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Texas Agriculture Archive

July 5, 2002

Fundraiser honors
Stenholm, Sharp

Agriculture turned out in force for a joint fundraiser for U.S. Congressman Charlie Stenholm and Texas Lt. Governor candidate John Sharp at the ranch of Throckmorton County Farm Bureau President Ross McKnight near Throckmorton last Friday.

Many farm and ranch groups—including Texas Farm Bureau Friends of Agriculture Fund (AgFund)—sponsored the event, called "A Steak in Texas Agriculture," as over 300 people enjoyed a steak dinner cooked by the McKnight cowboy crew.

"Not only will these people put their money where their mouth is, they'll support you," District 3 Texas Farm Bureau State Director Steve Cochran told the candidates. "As you look over this crowd, you're looking at leaders back in their respective communities. They'll stay tied to you."

Congressman Stenholm, up for re-election in the 17th Congressional District, focused his comments on the recently passed farm bill, who as ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, played a big role in its passage. "It (the farm bill) is right of center," he said. "It is equally being criticized by the far right and by the far left."

That criticism is unjust, he said, because the bill does so many good things, like increase conservation spending 85 percent over the next 10 years.

"We started looking at livestock and the feedlot operators and all of the other concerns that we have," Stenholm said. "In this bill we put tools there to be used and we'll have a better environment—cleaner water, cleaner air and all of the things that we talk about but never get around to doing. In this farm bill, we do it."

Most important, however, is the message this farm bill sends to producers, he said: "One of the stronger parts of the bill to me, is we said with this bill, 'we, the United States of America, are going to stand with you, the producers of food and fiber...we're going to stand with you in the international marketplace. Our government is going to stand shoulder to shoulder with you as we go to the negotiating table'."

Former Comptroller Sharp focused comments on the $5 billion deficit the state faces as it goes into its next legislative session in 2003.

"We have to figure out a way to fix that," the Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor said. "And we're going to fix that deficit the same way we fixed it in 1991—not by first thinking which taxes we're going to raise, but by first thinking how are we going to cut things and rearrange things and make it work?"