can be reinvested in helping rural areas.

In addition to capping subsidies for corporate farms, Edwards has proposed seven other steps to help family farmers succeed. These include:

• Requiring country-of-origin labeling to help domestic farmers and ranchers;
• Passing a moratorium on concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs);
• Imposing a packer ban to stop the spread of corporate hog farms;
• Boosting biofuel production;
• Enforcing anti-trust laws to prevent anticompetitive mergers and unfair pricing;
• Expanding conservation programs; and
• Encouraging young farmers by devoting new resources to rural youth development programs and beginning farmer initiatives.

As a native of small rural towns, Edwards understands that our country depends on rural communities for affordable food and increasingly for clean energy as well. In addition to the proposals to help family farms, Edwards has introduced detailed plans that will help bring rural communities back to life by reinvigorating their economies and helping struggling communities improve their schools, health care and other essential services.

For further details on Edwards' proposals to cap farm subsidies and help family farmers, please see the "Capping Subsidies for Big Corporate Farms" policy paper below.

Capping Subsidies for Big Corporate Farms

"These men and women who operate these farms don't have 100 lobbyists in Washington. They depend on what small towns have always depended on – Americans standing up for each other." − John Edwards

As a native of small rural towns in farm states, John Edwards believes that America cannot turn its back on its farming communities and rural areas. America's future depends on the survival of our farming communities and protecting a safe and abundant food supply and achieving energy independence. Small towns and rural areas are also the keepers of American values like family, work, community, and freedom.

The farm bill is critically important to rural America, but today our farm policies serve the interests of big corporate farms not ordinary family farms. Today, John Edwards described his support for fair payment limits that will ensure that farm payments help regular farmers, not put them at a competitive disadvantage to large corporate farms.

Fair Payment Limits to Help Family Farms

Farm programs were created to help family farms survive and prosper, but today they are backfiring. The bulk of subsidies go to large farms, which buy up land, consolidate farming operations, drive up the price of land and rents, contribute to overproduction, stifle innovation, and squeeze out smaller and younger farmers. The size of the average farm has doubled in the past two decades. The top 20 percent of farmers collect 80 percent of farm subsidy direct payments, made regardless of farm income or crop prices. The value of farmland in Iowa has grown by 72 percent since 2000 to $3200 an acre. [Center for Rural Affairs, 2007; Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, 2007; Washington Post, 12/21/2006; EWG, 2007; ISU, 2007]

Edwards called for fair payment limits on farm subsidies to target federal subsidies to family farmers who need them, not big corporate farms. A similar proposal before the Senate today – sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan and Charles Grassley – would save more than $1 billion over 10 years, resources which can be reinvested in helping rural areas. [Southeast Farm Press, 11/7/2007]

The Edwards Agenda for Family Farmers

Instead of defending lobbyists and corrupt insiders, Edwards will stand up for regular Americans as part of seven-day "Stand Strong" campaign

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, as Senator John Edwards traveled across rural Iowa, he kicked-off a seven-day “Stand Strong” campaign by outlining proposals to protect health care for rural seniors by standing up to big insurance companies that are overcharging taxpayers, reducing rural health care choices and scamming seniors. Edwards grew up in small, rural towns and is running for president to represent hard-working families, like the ones he grew up with.

During the “Stand Strong” campaign Edwards will discuss his bold and detailed proposals for health care reform, smart and safe trade policies, ending the war in Iraq and restoring America’s moral authority in the world. The highlight of the week will be a major policy address tomorrow on corporate responsibility in which Edwards will call for updating the social compact with hard-working Americans to protect them from abuse by corporations and help them achieve financial security in the new economy.

“Real strength comes from standing up for the millions of American families who don’t have a voice,” said Edwards. “We need a leader in the White House who has the strength and courage to stand up and fight for regular Americans rather than someone who defends the lobbyists that are destroying the better America we all believe in.”

Edwards discussed how Medicare Advantage – expanded by the law that created the privatized prescription drug benefit – provides huge subsidies to insurance companies to offer private-fee-for-service coverage for seniors. He explained how the program wreaks havoc on rural health care by overpaying private HMOs, destabilizing rural health care providers, reducing choice for rural Americans, and encouraging questionable marketing and insurance tactics.

To address these problems, Edwards proposed eliminating the overpayments to private insurers and investing the savings in ensuring low-income and rural seniors have access to the care they need. Edwards also proposed cracking down on marketing abuses by empowering state and federal regulators to set and enforce standards for insurance agents’ conduct.

“As president I will stand strong for the American people and take on the big insurance companies that are hurting rural seniors,” Edwards continued. “Misguided Medicare giveaways to private insurance companies are jeopardizing health care for older Americans, particularly in rural areas. We must reform this program to ensure that every American gets the health care that he or she needs.”

Edwards’ proposals to reform the Medicare Advantage program build on his plan to provide universal health care for all Americans. Edwards was the first presidential candidate to propose a plan for quality, affordable health care for every man, woman and child in America. Under his plan, the government will make insurance affordable through new tax credits and by leading the way toward more cost-effective care. Businesses will cover their employees or help pay their premiums. New regional “Health Care Markets” will give individuals, families and businesses purchasing power and a choice of quality plans, including one public plan. Finally, once these steps have been taken, all American residents will be required to take responsibility and get insurance.

Edwards would pay for these reforms primarily by repealing the Bush tax cuts for families making more than $200,000 a year. And to ensure that health care reform is a legislative priority, Edwards will submit legislation on the first day of his administration that ends health care coverage for the president, all members of Congress, and all senior political appointees in both the executive and legislative branches of government on July 20th, 2009 unless universal health care legislation that meets four specific, non-negotiable principles has been passed by that date.

Further details of Edwards’ plan for “Taking on Big Insurance Companies that Hurt Rural Seniors” are included below.

Taking on Big Insurance Companies that Hurt Rural Seniors

Misguided Medicare giveaways to private insurance companies are jeopardizing health care for rural older Americans. The Medicare Advantage program – expanded by the law that created the privatized prescription drug benefit – provides huge subsidies to insurance companies to offer private-fee-for-service coverage for seniors. And while the private insurance companies collect billions from taxpayers, they are also squeezing the already-stretched provider network in rural America. The program has been almost designed to wreak havoc – in the form of waste, fraud and abuse – on rural health care.

