By FRANK PHILLIPS
Tuesday, January 30, 2007 9:50 AM CST
frankphi@hotmail.com
Farmers who oppose corn checkoff - in any form - were represented Monday morning at the Statehouse.
Jack Knust, Ivan Hoffman and Steve Bussing spoke before the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. They were joined by Josh Butt and Leland Stevenson who attended the meeting, but did not speak to the legislators. All farm land in Clay County.
The five are fighting an uphill battle. Senate Bill 158 is supported by Indiana Farm Bureau and the Indiana Corn Growers Association. A similar bill in the House, HB 1121, would change the present checkoff from $.005 per bushel to one-half of 1 percent of the value of the corn sold.
“It's time for Indiana farmers to step up to the plate and support the corn checkoff," Indiana Farm Bureau President Don Villwock said recently, as quoted in the Richmond, Ind., Palladium-Item Web site.
State Rep. Phil Pflum (D-Milton), a farmer and chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, supports the bill.
“I've talked to a lot of farmers back home on this. The overwhelming percentage are in support of it,” Pflum is quoted as saying in the Richmond newspaper's Web site.
So, why are these five Clay County farmers opposed to corn checkoff?
The corn checkoff program allows farmers to donate a small amount of the money paid for their corn to research new ways to use and sell corn, such as ethanol production.
“They want to use our money to do research for other industry,” said Butt Monday night following the Clay County Extension Annual Meeting at the fairgrounds.
The Senate bill “provides that 30 percent of the money collected by the corn marketing council from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2010, must be distributed to the department of agriculture to be used for grants for economic development to businesses that use corn” according to the digest of the introduced bill.
But the corn checkoff costs farmers two ways, said Knust. It takes money from their pockets and gives it to companies doing research to create better corn, but then those companies charge farmers more for the seed developed in part with corn checkoff money.
“I don't think they need corn checkoff money to do research,” Knust said.
The ethanol boom was fueled by high oil prices, not by money supplied by the corn checkoff, Knust said.
Another financial concern is what Josh Butt sees as an unfair burden on Hoosier farmers.
“Indiana would pay more than any other state,” Butt said.
Knust also opposes voluntary corn checkoff because of additional paperwork for those who choose not to participate. If a farmer does not want to participate in the corn checkoff program, he has to file a written request within 60 days to get the amount of the checkoff refunded. SB 158 extends the refund filing deadline to 180 days. During that time, the farmer's money is tied up and not available to the farmer.
“If it was voluntary, you could say, ‘I don't want to participate in it.' But they want you to file for a refund” instead of not paying the corn checkoff at the time of the grain sale.
“I'm not for the corn checkoff - period,” Knust said.
Both sides of the question were represented at the committee hearing. There was no response given those who gave testimony. But Knust thinks his side made their point.
“The committee didn't know there was so much opposition to (the corn checkoff),” he said.
On the Net:
Richmond, Ind., Palladium-Item:
http://www.pal-item.com
Senate Bill 158:
http://www.in.gov/apps/lsa/session/billwatch/billinfo?year=2007&session=1&request=getBill&doctype=SB&docno=0158
Thursday, February 01, 2007
WIETS benefits employers and employees
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
WIETS has a variety of programs benefitting adults, youth and employers.
Services are provided free of charge to clients and employers. WIETS is funded through state and federal programs.
Clients are eligible if they are out of work or underemployed, over age 18, and have an income within stated guidelines.
*
Employers benefit when WIETS refers qualified applicants to them according to standards the employer sets. WIETS can also train current employees and prepare incoming staff for the tasks they will be required to perform.
WIETS was established in 1983 and serves Vigo, Clay, Parke, Putnam and Vermillion counties.
WIETS is not welfare. It does not give a handout, but offers a hand up.
It seems only fitting that St. Vincent Clay Hospital and WIETS should work together.
frankphi@hotmail.com
WIETS has a variety of programs benefitting adults, youth and employers.
Services are provided free of charge to clients and employers. WIETS is funded through state and federal programs.
Clients are eligible if they are out of work or underemployed, over age 18, and have an income within stated guidelines.
*
Employers benefit when WIETS refers qualified applicants to them according to standards the employer sets. WIETS can also train current employees and prepare incoming staff for the tasks they will be required to perform.
WIETS was established in 1983 and serves Vigo, Clay, Parke, Putnam and Vermillion counties.
WIETS is not welfare. It does not give a handout, but offers a hand up.
It seems only fitting that St. Vincent Clay Hospital and WIETS should work together.
WIETS, St. Vincent Clay help those who want to be self-reliant
By FRANK PHILLIPS
frankphi@hotmail.com
ares to take Wilburn Jones' blood pressure Tuesday afternoon at St. Vincent Clay Hospital. -Frank Phillips photo
In a perfect world there would be no need for WIETS, or St. Vincent Clay Hospital.
In a perfect world, there would be no misfortune, life would turn out exactly as we hoped, everyone would make perfect decisions and no one would become ill.
In a perfect world, the Indianapolis Colts would be going to the Super Bowl for the 41st time, not the first time in 26 years.
*
WIETS and St. Vincent Clay Hospital don't influence the NFL, although St. Vincent Health works closely with the Colts through the year, particularly with the Colts Kickoff Kid program.
