Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, July 19, 1980, Image 17

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Next to Dollar General
Letters To
The Editor
Dear Editor,
I have come to appreciate
the legislative comment
your newspaper carries to
keep farmers informed on
happenings in Harrisburg I
look for excellent legislative
information from your
reporters and editorial staff
The latest commentator on
legislative proceedings,
however, is out of place,
misinformed, and guilty of
clearly partisan leanmgs.
County Agent Tom Jur
chak is sworn to neutrality
on farm issues m the
political arena by virtue of
his employment with the Ex
tension Service On the sub
ject of the Milk Security
Fund he stepped a bit up on a
grandstand to promote the
Farmers Association, and
therefore, violated the im
partiality we rightfully ex
pect of him Additionally, his
assessment of what happen
ed is distorted and
misleading to your readers
In Mr Jurchak’s July 12
Lancaster Farming column
he states “The PFA worked
i” " '■•pnt amend
ment 10 the bill - that’s true,
they did. He says the other
groups failed to support the
PFA - also true, and ap
parently a pity to the County
Agent’s way of thinking
In beginning his account
with that organization,
clearly outlining PFA policy,
Mr Jurchak implies correct
ness, motherhood, and apple
pie. When the Administra
tion, Secretary Hallowed,
six major dairy
cooperatives, the State
Grange, and the Penn
sylvania Farmers Union
failed to agree with Camp
Hill thinking, Jurchak im
plies all were wrong. I must
tell your readers that Mr
Jurchak is wrong
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 19,1980—A17
The simple fact is that
while all other groups were
supporting the version of a
Milk Security Fund that
could pass, PFA could think
of nothing except talking
tough for a two cent amend
ment There was simply lit
tle support for such major
surgery, and they lost the
battle everywhere it was
fought
The amendment died in
the full Senate and it died in
the House Agriculture Com
mittee, almost for lack for a
second to the motion Even
after the second came, only
those two members voted to
amend
It was not until the bill
came for a vote in the full
House that PFA finally gave
up its tinkering tendency,
and supported the bill After
all other organizations work
ed hard to keep the bill on
track, PFA decided in the
final hour to jom the effort.
Even Lancaster Farming
carried a (June 2tlj editorial
titled “Fight over pennies
later”, which stated it was
more important to get a fund
for farmers-NOW- than to
quibble over pennies and
jeopardize the fund. All
those groups supporting SB
1011 knew the deduction rate
could be changed later, in
the Milk Marketing Board,
and many believed a two
cent amendment would kill
the bill m this session of the
legislature. Sponsors of the
bill stated publicly they
could not support major
amendments, like a 2 cent
contribution rate
It’s clear to me that Mr
Jurchak started his editorial
with the wrong group. If he
wishes to be a legislative
commentator he’ll simply
have to leam to start with
the majority position, and
then mention those off
somewhere else, dancing to
other drummers
The inaccurate impression
Mr Jurchak leaves with
your readers is not the real
problem though. It is that he
used your paper to
editorialize his support for
the Farm Bureau. Stating
that the PFA failure in this
matter is a “rarity for
them”, alone puts him m an
obviously partisan position.
That statement is not one of
an impartial observer, and
certainly is an unproper one
from a “neutral” County
Agent.
Please understand I am in
no way criticizing your
newspaper. You accept and
print Mr. Jurchak’s column
m good faith, without acting
as censor. He should have
censored himself.
Farmers and other rural
residents in the state
deserve better than this
from their Extension Service
personnel. Hoepfully Mr.
Jurchak will come to better
understand his function; and
hoepfully your readers will
not be mislead on the subject
of the Milk Security Fund or
which groups really caused
it to become law.
Leonard Zemaitis
Administrative Director
Pennsylvania Farmers
Umon
Eastern Berks
4-H Dairy dub
prepares for fair
NEW BERLINVILLE -
Members of the Eastern
Berks 4-H Dairy Club met
July 11, at the home of Lee
and Richard Savidge, in
Mertztown.
A cleanup schedule was
filled out for the Kutztown
fair and a clipping
demonstration was given.
Registration cards were
filled out for all of the
animals to be taken to the
fairs.
After the meeting was
over, Janice Savidge of
Mertztown gave an en
joyable performance with
her “cow”, Mooshme.
The next meeting will be
held August 5 at the Kutz
town fair.