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John Edwards said:
> I am glad that I am not responsible for choosing
> between expensive research and lower production.
Expensive?
Here's what is required to restore the funding that
the proposed 2003 USDA budget neglects to fund:
Beltsville $1.46 million (verified by lab director)
Tuscon $1.7 million (verified by lab director)
Baton Rouge $1.5 million (unverified wild guess)
TOTAL $4.66 million
The total USDA proposed budget is $74.4 billion
The money "at risk" is a mere 0.006% of the total.
That is six thousandths of one percent!!
If worst comes to worst, and the funding is not restored,
here's a fallback plan:
a) There are roughly 130,000 US beekeepers
b) $4.66 million split equally would be $35 each.
Wow - research is cheaper than buying ONE package.
Research will help your packages survive.
Seems pretty inexpensive to me.
So, buy a package of invisible bees for science!
There is one thing 100 times cheaper - a 35-cent stamp
for a letter to a member of the agriculture budget
committee to ask them to restore the funding.
Here's the list.
http://agriculture.house.gov/members.htm
Here's where to find your own congressman,
by entering your zip code:
http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.html
Time is short - the House Appropriations subcommittee
will consider the ARS budget on February 28. The Senate
gets it on March 14.
(Do NOT send e-mail, send a postcard or letter.
Congress ignores e-mail, but pays attention to paper.)
Why is this so? My guess is:
a) The pen is mightier than the sword
b) A picture is worth a thousand words
Therefore, a picture postcard, or a letter
with a photo enclosed is clearly the
ultimate attention-getting weapon.
Fire at will.
jim
farmageddon
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