St. Vincent Health and St. Vincent Clay Hospital exists to minister to the bodies, minds and spirits of those in need, because the world isn't perfect.
WIETS (Western Indiana Employment & Training Services Inc.) also exists because the world isn't perfect. There are people who find themselves unemployed or underemployed, sometimes through bad decisions made by themselves or others and sometimes through absolutely no fault of their own.
When people are energetic and trying to be self-reliant, they sometimes need a hand up, rather than a handout.
Take Mandy Wood, for example.
Mandy, 21, a single mom with a 17-month-old son, remembers the day she applied for financial assistance to make ends meet.
She was referred to IMPACT (Indiana Manpower Placement and Comprehensive Training ), and then placed in the WIETS youth program, where she was assisted by Audrey Harbison.
Mandy has always been a nurturing person. She thought about going into veterinary medicine, but after working with animals, she decided she would rather help care for humans.
She took the opportunity to job shadow at St. Vincent Clay. That experience helped her decide to take a three-week class and become a Certified Nursing Assistant. She was hired by St. Vincent Clay Hospital and now attends Ivy Tech where she hopes to enter the nursing program as soon as possible.
CNAs answer patient call lights and work with patients if the services of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) aren't required.
Mandy's experience with WIETS and the hospital is not unique. Once or twice a year, WIETS approaches the hospital about someone in their program who might be a good fit for the hospital. Four people in the past three years have been placed at St. Vincent Clay through WIETS, said Andrea Baysinger, RN, BSN, St. Vincent Clay Hospital Clinical and Community Health Coordinator.
Mandy likes the variety of her work.
“It's really nice to do something different all the time,” she said.
WIETS picks up some of her expenses, such as day care, paying for her scrubs (the blue clothing she wears on duty) and some travel expenses. The program also pays a stipend to interns, said Sharon White, who works with WIETS and the IMPACT program in Clay County.
Mandy is grateful to WIETS for all they have done.
“They have really helped with the financial part,” she said. “This couldn't have happened without them.”
She is taking general education classes and hopes to get into the nursing program at Ivy Tech
Mandy credits WIETS with the ability to earn a living for herself and her son.
“This helps us to fulfill our mission,” Baysinger said. “It truly is a win-win situation for everyone.”
frankphi@hotmail.com
ares to take Wilburn Jones' blood pressure Tuesday afternoon at St. Vincent Clay Hospital. -Frank Phillips photo
In a perfect world there would be no need for WIETS, or St. Vincent Clay Hospital.
In a perfect world, there would be no misfortune, life would turn out exactly as we hoped, everyone would make perfect decisions and no one would become ill.
In a perfect world, the Indianapolis Colts would be going to the Super Bowl for the 41st time, not the first time in 26 years.
*
WIETS and St. Vincent Clay Hospital don't influence the NFL, although St. Vincent Health works closely with the Colts through the year, particularly with the Colts Kickoff Kid program.
St. Vincent Health and St. Vincent Clay Hospital exists to minister to the bodies, minds and spirits of those in need, because the world isn't perfect.
WIETS (Western Indiana Employment & Training Services Inc.) also exists because the world isn't perfect. There are people who find themselves unemployed or underemployed, sometimes through bad decisions made by themselves or others and sometimes through absolutely no fault of their own.
When people are energetic and trying to be self-reliant, they sometimes need a hand up, rather than a handout.
Take Mandy Wood, for example.
Mandy, 21, a single mom with a 17-month-old son, remembers the day she applied for financial assistance to make ends meet.
She was referred to IMPACT (Indiana Manpower Placement and Comprehensive Training ), and then placed in the WIETS youth program, where she was assisted by Audrey Harbison.
Mandy has always been a nurturing person. She thought about going into veterinary medicine, but after working with animals, she decided she would rather help care for humans.
She took the opportunity to job shadow at St. Vincent Clay. That experience helped her decide to take a three-week class and become a Certified Nursing Assistant. She was hired by St. Vincent Clay Hospital and now attends Ivy Tech where she hopes to enter the nursing program as soon as possible.
CNAs answer patient call lights and work with patients if the services of a Registered Nurse (RN) or a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) aren't required.
Mandy's experience with WIETS and the hospital is not unique. Once or twice a year, WIETS approaches the hospital about someone in their program who might be a good fit for the hospital. Four people in the past three years have been placed at St. Vincent Clay through WIETS, said Andrea Baysinger, RN, BSN, St. Vincent Clay Hospital Clinical and Community Health Coordinator.
Mandy likes the variety of her work.
“It's really nice to do something different all the time,” she said.
WIETS picks up some of her expenses, such as day care, paying for her scrubs (the blue clothing she wears on duty) and some travel expenses. The program also pays a stipend to interns, said Sharon White, who works with WIETS and the IMPACT program in Clay County.
Mandy is grateful to WIETS for all they have done.
“They have really helped with the financial part,” she said. “This couldn't have happened without them.”
She is taking general education classes and hopes to get into the nursing program at Ivy Tech
Mandy credits WIETS with the ability to earn a living for herself and her son.
“This helps us to fulfill our mission,” Baysinger said. “It truly is a win-win situation for everyone.”
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