BB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 16,1980
Senate race starts with call for ag tax policy
CAMP HILL - Arlen
Specter, Republican can
didate for United States
Senate, from Pennsylvania,
Wednesday called for new
tax policies to promote
American agriculture
Specter, meeting with the
Pennsylvania’s farm editors
and members of the House
Agriculture Committee, had
been well briefed on farm
issues for a candidate whose
background rests strongly m
Philadelphia where he
served as district attorney
He hit hard on regulations
which hinder farming,
calling the OSHA experience
“disasterous.”
He said he feiyhere should
be a limit on U S. Secretary
of Agriculture Bob
Bergland’s authority to
regulate Class I milk prices
as requested by the Com
munity Nutrition Institute
proposal.
Specter said he would push
for a seat on the Senate
Agriculture Committee, if
elected. The ag committee is
a major committee, though,
and freshman senators are
allowed only one such
committee
He said the ag committee
had been dominated by the
South too long and said he
felt it was tune the Northeast
got some representation on
the committee.
He voiced interest in
foreign policy and human
resources appointments, too
Joseph Esposito, Chester
County, has been appointed
as Sepcter’s agriculture
advisor Esposito has
worked as an ag advisor on
the state level for several
years
Specter said the future of
farming in the United States
is not assured Our
agricultural production is
taking place on a steadily
shrinking base of farmland
During the past decade 30
million acres of farmland
have been converted to non
agnculturai use, including
half of the farmland in New
England and 22 percent in
the Middle Atlantic States
In Pennsylvania, where
agriculture is the second
largest industry, farmland
has been reduced from a
total of 12 3 million acres to
10 million acres since 1960
The unequalled productivity
of the American farmer
simply cannot be guaranteed
if the loss of prime
agricultural land continues
unchecked, he said
“The American farmer is
enduring hard times Since
the peak in farm income and
-prices in 1973, farm earnings
have steadily declined If we
are to preserve American
agriculture, we must
generously utilize federal
taj, policy
s' “I support the following
measures, Specter said.
Reduce capital gams taxes
on farmers that agree to
maintain their land for
agricultural use and to
stipulate to its continued
agricultural use as a con
dition of the land’s sale
This will provide incentive
for preserving our farmland
on the basis of individual
initiatives rather than by
unnecessary federal in
trusions into land manage
ment
Increase the federal estate
tax exemption on land
continued to be used for
agriculture
The value of virtually any
sized farm and its equipment
exceeds the present
exemption level This
exemption should be in
creased to at least $250,000
on properties that will
remain in family farmmg.
The overall impact of the
federal estate taxes should
be reduced. I further support
indexing the estate tax to
compensate for inflation.
Provide tax breaks for
farmers that sell their land
to new fanners at lower
costs.
Federal guarantees of
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credit should also be
provided to the states for
loans to individuals whd are
entering fanning for the first
time, have insufficient
personal assets, and are
qualified to farm. Federal
incentives to the states to
offer variable rate mor
tgages and loans to reduce
early interest costs on
agricultural land should also
be available.
Expand investment tax
INVITES YOU TO SEE
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♦ "Jf ► <*,
Call Frank Walters 717-733-3665 (Res.)
credits for agricultural
equipment and livestock.
Facilities used for the
storage of agricultural
commodities should qualify
for investment tax credits as
well as important production
items such as feed, fertilizer,
seed and chemicals.
He also supports allowing
investment tax credits on
horses used for breeding
purposes.
Allow mcome tax credits
FARMERS
♦ *• <. 4xi I
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HIGH MOISTURE STORAGE
WHEN & WHERE YOU WANT IT
m
% -
STRETCH YOUR FORAGE
DOLLAR-THROUGH
PREVENTION OF SHRINKAGE
AND SPOILAGE
for donations of agricultural
products to charitable
organizations that will
distribute them to countries
m need of food. This will
provide a useful outlet for
food surplus.
“The American farmer is
vital to our economy and to
the world. Swelling
populations are creating
growing demands for food
The only dependable source
that can be expected to fill
“at
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SYSTEM
ag
aG-BBG copponanon
the bulk of this need is
American fanner.
“We must redouble
efforts to promi
agricultural production
the United States. Tax pol
is one of several t(
available m this effort j
should be used (
pansively,” Specter c
eluded.
FIELD QUEEN
FORAGE HARVESTERS
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