Thursday's Internet Edition, 02:02 AM, March 11, 2010.
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- The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced a special initiative of $50 million, of which Texas will be receiving more than $4.4 million, to provide financial assistance for conservation practices available for growers transitioning to organic farming or who are already certified for organic agriculture under new provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill.
Applications for Farm Bill conservation programs are accepted on a continuous basis, this special sign-up period will be February 8 – March 12, 2010 at NRCS offices across Texas.
Organic or transitioning farmers may apply for funds through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to receive up to $20,000 annually or $80,000 during any six-year period.
Last year, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the $50 million
for the organic initiative to meet the Obama Administration’s promise to encourage more organic agriculture production. The program has been extended and is being offered again this year.
“Assisting organic producers is a priority of the 2008 Farm Bill as well as for Secretary Vilsack and the Obama Administration,” said Merrigan. “The objective of this initiative is to make organic food producers eligible to compete for EQIP financial assistance.”
The NRCS offices will be administering the program, which has been reorganized to include a separate fund of EQIP revenue to help the organic farmers and those who are beginning to undertake organic production.
For producers transitioning to organic production, they need to provide a self-certification to develop an Organic System Plan (OSP) by an accredited consultant during the contract period and implement conservation practices consistent with EQIP statute and the OSP.
Certified organic operations need to include their OSP reviewed by a USDA National Organic Program (NOP) accredited certifier when they apply for financial assistance under the program.
“Farmers with an OSP have typically accomplished much of the work needed to develop an NRCS conservation plan,” Don Gohmert, NRCS State Conservationist for Texas, said. “Participating in Organic EQIP will result in a complete conservation system.”
Texas and Culberson County look at what decades of neglect might have cost us
On February 12, the Center for Public Policy Priorities will release the annual Texas KIDS COUNT data book: The State of Texas Children 2009-2010, a resource that offers an updated look at the well-being of children in Texas, and complete online data snapshots for every county in Texas. The data shows Texas’ approach is not strengthening families or helping children.
Assessing the Texas Approach
For decades, state leaders have told us that spending little on public services for children to keep taxes low leads to prosperity, making things better for children in the long run. But the data show this to be a failed approach: Texas spends less per person than any other state, but things aren’t getting better for kids.
“Decades of belt tightening have left us with more poor, uninsured, and hungry children than almost every other state,” said Frances Deviney, Texas KIDS COUNT Director.
Child Poverty Much Too High in Texas
With nearly 1 in 4 Texas children living in poverty (23 percent), Texas’ child poverty rate exceeds most other states’ (U.S. = 18 percent). That means nearly 1.5 million Texas children live in families making less than the federal poverty level (e.g., less than $17,600 for a family of three in 2008). In Culberson County, 209 children (or 35.5 percent) live below the poverty level. High unemployment is a consistent indicator of high child poverty rates, and during past recessions, child poverty rates continued to increase for a year or more after the rest of the economy made an initial recovery. Given that Texas’ unemployment numbers doubled in the last two years (from 4.4 percent in January 2008 to 8.3 percent in December 2009, seasonally adjusted), we will likely see an increase in child poverty as the data catches up with the economic downturn. In Culberson County, the unemployment rate went from 2.7 percent in January 2008 to 4.0 percent in December 2009, not seasonally adjusted). Compared to their peers, children living in poverty are more likely to drop out of high school, have worse health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood, and have worse employment outcomes, undermining our future prosperity.
Rate of Uninsured Children on the Rise for Most Income Levels
For the 10th consecutive year, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured children in the nation, with 20 percent of Texas children uninsured —nearly twice the national average. This rate is predicted to rise to 24 percent in 2010. In Culberson County, 205 children (or 25.0 percent) are predicted to be uninsured in 2010. Children are falling through the cracks of both the private and the public health insurance markets. Fewer children are covered through their parent’s employer (50 percent in 2003 to 46 percent in 2008). Increases in the rate of uninsured in 2008 were the largest for children whose families made too much to qualify them for public coverage but not enough to purchase individual private insurance plans. Even for families that do qualify for public health benefits—half of Texas’ 1.4 million uninsured children do—lack of education about available programs, intimidating enrollment procedures, and a broken eligibility and enrollment system that has improperly denied benefits to hundreds of thousands of Texans.
Hunger and Nutrition Support
Texas faces the second-highest rate of child food insecurity in the nation, with 16.3 percent (1.4 million) Texas households unsure where their next meal will come from, or how they will afford it in 2006-2008. In 2007, one of every five children (1.3 million) received Food Stamps (now know as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP). In Culberson County, 186 (or 28.0 percent) of children received SNAP. As further evidence of the impact of the recession, that number grew to 1.8 million in February 2010. For Culberson County, children receiving SNAP increased to 218 in February 2010. Even with these large participation numbers, 38 percent of all SNAP applications across Texas are not processed on time, leaving hungry families and children waiting.
What Can You Do?
You can insist that Texas help kids today to ensure prosperity tomorrow by:
1. Ensuring access to quality, affordable public and private health coverage for all kids.
2. Reforming the eligibility system through policy simplification, better business processes, more staff, and improved technology.
3. Support revenue reform, making our tax system fair and adequate to ensure we can invest in the essentials—such as education—for our kids.