• Waste: Sending Billions from Taxpayers to HMOs: The government pays Medicare Advantage private plans an average of 12 percent more (and up to 19 percent more for the fee-for-service plans that predominate in rural areas) than it does for the same services in traditional Medicare. In Iowa, the average overpayment is 24 percent. Nationally, these overpayments total more than $10 billion annually. [CBPP, 2007; CBO, 2007]
Fraud: Questionable Marketing and Insurance Tactics: A review of 91 government audits found that tens of thousands of seniors have been victimized by scam sales tactics or cheated out of benefits by the private insurance companies that operate Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug insurance. One insurance agent scam tricked beneficiaries into signing up for private plans by telling them Medicare was going out of business. Another agent sold a plan to an Iowa senior even though it had no providers in the senior’s vicinity. [NY Times, 10/6/07; ACJF, 2007; Iowa Insurance Div., 2007]
• Abuse: Squeezing Rural Health Care Providers and Reducing Choice: Reimbursement rates paid by private plans are sometimes lower (even though insurance profits are higher) than they were in traditional Medicare. By giving private insurers greater bargaining power with rural doctors and hospitals, the Medicare Advantage program has upset an already fragile health care environment and threatens the survival of some providers. In addition, some providers are declining to accept Medicare Advantage coverage. This, combined with the decline in rural providers, means fewer health care options in rural areas. [NACRHS, 2007; KFF, 2007]

The Edwards Plan to Protect Rural Health Care for Seniors

Building on his plan for true universal health care, John Edwards will stand up to the big insurance companies that are ripping off taxpayers, reducing rural health care choices and ripping off seniors.

• Stop the Overpayments: Edwards will end overpayments to Medicare Advantage private insurers by paying rates for the private plans that are similar to traditional Medicare’s costs.
• Invest Savings in Strengthening Medicare: Edwards will use savings from eliminating overpayments in part to make sure that low-income Medicare beneficiaries have access to the care they need and address funding and reimbursement formulas that are unfair to rural areas.
• Crack Down on Marketing Abuses: Edwards will empower state and federal regulators to set standards for insurance agents’ conduct and enforce them, ending rules that tie officials’ hands.

Edwards will stand strong to preserve America's natural resources and stand up to the corporate interests who are polluting our waters and destroying our wilderness

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, during a tour of western Iowa, John Edwards unveiled his Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy America's incredible natural resources. Edwards' plan calls for increasing access to public lands, protecting gun rights, improving conservation efforts and ensuring clean waters for safe, healthy fishing.

"Growing up in small, rural towns, I learned early that America has been blessed with a wealth of natural resources," said Edwards. "Just as it is our right to enjoy America's forests, mountains, fields and streams, it is also our responsibility to protect them for generations to come. But the Bush Administration has waged war on the environment, putting corporate interests ahead of our natural heritage at every turn. It's time to stand strong and reverse this destruction by standing up to the corporate interests who are polluting our waters and destroying our wilderness."

Edwards' Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities includes the following proposals:

Improve Access to Public and Recreational Lands. Because too often Americans are unable to enjoy America's natural places and wildlife, Edwards will support "Open Fields" programs that encourage private landowners to let people hunt and fish on their land. He also supports setting up regional Public Access Councils to give local sportspeople a voice in land management and, instead of opening up backcountry for logging and drilling the way President Bush has done, Edwards will work to preserve our roadless backcountry.

Protect the Tradition of Responsible Gun Ownership. Edwards hunted when he was young and grew up in rural areas where owning a gun was part of a way of life. He believes that we can do two things at once: protect gun rights and promote gun safety.

Preserve Access to Clean, Healthy Water for Fishing. Edwards will restore the Clean Water Act's authority over all our nation's waters and fight mercury pollution in our fish by requiring power plants to reduce their emissions.

Secure our Natural Heritage for Future Generations. Edwards will get the Bureau of Land Management back in the business of protecting our public land instead of working for the oil and gas industry. He will re-invest in the National Park system and work to protect our habitats from invasive species that are skyrocketing in part because of foreign imports that the current administration isn't willing to regulate.

Expect Citizens to Share Responsibility for Stewardship. Edwards will create new ways for regular Americans to take responsibility for conserving America's natural treasures. He will help private landowners protect their land through the Conservation Reserve Program and will create an Outdoor Career Corps to train young people for jobs in conservation. Finally, when national parks need to cull their game species because of over-population, Edwards supports saving taxpayers millions by having local hunters, instead of paid sharpshooters, do the job.

Further details are included in Edwards' Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

"Growing up in small, rural towns, I learned early that America has been blessed with a wealth of natural resources. Just as it is our right to enjoy America's forests, mountains, fields and streams, it is also our responsibility to protect them for generations to come." -- John Edwards

Nearly half of American adults fish, hunt or participate in outdoors recreation relating to fish and wildlife each year. We need to ensure opportunities for all Americans to enjoy the country's natural resources and protect these resources for future generations. Today, John Edwards announced his Hunting and Fishing Bill of Rights and Responsibilities, outlining five principles for access to public lands, gun rights, conservation, and safe, healthy fishing. [USFWS, 2007]

Improve Access to Public and Recreational Lands

Too often, Americans are unable to enjoy America's natural places and wildlife. Access issues -- including rapid private development and poor trail maintenance -- create barriers for cyclists, runners, hunters, fishers and others who depend on access to recreational land and water. Edwards will help Americans get outdoors.

Protect the Tradition of Responsible Gun Ownership

Edwards hunted when he was young and grew up in rural areas where owning a gun was part of a way of life. He respects that way of life and the individual right to own firearms guaranteed by the Second Amendment. He believes that law-abiding citizens should be able to own firearms to protect themselves and their families, enjoy sport shooting and take part in the time-honored tradition of hunting. At the same time, we've all seen the terrible consequences when guns fall into the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. We can do two things at once: protect gun rights and promote gun safety.

