The Daily Dispatch

In an effort to hear local concerns, Sen. Norm Coleman, R-MN, made a round of calls to state newspapers. Coleman briefly discussed the farm bill, which received a short term extension Thursday by Congress after negotiations failed. With one more week to go — the extension expires May 2 — Coleman is anxious for it to pass.

"I think it will be disastrous if we do not get this done," he said.

Coleman talked about his long time efforts on the sugar to ethanol program, which protects Minnesota sugar beet farmers and simultaneously aids ethanol production by the purchase of foreign sugar. As the farm bill program is one method to turn sugar into energy, it helps avoid the long term negative impacts from trade, he said.

"This is a real saving grace for sugar producers," he said.

Coleman also mentioned his push for the biorefineries incentive on the bill, which "gives local residents an opportunity to invest a little bit" in their local biorefinery.

After hearing stories of farmers storing grain on the ground as a result of high yields, he also created a provision to provide loans for farmers to upgrade and build storage facilities.

Prior to the interview, Breckenridge Mayor Cliff Barth stated his concern over Breckenridge's share of the appropriations bill. Coleman stated while the Senate is not working on appropriations right now, it remains a priority.

"We will continue to push it," he said. "But right now, it's a matter of getting through what is most important, this farm bill."

Coleman stated the Senate is moving at a slow pace and will consider the bill over the summer.

Noting the devastation Breckenridge experienced after the flood in 1997, Coleman said the bill was high on his priority list.

"I think the funding in 2008 was close to $4 million, and my request was for close to another $3 million," he said. "So it's in there."

As the price of gas continues to skyrocket, Barth also wanted to know why our government refuses to put a cap on the oil companies. In response, Coleman stated everyone is bothered by the price and we must continually fight for our independence of foreign oil. Renewable oils, nuclear energy and clean coal are all part of that plan, he said.

"We need all hands on deck," he said.

Coleman stated he voted to shift oil company tax incentives into renewables, such as wind, solar and biomass, instead of raising taxes.

"I understand the pressure on flood and the pressure on food, but the part of the problem is the cost of all those things is impacted by the cost of oil," he said.

Supply and demand also factors into the cost, especially in China and India. The basic cost of commodities has increased, and China continues to pump out millions of cars a year.

"We can't blame ethanol for everything," he said. "That would be a disaster for us to pull the plug on something that has provided an opportunity for economic vitality in rural communities. If we let the world know we have a long-term commitment to stem our ravenous appetite of gas and oil, it takes some of speculation out of the high price of gas. There's no magic wand."

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