Additional State and County Data, Rankings, Maps, and Graphs Available Online:
· Child Abuse and Neglect
· Death and Violence
· Maternal and Infant Health
· Early Care and Education
· Completion Rates and TAKS scores
An online version of the book is available for press purposes only at: www.cppp.org/
Column One
By Dawn Simpson
When I told you a couple of weeks ago that the Advocate was celebrating its 100th birthday, it seems that some our younger readers were a little confused and thought that Mr. Simpson and I had been publishing it for 100 years! Well, we do try to take good care of ourselves, but I don’t think that even the handful of vitamin supplements we take each morning could preserve us quite that well. We do have pretty deep roots here and sometimes it feels like it has been about 100 years! But time does fly when you are having fun! By the way, for us it has been 34 + years!
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How many zeros are in a billion? Most of us would have to stop and think a minute, because we are not accustomed to thinking in billions. Yet how often lately do we hear our politicians use the word ‘billion’ in a casual manner. Consider the following and then think about whether you want the ‘politicians’ spending YOUR tax money.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age. And a billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain…. let’s take a look at New Orleans. Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking congress for 250 BILLION dollars to rebuild New Orleans. What does it mean? Well, if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528. Or……if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787. Or……..if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012!
Are all the calculators in Washington, D.C. broken or what?
And if that wasn’t alarming enough, here’s a list (probably not complete) of some of the taxes we pay: Building Permit Tax, CDL License Tax, Cigarette Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Dog License Tax, Federal Income Tax, Federal Unemployment Tax, Fishing License Tax, Food License Tax, Fuel Permit Tax, Gasoline Tax, Hunting License Tax, Inheritance Tax, Inventory Tax, IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax), IRS Penalties, Liquor Tax, Luxury Tax, Marriage License Tax, Medicare Tax, Property Tax, Real Estate Tax, Service charge Tax, Social Security Tax, Road Usage Tax (Truckers), Sales Taxes, Recreational Vehicle Tax, School Tax, State Income Tax, State Unemployment Tax, Telephone Federal Excise Tax, Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax, Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax, Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax, Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax, Telephone State and Local Tax, Utility Tax, Vehicle License Registration Tax, Vehicle Sales Tax, Watercraft Registration Tax, Well Permit Tax, Workers compensation Tax.
And to think, we left British rule to avoid so many taxes!
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago… and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, we had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids! What the heck happened to us? Well one thing that happened is spelled P-O-L-I-T-I-C-I-A-N-S!
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Here’s something a little more uplifting, and it has to do with billion also….
What two billion people know
There are more than 2.1 billion Christians in the world. Between 80% and 90% of them will observe Lent this year, beginning today. Why? What is "Lent"? Where did it come from? Is it relevant for you?
Lent is typically defined as the 40-day period preceding Easter, a time of prayer and spiritual commitment which prepares Christians to celebrate the Resurrection. In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and officially ends at sundown on Maundy Thursday (April 1 this year). "Lent" comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word lencten, meaning "spring."
Why 40 days? (At the risk of confusing non-Lenten readers, I should point out that Roman Catholics do not include Sundays in their count; Orthodox churches do, so they have a larger number of Lenten days.) Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2), using the days in spiritual preparation. In the same way, Lenten observers use this period as preparation for their ministry the rest of the year. Jesus also lay 40 hours in the tomb, a fact which may have suggested 40 days of Lent to early Christians.
As the Hebrews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years of purification before they were allowed to enter the Promised Land, so Lent is a season of purification for God's people today. And the Great Flood lasted for 40 days, as God washed away the evil which had infested the world; our souls are to be cleansed during the 40 days of Lent.
The season begins with Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday. Its name comes from the ancient practice of placing ashes on worshippers' heads or foreheads as a sign of humility before God-a symbol of mourning and sorrow at the death which sin brings into the world. This observance reminds the worshiper of Jesus' death and the consequences of sin. Many churches save palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday, which they burn into the ash they use for today's ritual.
In liturgical churches, Lent is typically marked by abstinence from something as a means of spiritual commitment, giving rise to "I gave it up for Lent." This tradition dates back to at least the time of Irenaeus (died AD 202), when a complete fast was maintained for 40 hours. In 1966, the Roman Catholic Church restricted fasting to Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
What does any of this have to do with those who do not worship in liturgical, Lent-observing traditions? Today we can make this observation: every Christian needs time for intentional spiritual introspection and contemplation. We were all made for communion with our Maker, and need time to renew our relationship with him.
As St. Augustine so famously prayed, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you." Has your heart rested in God yet today?
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
February 18th - Trustees of the Culberson County-Allamoore ISD are scheduled to meet this evening at 6 p.m. in the District Administration Building. Members of the an Horn Volunteer Fire Department are slated to meet tonight at 7 p.m. at the Firehouse.
February 19th - The Van Horn Lady Eagle softball team will play the Pecos JV here today beginning at 5 p.m.
February 20th - The Van Horn Eagle track teams will run in the Presidio Invitational today. Pancake Breakfast at the Vhristian Shelter today from 8 a.m. til noon.
February 21st - Attend the church of your choice today.
February 22nd - The Van Horn Lady Eagle softball team will play Presidio here today beginning at 5 p.m. Members of the Van Horn Lions Club are slated to meet this evening at 7 p.m. at Mijas Restaurant.
February 23rd - The Van Horn Rotary Club will meet today at noon at Chuy’s Restaurant. The Van Horn City Council is scheduled to meet this evening at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
February 24th - Nothing scheduled at press time.