Preserve Access to Clean, Healthy Water for Fishing

The longstanding American tradition of angling is threatened by pollution in our nation's waters. Under President Bush, Clean Water Act enforcement has fallen while more than 300,000 miles of rivers and shoreline and 5 million acres of lakes are too contaminated for recreational use. Edwards will protect the tradition of fishing by protecting America's waterways. [Iowa DNR, 2007; NRDC, 2004]

Secure our Natural Heritage for Future Generations

At every opportunity, George Bush has put narrow corporate interests ahead of regular families, causing new threats to our nation's great wildlife habitats. Edwards believes that protecting our natural heritage for future generations to enjoy is among our highest duties.

Expect Citizens to Share Responsibility for Stewardship

The government alone cannot adequately care for the hundreds of millions acres of state and federal lands and waters, much less the millions more acres of natural resources -- including 75 percent of the nation's wetlands -- that are under private ownership. Edwards will create new ways for regular Americans to take responsibility for conserving America's natural treasures. [EPA, 2007]

"While John Edwards was in rural Iowa yesterday talking about his plans to help family farmers, the Clinton campaign was in Washington, DC planning an event with the lobbyists from the biggest corporate agriculture company in the world. The difference between John Edwards and Hillary Clinton could not be more clear. Here's some news for the Clinton campaign, when folks in rural Iowa talk about the problems with hog lots, they don't mean parking lots on K Street.

"John Edwards believes family-owned farms are critical to America's future and that the corporate greed that's killing the family farm is hurting America. Apparently, Hillary Clinton doesn't feel the same way. While John Edwards has introduced policies to ensure family farmers can compete against big agribusiness, protect the food we eat and preserve farming communities, Hillary Clinton, beholden to Washington lobbyists, is tailoring her rural policy to reflect the needs of big agribusiness. While corporate America and lobbyists may want someone like Clinton in the White House, regular Americans are ready for someone who will stand up for them and fight for real change."

John Edwards' Plan to Support Rural Firefighters

"The spirit of public service is so important to America's small towns. When we honor the bravery of rural firefighters, we strengthen entire communities." - John Edwards

Because rural areas have limited tax bases and smaller, more dispersed populations, they often struggle to provide vital public safety services. Death rates from fires are 35 percent higher in rural areas than in the rest of the country. Rural fire departments are stretched thin, and most small towns rely entirely on volunteers. As president, John Edwards will help rural firefighters by fighting for fair funding levels, ending the Justice Department backlog on death benefits and guaranteeing job protection for volunteers while they are responding to an emergency. Edwards believes that we must both strengthen support for professional firefighters and recognize the contributions of volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line for little or no pay. [U.S. Fire Administration, 2006]

• Giving Back to Rural Firefighters: Edwards will ensure that small-town and volunteer fire departments get the funding and training they deserve. He strongly supports the Rural Fire Assistance program that President Bush has tried to eliminate. The program will help rural districts buy equipment, train firefighters and prevent fires and requires local cost sharing.
• Expanding Federal Security Funding Programs: Edwards will also expand the homeland security programs that help meet the needs of our rural fire departments. He supports more funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which helps fire departments hire personnel and retain volunteers. He also supports the Assistance to Firefighters program, known as FIRE Grants, to support training, purchasing firefighting vehicles as well as communications and other equipment, health and safety programs and fire prevention and education programs
• Guaranteeing Protection on the Job: Since the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act was signed into law, strengthening the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, only two of the first forty claims have been approved. Two hundred families of fallen officers are still awaiting decisions. Edwards will streamline the process for awarding death benefits to fallen public safety officers, ending the Justice Department's backlog.
• Supporting Those Who Serve: Edwards will prevent the IRS from taxing the modest local benefits volunteers may receive for their service. He will also protect firefighters from losing their jobs while responding to emergencies, similar to the protection currently offered to National Guard members. [NVFC, 2007]
• Funding Rural America's Needs: The federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes program compensates areas for lost tax revenue from federally-protected land. Edwards will protect this important program from cuts like those President Bush has proposed. [Washington Post, 4/6/2007; NACO, 2007]

Discusses Specific Plans to Support Rural Firefighters and Create Jobs in the New Energy Economy

Rock Rapids, Iowa – Today, Senator John Edwards begins the second day of his two-day, nine-county "Barnstorm for Rural America" in Rock Rapids, Iowa, where he will discuss his plan to support rural firefighters. Edwards is traveling across Western Iowa to highlight the families and communities that are too often forgotten in Washington and to discuss his specific solutions to revitalize and restore hope to rural America. Former Congressman Ben "Cooter" Jones, who played Cooter Davenport on the successful television series The Dukes of Hazzard, is joining Edwards on the Barnstorm.

"For too long, Washington has forgotten about the needs of rural Americans," said Edwards. "Every four years, candidates come through Iowa saying that they'll help rural communities, only to go back to Washington and ignore them again. I will never turn my back on rural America. Growing up in a small town, I learned about family, community and hard work. These are values I carry with me today. As president, I will protect the rural way of life and strengthen rural communities, so we can keep these values alive in our country."

Edwards begins Day Two of the "Barnstorm for Rural America" by touring a rural fire house and discussing his plan to support rural firefighters. As president, Edwards will make sure that small-town and volunteer fire departments in Iowa get the funding and training they deserve. He strongly supports the Rural Fire Assistance program and supports more funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which helps fire departments hire personnel and retain volunteers. As president, he will streamline the process for awarding death benefits and will also protect firefighters from losing their jobs while responding to emergencies. Finally, he will protect the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program, which brings more than $250,000 a year to counties in Iowa.

Following his event in Rock Rapids, Edwards will travel to Sibley, Iowa, to hold a community meeting to discuss his plan to strengthen America's rural schools. Edwards will then travel to Estherville, Iowa, and visit Iowa Lakes Community College and hold a community meeting to discuss his plan to create jobs in the new energy economy. Iowa Lakes Community College's Biomass Energy Processing program trains students for jobs in the renewable energy industry.

In March, Edwards unveiled a plan to halt global warming and build a new energy economy that will create more than a million "green collar" jobs. Edwards will invest in renewable energies and accelerate the use of biofuels on America's roads and highways, creating thousands of jobs in Iowa. Additionally, Edwards' "Green Collar Jobs" training initiative will connect over 150,000 workers a year with skills certification and living wage jobs in the new energy economy. The Green Collar Jobs training initiative will partner with employers, unions, community colleges and high schools to prepare and engage the next generation of workers.

