Gov.

Friday, August 13, 1999

Gov. Jesse Ventura dropped in on Duluth to say some things that didn’t bring him any closer to the hearts of farmers than he was in November, 1998, when he was elected – largely by the votes of Twin City dwellers.

Ventura called for an end to government bailouts for rural crises, calling for personal responsibility, coping and common sense to deal with the changes to the rural economy. He also suggested luring new businesses to the area to buffer sagging local economies and to bring new children into declining school districts. It’s true, things have definitely changed in permanent ways as far as rural farming goes. It’s not a one-man operation anymore. People do need to stop counting on their subsidies as major income instead of a harvest.

However, Minnesota is in the throes of one of the nastier agricultural crises this decade. Hog farmers just endured one of the hardest seasons ever. Most crop farmers had to plant at least twice this spring as weather conspired to rain crops right out, then steam them like clams.

Ventura has some good points. Things are changing and the answer can’t be a forever-dependence on government handouts while hoping the world turns backwards. However, neither is the answer to abandon farmers while shining grace upon technology companies.

Sure, your computer works, Mr. Governor, but what are you eating?