Showing posts with label Department of Agriculture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Department of Agriculture. Show all posts

Thursday, April 17, 2008

NJ Ag Department Survives

Plan to abolish Agriculture Dept. falters

Thursday, April 17, 2008
BY DUNSTAN McNICHOL
Star-Ledger Staff

Gov. Jon Corzine yesterday backed off his unpopular plans to abolish the Department of Agriculture and shutter nine state parks this summer, saying he is considering alternative budget reductions.

"We will have to figure out where we have financing to substitute for things people feel, maybe properly so, are priorities they would rather sustain," he told reporters after a public appearance in Paramus yesterday. "I may not be in total agreement, but I'm open to it."

Lawmakers yesterday made it clear Corzine would have tough going in his effort to save $500,000 by abolishing the Department of Agriculture.

"We have a lot more issues that are a lot more important for $500,000," said Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D- Gloucester). "I think this is a fight we don't need to fight." Read More

The ag producers of New Jersey made it very clear that they wanted to keep the Department of Agriculture open in their state. Congratulations to them for succeeding in their important task.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Students Fight to Keep Dept. of Ag

Students fight farming proposal

Sunday, April 06, 2008
By Heather Simione
hsimione@sjnewsco.com

OLDMANS TWP. Students from Oldmans Township School are protesting Gov. Jon S. Corzine's proposal to eliminate the state's Department of Agriculture.

In a letter written to Corzine, these 12 students who call their group the "Inside Scoop," expressed their displeasure with the governor's supposed money-saving move.

"It's New Jersey ...we're the Garden State," said seventh grader Kyle Huntington. "Without the Department of Agriculture it's pointless for us to carry that name. Don't these people understand ... with no farms how are we supposed to eat?" Read More

Congratulations to these kids for going out and telling the story of how important agriculture is to their own governor. Everybody in New Jersey will be affected by the closing of the Dept of Ag, because everybody eats. Most kids aren’t growing up even knowing anything about agriculture, let alone standing up and supporting agriculture. Again, congratulations to the “Inside Scoop”.