In the last stop of the "Barnstorm for Rural America," Edwards will visit the farm of Linus Solberg in Cylinder, Iowa and discuss his plan to protect family farms. Edwards believes we need to stand up to the big agricultural conglomerates and ensure fairness for family farmers.

For more information on Edwards' plans to support rural firefighters and create jobs in the new energy economy, please see the attached fact sheets. For more information on Edwards' full plan to restore hope to rural America, please visit www.JohnEdwards.com/Iowa/Issues.

Honoring Bravery and Ensuring Safety

John Edwards' Plan to Support Iowa's Rural Firefighters

"The spirit of public service is so important to America's small towns. When we honor the bravery of rural firefighters, we strengthen entire communities." - John Edwards

Because rural areas have limited tax bases and smaller, more dispersed populations, they often struggle to provide vital public safety services. Death rates from fires are 35 percent higher in rural areas than in the rest of the country. Rural fire departments are stretched thin, and most small towns rely entirely on volunteers. As president, John Edwards will help Iowa's rural firefighters by fighting for fair funding levels, ending the Justice Department backlog on death benefits and guaranteeing job protection for volunteers while they are responding to an emergency. Edwards believes that we must both strengthen support for professional firefighters and recognize the contributions of volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line for little or no pay. [U.S. Fire Administration, 2006]

• Giving Back to Rural Firefighters: Edwards will ensure that small-town and volunteer fire departments in Iowa get the funding and training they deserve. He strongly supports the Rural Fire Assistance program that President Bush has tried to eliminate. The program will help rural districts buy equipment, train firefighters and prevent fires and requires local cost sharing.
• Expanding Federal Security Funding Programs: Edwards will also expand the homeland security programs that help meet the needs of Iowa's rural fire departments. He supports more funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program, which helps fire departments hire personnel and retain volunteers. He also supports the Assistance to Firefighters program, known as FIRE Grants, to support training, purchasing firefighting vehicles as well as communications and other equipment, health and safety programs and fire prevention and education programs
• Guaranteeing Protection on the Job: Since the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefits Act was signed into law, strengthening the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, only two of the first forty claims have been approved. Two hundred families of fallen officers are still awaiting decisions. Edwards will streamline the process for awarding death benefits to fallen public safety officers, ending the Justice Department's backlog.
• Supporting Those Who Serve: Edwards will prevent the IRS from taxing the modest local benefits volunteers may receive for their service. He will also protect firefighters from losing their jobs while responding to emergencies, similar to the protection currently offered to National Guard members. [NVFC, 2007]
• Funding Rural America's Needs: The federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes program compensates areas for lost tax revenue from federally-protected land. Edwards will protect this important program - which brings over $250,000 a year to counties in Iowa - from cuts like those President Bush has proposed. [Washington Post, 4/6/2007; NACO, 2007]

Putting Iowa's Biofuels on America's Roads

"We can build a whole new energy economy that's centered right here in rural America. By harnessing American ingenuity, we can emerge from the crisis of global warming by stimulating innovation, bringing the family farm back to life and creating more than one million jobs." - John Edwards

While Washington is captive to special interests - the big oil and power companies - that have blocked real solutions to climate change, innovators in Iowa and across the country are leading the way toward the clean, renewable fuels of the future. We need energy independence from unstable and hostile areas of the world, from global warming pollution and from the old ways of doing business.

Ethanol made from corn starch today as well as cellulose tomorrow can reduce carbon pollution by 20 to 80 percent compared to gasoline, and biodiesels can bring reductions of up to 78 percent. Iowa is the national leader in ethanol production, with 13 existing biodiesel refineries and almost 50 more on the way. As president, John Edwards will accelerate the use of biofuels on America's roads and highways, cut greenhouse gas emissions, reduce America's oil imports by at least 7.5 million barrels a day by 2025 and improve public health by:

• Boosting Biofuel Production: Edwards will invest in public-private research partnerships to maximize America's biofuel output while minimizing environmental damage, help develop new methods of producing and using corn and cellulosic ethanol including E30 and E20 ethanol, support loan guarantees to new refineries, provide job skills training to ensure local residents get jobs and make the renewable production tax credit permanent. [DOE / USDA, 2005]
• Building the Biofuels Infrastructure: Only about 900 of the country's 169,000 gas stations have pumps for the E85 blend of ethanol and gasoline. Edwards will require oil companies to install biofuel pumps at 25 percent of their gas stations and require all new cars sold after 2010 to be "flex fuel" cars running on either gasoline or biofuel. [NEVC, 2007; Driving RAND, 2006; DOE, 2005; USDA, 2005]
• Creating New Green Collar Jobs: Insufficient skills and training are major barriers to rapid adoption of renewable energy. Edwards' "Green Collar Jobs" training initiative will connect over 150,000 workers a year with skills certification and living wage jobs in the new energy economy. The Green Collar Jobs training initiative will partner with employers, unions, community colleges and high schools to prepare and engage the next generation of workers. [NREL, 2007]
• Making American Vehicles Virtually Petroleum-Free: With a strong ethanol industry that includes biofuels, fuel cells, and hybrid and electric technology, American cars and trucks can be virtually petroleum-free within a generation. Edwards will provide $1 billion a year to help U.S. automakers advance and apply the latest technology, including biofuels, hybrid and electric cars, hydrogen fuel cells, ultra-light materials and drive train improvements. He will also help school districts replace conventional diesel with cleaner-burning biodiesel blends in 100,000 school buses nationwide.
• Promoting Clean Farms for Clean Fuels: Making Iowa's farms a central part of the solution to climate change will require a concerted effort to control greenhouse gas emissions and protect farmland as the nation ramps up production of homegrown biofuels. Edwards will make greenhouse gas reduction profitable for farms through a cap and trade system and incentives for trapping and converting methane emissions for electricity generation.

Discusses Specific Plans To Ensure Fairness For Family Farmers, Strengthen Rural Education, And Revitalize the Rural Economy

Dunlap, Iowa – Today, Senator John Edwards kicks off a two-day, nine-county "Barnstorm for Rural America" across Western Iowa to highlight the families and communities that are too often forgotten in Washington and to discuss his specific solutions to revitalize and restore hope to rural America. Former Congressman Ben "Cooter" Jones, who played Cooter Davenport on the successful television series The Dukes of Hazzard, is joining Edwards on the Barnstorm.

