> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lloyd Spear [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, February 11, 2002 9:55 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Closing of bee labs
>
>
[CUT]
>
> I am appalled that agricultural programs and subsidies are #2
> in federal spending, behind only defense spending.  (Or so I
> have recently heard.)  And this is after the proposal to cut
> spending by closing the four labs, not that they make much of
> a difference.
>
> Personally, Jim's perspectives have led me to believe that
> the federal government should significantly reduce spending
> on agricultural programs and subsidies, but not reduce the
> amounts spent on honeybee research.
>

I would think that research money should come from the beekeepers
themselves. While it has become rather automatic to want others to pay
for our problems, we all need to understand that money is going to
follow the votes and the lobbing efforts. Beekeeping is not the big
money crops that attract the federal dollars.

To me it is very much like buying queens, I pay for something I need. I
would think it silly to expect the government to open queen breeding
facilities. I would rather pay a little more for queens so the breeders
can pay for R&D on their products.