Declarations

Crop Insurance Cuts

“We cannot undermine a program that brings needed support to jobs and families in rural America and which has already seen $12 billion in cuts since 2008.”

—U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., criticizing a two-year Congressional budget deal that would reduce federal subsidies to companies that sell crop insurance to farmers, saving $3 billion over 10 years. The crop insurance program costs more than $9 billion annually.

Clearing the Record

“We’re not after the money unless you owe it to us. But we have to clear the record.”

—Col. Mike Edmonson, leader of Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles, defended the mass mailing of 1.1 million collection letters to drivers for lapsed insurance coverage. The move has been widely criticized as a “money grab” for a cash-strapped agency. The OMV is seeking around $444 million in fine payments from about 550,000 drivers for alleged violations, some of which reach back to 1986.

You Take the High Road

“We have no natural high ground.”

—Paula Akerlund, superintendent of the Ocosta School District in Oregon, said they have 20 to 30 minutes between a quake and a tsunami to get to higher ground. Coastal communities and school districts from British Columbia to California have been grappling with how to protect people from an earthquake-generated tsunami.

Growing Hemp

“The only way to have hemp become an agricultural commodity is to grow lots of it and see what happens.”

—Steve Bean, chief operating officer of GenCanna, a hemp producer that has invested more than $5 million in Kentucky’s growing hemp farming industry. Currently 22 companies have invested in Kentucky, as state officials work on commercializing the product.

Incorrectly Installed

“The sheer number of incorrectly installed car seats found during these recent events is truly eye-opening.”

—New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the results of recent Child Passenger Safety Week seat check events, during which 819, or 88 percent, of 931 child car seats inspected were found to be improperly installed. Cuomo encouraged all parents with younger children to attend state- and local-sponsored safety check events and ensure that young New Yorkers are being buckled up safely and properly.

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