Edwards was born and raised in a small rural town and understands the values and struggles of rural America. He saw what happened when the mill where his father had worked was closed down and jobs were shipped overseas, and has made rural revitalization a cornerstone of his campaign.

"People in Washington think of rural America as a place you fly over when you're going from New York to California - but not me," said Edwards. "I will never forget rural America - it's part of who I am. I am running for president on behalf of my father and the people he worked with at the mill and the millions of hard-working families like the ones I grew up with. This Barnstorm is about bringing attention to the struggles of rural America, which are too often ignored by Washington. As president, I will restore hope and opportunity to small towns and rural communities."

Edwards begins Day One of the "Barnstorm for Rural America" in Dunlap, Iowa, where he will tour the Dunlap Auction House and discuss agricultural issues, including country-of-origin labeling. Edwards will then travel to Harlan to discuss how we can protect family farms. As president, Edwards will stand up to the big agricultural conglomerates and ensure fairness for family farmers by enacting a national packer ban, enforcing country-of-origin labeling, imposing a moratorium on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and targeting farm subsidies to family farmers instead of corporations by limiting payments to $250,000 per person.

Edwards will then travel to Exira, Iowa to hold a community meeting at Exira High School to discuss his plan to strengthen rural schools. Rural schools in Iowa enroll 38 percent of the state's children but receive only 28 percent of education funding. Edwards went to rural public schools and believes we need to do more to make sure young people in rural communities get the same great education he did. As president, he will strengthen rural schools by improving pay for teachers in rural schools to help attract quality new and experienced teachers, creating digital learning opportunities, increasing high school graduation and college enrollment rates and putting Washington on a path to fully funding its share of special education costs. In support of the "Speed Matters" campaign, a project of the Communications Workers of America, Edwards also discussed the importance of high speed Internet access at schools like Exira High School.

In Greenfield and Waukee, Iowa, Edwards will discuss his plans to bring good jobs and economic opportunities back to small towns. Rural manufacturing has been hit particularly hard by unfair trade practices that privilege multinational corporations over workers. Under President Bush, Iowa has lost more than 16,000 manufacturing jobs. Edwards will restore economic fairness to rural America by helping small businesses thrive and grow. He will create the Rural Economic Advancement Challenge (REACH) Fund, which will provide $1 billion over five years to jumpstart small businesses in rural areas. The REACH Fund will bring capital and management expertise to small town America and connect investors with entrepreneurs in small towns to provide training and support.

For more information on Edwards' plans to ensure fairness for family farmers, strengthen rural education, and revitalize the rural economy, please see the attached fact sheets. For more information on Edwards' full plan to restore hope to rural America, please visit www.JohnEdwards.com/Iowa/Issues

Fairness for Iowa's Family Farmers and Farm Communities

"I don't talk about family farming because of nostalgia. I talk about it because the corporate greed that's killing the family farm is hurting America. These farms and the men and women who work them don't have a hundred lobbyists in Washington. They depend on what small towns in America have always depended on - Americans standing up for each other." − John Edwards

While American family farmers are being forced out of business at an alarming rate, our nation's food supply is increasingly at risk from under-regulated imports. The concentration of corporate farms with destructive land use practices has been slowly killing smaller and medium-sized farms, only the pace is no longer so slow. The connection that Iowa's family farmers have to the communities in which they live, the soil they tend and the crops and livestock they raise benefits all Americans. Just as we need our family farms more than ever, two farmers leave their land every hour. [USDA, 2004]

John Edwards grew up in a small town in farm state. Family-owned farms were a part of the America in which he grew up. America's future - protecting a safe and abundant food supply and achieving energy independence - depends on the survival of our farming communities. To protect family farms and farming communities, Edwards has introduced policies that ensure Iowa family farmers can compete against big agribusiness, protect the food we eat and preserve the land in rural communities.

Ensuring Fairness and Opportunity for Family Farmers

Big corporate farms use their economic power to squeeze struggling family farmers, just as they use their political power to pressure Washington for special treatment. To defend family farming, Edwards will:

• Restore Economic Fairness to the Farm Bill: The law today is stacked against family farmers. Unlimited subsidy checks for agribusiness increase the price of land and disadvantage family farms. To ensure a strong safety net for family farmers, while preventing windfalls for agribusiness, Edwards will limit farm subsidy payments to $250,000 per person and close loopholes in payment limits.
• Enforce Antitrust Laws: American food production is concentrated in the hands of a small number of very large conglomerates. For example, three companies process 71 percent of the soybean market. Mergers and predatory pricing by big agribusiness are hurting farmers in Iowa. Edwards supports the strict enforcement of laws against anticompetitive mergers and unfair pricing. [Hendrickson and Heffernan, 2007]
• Impose a Packer Ban: Large corporate meat packers are driving small and medium-size farmers out of business by influencing livestock prices and restricting access to markets for independent producers. Industrial agriculture fosters a concentration in market power where today just four corporations control approximately 66 percent of the pork market and 84 percent of the beef market. Communities with laws that discourage corporate farming have lower poverty levels, lower unemployment, and more farms with cash gains. Edwards will enact a strong national ban on packer ownership to stop the spread of large corporate hog interests. [Hendrickson and Heffernan, 2007; Cattle Buyer's Weekly, 2003; Welsh & Lyson, 2001]
• Boost Biofuel Production: Edwards will create a New Economy Energy Fund - financed by pollution permits and an end to oil industry giveaways - will help develop new methods of producing and using corn and cellulosic ethanol, support loan guarantees to new refineries, and support making the renewable production tax credit permanent. It will also support locally-owned biorefineries with start-up capital, skills training to make sure the jobs go to local residents and investments in public-private research partnerships to develop ways to maximize America's biofuel ouput while minimizing pollution, soil erosion, and water, land and energy use. He will also require oil companies to install biofuel pumps at 25 percent of their gas stations and require all new cars sold after 2010 to be "flex fuel" cars running on either gasoline or biofuel.
• Encourage Young Farmers: Senior citizens own half of Iowa's farmland, and young farmers are getting priced out of farming by land prices that have risen 77 percent in real terms over the past decade. Edwards will devote new resources to rural youth development programs and beginning farmer initiatives that connect young people with retiring farmers as well as offering grants, loans, and business advice.

