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“STRENGTHENING THE RURAL ECONOMY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H1827-H1828 on April 5, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STRENGTHENING THE RURAL ECONOMY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, the United States has enjoyed the longest sustained period of economic growth in the history of the Nation. We have gone from record deficits to record surpluses. 20 million new jobs have been created in the last 8 years. We have the highest homeownership rate ever, the lowest unemployment in 30 years, and the lowest poverty rate in 20 years. Under current plans, we expect to eliminate the Federal debt; and we are looking forward to a surplus of more than $3 trillion over the next 10 years. Farmlands are being transformed into subdivisions overnight.
Ordinarily that would be good, indicating progress. But the transformation of farmland into subdivisions is but further evidence that small ranchers and farmers are a dying breed. At the turn of the last century, close to half of the population in America lived and worked on ranches and farms. With the recent turn of the century, that number has been reduced to only about 1\1/2\ percent of the population. In 1900, thousands and thousands of small farms and ranches dotted the countryside, growing tobacco, cotton, wheat, soybeans and other products, raising pigs, poultry, horses and cattle. Today, by contrast, four companies are responsible for 80 percent of the beef market.
Despite the rosy economic picture for some, many in rural America are suffering. Despite the economic boom, many in rural America have not shared in the bounty. In rural America, low-tech factories have been driven out of business by lower paying foreign competitors. Small tobacco growers and other farmers face extinction. The digital divide has left us with two Americas. According to a recent article in the New York Times, large chunks of rural America are being depopulated. Small ranchers and farmers are being impoverished, forcing them to sell out.
The Department of Agriculture reports that wheat is at the lowest price since 1986, cotton at its lowest since 1974, and soybeans at its lowest since 1972. The Times article notes that in one of the poorest rural counties, the average income is less than $4,000, while in Manhattan, New York, the average income is close to $70,000. In rural North Carolina, where I come from, last year alone in the State we lost 32,000 manufacturing jobs because of plant closings and layoffs, 43 percent more than we lost in 1998. An old plant closed and a new plant opened in Ashe County. Only 200 of the 300 workers were retained. The new plant laid off workers because computers now do the jobs that they did.
Yes, Mr. Speaker, in many parts of America, the help-wanted ads are full, unemployment rates are low, incomes are high, wealth is being accumulated. Not so in rural America. A $15 million satellite site opened recently in North Carolina to support the needs of a $350 million plant. Because of computers, only three workers were hired to operate this satellite plant.
What can we do, Mr. Speaker? We can emphasize education, preparing our students, and training our workers to compete in an increasingly high-tech and global economy. We can provide incentives to business to locate in rural America. We can improve our infrastructure, provide better water and sewer systems.
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We can begin to close the digital divide and provide Internet access to even those in remote, rural areas, and we can improve our roads, helping to get rural goods and services to customers throughout the Nation and throughout the world.
Most importantly, we can and we must use organizations like our recently organized rural caucus as a place to discuss, a place to generate new ideas. We can strengthen the economy in rural America and allow for all of our citizens to share in our Nation's growth. We can close the income and wealth gap in that it is growing between urban and rural America. We can strengthen our economy, Mr. Speaker, in rural America, and we must.
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