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March 3, 2000
Capitol rally participants push for fair play on the farmBy FRITZ BUSCH Journal Staff Writer ST. PAUL -- A Catholic bishop waved his arms as he implored March First participants to speak out about the farm crisis in the Capitol rotunda Wednesday. Bishop Bernard Harrington of the Catholic Diocese of Winona, said prayer alone was not the only solution to the plight of small and medium-sized family farmers. March First, a prayer and public witness event attended by over 1,000 people, was a call to all Minnesotans to promote accountability and reform in Minnesota's food and agriculture system. It began with an ecumenical, Christian prayer service led by religious leaders of the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), and Minnesota Council of Churches (MCOC), at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. The event continued with a solidarity walk to the capitol, led by nine bishops of various denominations, riding in a hay wagon pulled by a tractor. It concluded with a rally in the Capitol rotunda. Pat Stadick of rural New Ulm, was one of 22 Brown county residents that took bag lunches and rode a bus to St. Paul. "It was absolutely time well spent," Stadick said. "We had an excellent crowd at the capitol. The rotunda was totally filled. People were three-deep all the way around in the balcony." Cloe Klinkner of rural Sleepy Eye said the event was deja` vu` for her since she took part in the farm crisis capitol rallies in the 80s. She said the Cathedral and rotunda were filled with citizens that heard prayer, support and encouragement from the clergy. "They encouraged everyone to do something which was heartening," Klinkner said. "One bishop was asked why the church was involved in the March? He said he felt the need to be with his people." Party bosses were quizzed on four legislative issues, pushed by the MCC and MCOC: * Requiring labeling of bio-engineered food products. * Making large-scale livestock operators partially liable for damages caused by their operations. * Rejecting House and Senate bills allowing limited liability companies, which church leaders contend give advantages to large-scale, investor-driven factory farms. * Continue Minnesota's mandatory price reporting program for livestock. Klinkner said responses from House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, and Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, D-Erksine, were politically split. "It seemed the Republicans said 'no' and the Democrats said 'yes,'" Klinkner said. "Sviggum was loudly booed and momentarily stopped, even though he said he and his brothers were hog and livestock farmers." Sviggum said he favored a rural legislative package including more funding for rural technology grants, high school vocational programs, rural nursing homes, ethanol programs and a farm property tax cut. Moe said changes need to be made at the federal level. The issue of allowing large-scale farms to become limited liability corporations drew heated discussion, according to Klinkner. Alphonse Mathiowetz of Comfrey said he was impressed with the church's part in the March, which he would like to see happen all over the country. "I really liked it when they asked 'where is liberty and justice?'" Mathiowetz said. "Hopefully, some of those people that don't think there is a problem, get the message. It's not only a crisis for farmers, but also for towns, their schools, businesses, and whatever." Mathiowetz said he doesn't like what he sees--tough times affecting families and children and too many government checks. He said he would much prefer better prices so all the government programs could be eliminated. People in cowsuits handed out fliers supporting farmers. United Auto Workers Local 125 members waved flags in support. Klinkner said March First was a prelude to a two-day rally in Washington, D.C., set for March 21&22, that will include many of the same church officials and farmers. She said the Minnesota Farmer's Union is offering a bus ride to the nation's capitol. "We have many problems that cannot be solved at the state level, we have to go to Washington, D.C.," Klinkner said. "Farmers are only two percent of the country's population. We and midwest representatives have to battle against the rest of the country." Farm supporters find solidarity |