Protecting America's Food Supply and the Communities that Provide It

Degrading and unsafe environmental practices threaten the well-being of our food supply and the rural communities that produce it. As president, Edwards will:

• Provide Consumers with Country-of-Origin Information: Despite increasing concern about the safety of imports from countries like China and interest in buying local produce, mandatory country-of-origin labels have been twice blocked by large meat packers, agribusiness lobbyists and retailers like Wal-Mart. Consumers continue to be left in the dark as to where these categories of food come from. Edwards will end the delays and start enforcing mandatory country-of-origin labeling, giving Americans the information they need to choose the best food for their families. This will also help domestic farmers and ranchers by giving consumers the option of choosing safe, American-raised meat and motivate foreign producers to make safety a priority and move our food supply system toward fuller accountability for the safety of what we eat. [USDA, 2007; The Hill, 4/7/05; National Family Farm Coalition, 2007]
• Clean Up Cattle and Hog CAFOs: Since 1978, the number of hog farms in Iowa has declined from 59,000 to 8,900 as large-scale livestock operations have displaced family farms. Large-scale lagoons concentrate thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands of animals in one location, producing billions of pounds of untreated waste. These concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) leave the odor, health risks, water pollution and long-term costs to be borne by local communities while the farm's profits are exported to corporate shareholders around the world. Due to the enormous amounts of waste and corrosive effects on rural environments, Edwards is calling for a national moratorium on the expansion of existing and the construction of new CAFOs, with an exception for local communities to opt out. Edwards has also proposed new environmental legislation to regulate pollution from existing lagoons and impose tough penalties on polluters. [Honeyman and Duffy, 2006]
• Expand Conservation Programs: Farm groups, hunters and anglers, and environmentalists can all agree on one thing: conservation is an incredibly important component of modern farm and land management policy. Edwards supports expanding agricultural conservation programs and simplifying access so more farmers can benefit from them.

Strengthening Iowa's Rural Schools

"Rural America has been ignored for too long, but we are all in this together. We all pay a price when young people who could someday find the cure for AIDS or make a fuel cell work end up getting shut out of the workforce because they didn't get the education they needed." - John Edwards

In America today, children who live in the right zip code get the best education our country can offer, but children in rural and low-income communities face an uphill battle. They see some of the highest dropout rates, lowest college enrollment rates, lowest average teacher salaries and often large school transportation and special education costs that make it next to impossible to invest more resources in raising student achievement. Rural schools in Iowa enroll 38 percent of the state's children but receive only 28 percent of education funding. [U.S. Department of Education, 2007; RSCT, 2005]

Born and raised in a small town, John Edwards knows the struggles of rural Iowa families and believes that America cannot turn its back on the rural communities that are the keepers of American values like family, work, community, and freedom. He believes that no matter where they live, every child should have the same chance to get a great education. As president, Edwards will:

• Prepare Every Child to Succeed: Edwards will lead the way toward quality universal preschool by helping Iowa offer "Great Promise" programs for four-year-olds. The first priority will be children in rural and low-income neighborhoods with struggling schools. He also supports Smart Start to promote affordable, quality child care and family health for children under the age of five.
• Reward Rural Teachers: Iowa's schools are facing teacher shortages in critical areas such as science and math. Rural schools have particular difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers. Edwards will raise pay for teachers in many successful rural schools by up to $15,000 a year and offer college scholarships for students who commit to teach in rural schools. He will also create a National Teacher University to train excellent teachers to serve in rural schools and other places they are needed most. [Iowa Department of Education, 2007]
• Invest in Rural Broadband: While half of urban and suburban children have access to broadband for homework, less than a third of rural children do. Just as FDR's rural electrification initiative brought power to every corner of the country, Edwards will set a national broadband policy with a goal of giving all U.S. homes, schools, and businesses access to real high-speed internet by 2010.
• Break Down Educational Barriers: About one in seven rural students in Iowa receives special education services. The federal government's failure to fulfill its obligation to special education and unique funding challenges facing rural schools mean that even a few students with significant special needs can force a rural school to make unbearable tradeoffs. This must change. Edwards will reverse the proposed Bush cuts to IDEA grants and get Washington on a path to fully funding its share of special education costs. [RSCT, 2005]
• Create College for Everyone: College enrollment rates in rural areas are the lowest in the country. Two years ago, Edwards helped start a College for Everyone program in Greene County, North Carolina that has increased the college-going rate from 54 percent to 74 percent. As president, Edwards will create a similar national plan to pay one year of public-college tuition, fees and books for more than 2 million students. In return, students will be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school, and stay out of trouble. [U.S. Department of Education]
• Raise Graduation Rates: Rural teenagers are more likely than suburban teens to drop out of school and to be both out of school and out of work. Edwards will create multiple paths to graduation such as Second Chance schools for former dropouts and smaller alternative schools for at-risk students. He will keep at-risk students in school with the Striving Readers literacy program and one-on-one tutoring. [U.S. Department of Education, 2007]
• Support Education Technology: Distance learning through the Internet can bring the content of the world's best universities, libraries, and museums to rural and remote areas. Software programs incorporating virtual reality, digital modeling, and intelligent one-on-one tutoring systems are proven to dramatically accelerate learning. Edwards will invest in cutting-edge research to integrate these new teaching tools and test them in rural America. [Digital Promise, 2003]

Supporting Main Street Businesses and Restoring the Rural Economy

"Rural America's economic potential is enormous. The ingenuity of America's farmers and small town entrepreneurs creates new ideas and new opportunities every day. But when rural communities are shut out of the capital markets, good ideas can't be harvested for good jobs." - John Edwards

Too often, politicians in Washington look out for big businesses in urban centers and ignore the challenges facing rural America. Many small towns in Iowa are struggling: rural workers in the state earn 23 percent less than urban workers. Rural manufacturing has been hit particularly hard by unfair trade practices that privilege multinational corporations over workers. Under George Bush, Iowa has lost more than 16,000 manufacturing jobs. [USDA, 2007; BLS, 2007]

• Capital for Small Businesses Is Scarce: Cultivating local small businesses is a promising economic development strategy for rural areas, but less than 1 percent of venture capital goes to rural areas. Only 6 percent of investments supported by New Market Tax Credits program are going to ventures outside of metropolitan areas and none are in rural Iowa. Only 1 percent of state economic development funds support local entrepreneurs. [CDVAC, 2002; Treasury Department, 2006; RUPRI, 2007]
• Young People Are Leaving Rural Areas: As young people move away, small towns are turning into ghost towns. Over the 1990s, Iowa lost a third of its college graduates and ranked number two in the out-migration of single college-educated youth nationwide. [Census, 2003; NY Times, 8/8/07]

Born and raised in a small town, John Edwards knows the struggles of rural families. America cannot turn its back on the rural areas that are the keepers of American values like family, work, community and freedom. Today, Edwards explained how his Rural Economic Advancement Challenge (REACH) Fund will create new jobs and businesses in rural Iowa and rural areas across America.

• Ensure that Rural Areas Have Access to Investment Capital: The REACH Fund will provide $1 billion over five years to jumpstart small businesses in rural areas. It will work with non-profit and for-profit organizations to leverage private-sector dollars by identifying promising investment opportunities for businesses unfamiliar with rural communities.
• Bring Management Expertise to Small Town America: The REACH Fund will bring investors from big cities together with entrepreneurs in small towns to provide training and support.
• Organize Businesses Into Networks: Rural firms need quick access to the store of informal knowledge and experience that can be found among suppliers, customers, competitors, schools, research institutions, and in the labor force. The REACH Fund will connect businesses that might struggle alone into networks that can succeed together. [Regional Technology Strategies]
• Help Young Entrepreneurs: To create opportunities for young Americans in rural areas, Edwards will target 20 percent of his REACH fund for rural entrepreneurs to young adults under 30.
• Build on Successful Models: Regional programs like those run by the Rural Center in North Carolina, Coastal Enterprises in northern New England and Kentucky Highlands have proven how small investments in small businesses, combined with technical support, can create good jobs and revitalize struggling small towns. [CSG, Undated]

Unveils New Proposals for Rural Communities During Economic Fairness Tour of New Hampshire's North Country

Manchester, New Hampshire – Today, Senator John Edwards kicked off an "Economic Fairness for the North Country" barnstorm and unveiled his plans for Restoring Economic Fairness to Rural New Hampshire.

"I grew up in a small rural town, so I've seen firsthand how the problems of rural America too often are forgotten by politicians living and working in far-off capital cities," said Edwards. "This campaign is about fixing the broken system in Washington and building One America where all of our communities have good schools, good health care and the support systems they need. As president, I won't turn my back on rural America."

To restore economic fairness in the North Country and rural areas across America, Edwards unveiled three new initiatives that expand on the Rural Recovery Act he proposed earlier this year:

Give older Americans more choices to help them live independently, including better transportation options, access to home health care, and protection from predatory lenders.

Help rural firefighters by fighting for fair funding levels, ending the Justice Department backlog on death benefits and guaranteeing job protection for volunteers while they are responding to an emergency.

Ensure rural towns have the resources they need to serve their citizens by protecting the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program from President Bush's budget cuts.

"Edwards is the first presidential candidate to offer comprehensive and detailed plans for rural New Hampshire," said Paul Robitaille, Coos County Democrats chair. "He understands the challenges we face and is not only committed to preserving and strengthening our communities, but has the strength and vision to create the bold change we need in this country."

During his two-day barnstorm through New Hampshire's North Country, Edwards will makes stops in Durham, Conway, Berlin, Littleton, and Claremont. He kicked-off the tour with a roundtable discussion about the challenges facing rural and working families at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institute. During the Economic Fairness tour, Edwards will be joined by Grammy Award-winning musician Ralph Stanley II, the IBMA award-winning Bluegrass Brothers, and former Democratic Congressman Ben Jones, who played "Cooter" on the Dukes of Hazzard.

For further information on Edwards' plan for Restoring Economic Fairness to Rural New Hampshire please see below.

Restoring Economic Fairness to Rural New Hampshire

Edwards Outlines His Rural Recovery Act with New Proposals for Rural Seniors and Public Servants

Too often, politicians in Washington have overlooked the challenges facing rural America. Many small towns in New Hampshire and throughout the country are struggling: jobs in rural counties in New Hampshire pay $8,300 less than urban jobs on average. The North Country's Coos County has the highest poverty rate in the state, and nearly one out of every five county residents is a senior citizen. [USDA, 2005]

Born in a small town, John Edwards understands the struggles of rural families and believes that America cannot turn its back on the rural communities that are the keepers of American values like family, work, community, and freedom. Earlier this year, Edwards proposed a Rural Recovery Act that would restore economic fairness in the North Country and rural areas across America. Today, Edwards proposed three new initiatives to help rural America:

A Declaration Of Independence For Rural Seniors

Rural America is aging. In New Hampshire, the North Country has the state's highest concentration of senior citizens. Seniors in rural areas face unique challenges, from lower incomes to a lack of access to health facilities, medical specialists and transportation options. John Edwards has proposed a Declaration of Independence for America's rural seniors that would:

Promote Freedom with Accessible Transportation: Particularly in small towns, many seniors lose their independence because they are isolated from supportive services or reliable transportation. Edwards will call on American automakers to make affordable, wheelchair-accessible vehicles. He will also protect funding support public transportation for rural areas, seniors and people with disabilities. Edwards will expand rural services like meals-on-wheels, para-transit shuttle services and volunteer networks of local drivers for seniors and people with disabilities.

Bring Senior Health Specialists to Rural America: Despite an elderly population of over 37 million that will double in less than three decades, the number of certified geriatricians is declining: only 330 doctors nationwide will complete geriatrics training this year. Edwards will reform the way doctors are paid to encourage physicians to go into geriatric primary care and recruit master geriatricians back into the classroom to teach the next generation of specialists—including nurses eligible for scholarships if they practice in rural areas. [Gawande, 2007]

Offer Choice in Long-Term Care: For many rural seniors, nursing homes that cost $75,000 a year are not an option, but they should not be forced to live in isolation or put economic burdens on their families. Edwards' Living with Dignity initiative will reform Medicaid and Medicare to let people to choose home-based care. He will also take care of the caretakers, building the home health aide profession through better training, pay and collective bargaining rights.

Safeguard Seniors' Wealth: In New Hampshire, seniors on fixed incomes are vulnerable to the state's nearly 60 storefront payday lenders, which charge over 300 percent interest on cash advances. Edwards will ban all payday loans at interest rates over 36 percent, which today is basically all of them. He will also form a new federal regulator, the Family Savings and Credit Commission, whose sole job is consumer protection for financial services from mortgages to tax refund loans. [N.H. State Banking Department, 2007]

Helping Rural Firefighters And Other Public Servants

The spirit of volunteerism and public service is an important part of small-town America. Because rural areas have limited tax bases and smaller, more dispersed populations, vital public services often struggle to provide what's needed. John Edwards will:

Give Back to Rural Firefighters: Rural fire departments are stretched thin, and most small towns rely entirely on volunteers. Edwards will ensure that small-town and volunteer fire departments get the funding and training they deserve by restoring the Rural Fire Assistance program that President Bush has eliminated. He will also expand the homeland security programs – including SAFER and the Fire Grant programs -- that help firefighters meet the needs of rural fire departments. He will streamline the process for awarding death benefits to fallen public safety officers, ending the Justice Department's backlog. Edwards believes that we must both strengthen support for professional firefighters and recognize the contributions of volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line for little or no pay. He will prevent the IRS from taxing the modest local benefits volunteers may receive for their service and protect firefighters from losing their jobs while responding to emergences, similar to the protection currently offered to National Guard members. [NVFC, 2007]

Rewarding Rural Teachers: Rural schools enroll 40 percent of American children – including most children in New Hampshire – but receive only 22 percent of federal education funding. Edwards will improve pay for teachers in rural and other hard-to-staff schools to help attract quality new and experienced teachers. He will also invest in distance learning to bring the content of the world's best universities, libraries, and museums to rural areas. Finally, he will reverse the proposed Bush cuts to IDEA special education grants and get Washington on a path to full funding. [RSCT, 2006 and 2007; Digital Promise, 2003; Rural School and Community Trust, 2007]

Valuing Small-Town Nurses: Edwards will pay up to full tuition and fees for 50,000 new students to become nurses. In return, these nurses would commit to serve for at least four years where nurses are in critical short supply, including rural clinics and hospitals. He will also support distance learning initiatives– like the current partnership between the University of New Hampshire and Granite State College – that can help bring advanced training to rural areas. To improve conditions at rural clinics and hospitals, he will rewrite unfair Medicare and Medicaid funding formulas that disadvantage rural providers and invest in telemedicine to connect local doctors and patients with distant specialists and equipment. [Manchester Union-Leader, 8/6/2006]

Guaranteeing Rural America the Funding It Needs: More than half of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's $70 billion in rural development funds has gone to metropolitan regions, suburbs, and resort towns like Martha's Vineyard. Edwards will rewrite funding rules to bring resources to needy rural areas. He will also protect the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program – which compensates areas with federally-protected land for lost tax revenue, bringing over $250,000 a year to forest counties in New Hampshire – from cuts like those President Bush has proposed. [Washington Post, 4/6/2007; NACO, 2007]

Restoring Economic Fairness To Rural America

Investing Seed Money for Rural Recovery: Cultivating local small businesses is a promising economic development strategy for rural areas, but only 1 percent of state economic development funds support local entrepreneurs. Edwards will create a Rural Economic Advancement Challenge (REACH) Fund to bring capital and management expertise to small town America. The REACH Fund will connect investors with rural entrepreneurs, organize businesses into networks to help them succeed together, and ensure that rural areas have access to investment capital. [RUPRI, 2007]

Create the New Energy Economy in Rural America: Renewable sources of energy -- including biofuels, wind, and solar -- can make the U.S. independent of foreign oil, cut global warming pollution, and create new industries in rural America. New Hampshire's wood-based biomass and other renewable energy potential could bring over 5,000 jobs. Edwards will establish the New Energy Economy Fund to jumpstart renewable energies. [Apollo Alliance, 2004]

Enact Smarter Trade Policies: John Edwards' primary test for new trade deals will be simple: considering its impact on jobs, wages and prices, will it make most families better off? Edwards will insist on strong labor and environmental standards in trade agreements, vigorously enforce American workers' rights, and help workers and communities hurt by global competition.

Stand Up for Family Farmers: Edwards will enforce laws requiring country-of-origin labeling and preventing anticompetitive mergers and unfair pricing. He will limit farm subsidies to $250,000 per person to help counter the devastating effect of agribusiness on family farms across the country. He will also expand support for conservation programs and fruit and vegetable farming.

Invest in Rural Broadband: Rural households are about half as likely to have a broadband connection. Just as FDR's rural electrification initiative brought power to every corner of the country, Edwards will set a national broadband policy with a goal of giving all U.S. homes and businesses access to real high-speed internet by 2010. Universal broadband will give rural areas better access to medical care and specialists through tele-medicine facilities. A national broadband map will identify service gaps to encourage investment, Edwards will require telephone and cable companies not to discriminate against rural communities, and set aside a portion of the broadcast spectrum for community providers to improve service in rural areas. [ITU, 2006; CWA, 2006]

Prohibit Banks from Discriminating against Rural America: Rural areas have fewer bank branches and per-capita small business loans than suburban and urban areas, as well as more high-cost mortgages. Edwards will prevent banks from discriminating against rural areas, will increase investment in rural communities, and will pass a strong national law against predatory mortgages. [NCRC, 2007; Carsey Institute, 2006]

Fight for Economic Fairness: One out of every 10 North Country residents lives in poverty. To eliminate poverty nationwide within 30 years, Edwards will raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2012 and index it to half the average wage. He will also cut taxes for low-wage workers, help workers save, and invest in expanding affordable housing near good jobs and schools. [USDA, 2004]

"Today, Elizabeth and I join with many Americans in recognizing National Hunting and Fishing Day and the time-honored traditions and sporting values that this day highlights.

"We proudly support the great contributions that outdoor men and women have made and continue to make in conservation efforts and the incredible economic benefits generated all across America by their passion.

"Above all, we honor the fact that today these core values and contributions are passed from fathers and mothers to their children and continue to provide a source of fellowship for families and friends everywhere."