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10/6/2006 | News 8 Austin Staff
 Democrat Hank Gilbert and Republican Todd Staples are running for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Incumbent Susan Combs is leaving the post to run for comptroller.
 Click here to watch the video
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| Q: Ranchers and farmers all across this state say they are mad at Rick Perry for his proposed Trans-Texas Corridor, which would take or divide much of their land for mile wide swaps of rail and concrete. Do you support the governor’s vision for the Trans-Texas Corridor? |
| GILBERT: No, I don’t support it. I made 20 of the 55 meetings down 35, voicing my opposition to this corridor. Not only in the fact that it’s going to ruin rural Texas as we know it and destroy it, it’s going to take homes and land away from people, over a million acres statewide of some of the most productive farmland we have in the country; big economic impact to the State in both economy and job. You know, my opponent help create it. We need to stop it. |
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(Staples helped create TTC and weakened eminent domain restrictions for it.)
Staples: I have actually passed legislation protecting landowners’ rights and that’s why the Texas Farm Bureau and the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association have endorsed me to serve as Commissioner of Agriculture. I will continue to be an advocate for landowner rights, regardless of what highway project is build, whether it’s a corridor or some other concept. We must ensure that property owners’ rights are protected as we address the significant and severe mobility crisis in this State.
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| Q: NAFTA, what’s your take on how NAFTA has impacted Texas fruit and vegetable market, as our farmers are forced to compete with their brethren south of the border? |
| GILBERT: It’s basically shoved Texas out of the fruit and vegetable industry. Trans-Texas Corridor is just going to facilitate NAFTA to take agriculture away from the Midwestern states in this country. We need to stop the Trans-Texas Corridor. We need to work out the problems with NAFTA. |
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(We inspect less than 1% of the food coming to Texas, another Republican failure to protect us.)
Staples: We know that global competition and global markets are upon us and I will back Texas producers against any producers anywhere in the world. Some of the bigger threats that we are dealing with in this area are with agro-terrorism and bioterrorism and disease spread. There are diseases south of the border. There are diseases in the citrus industry in other states that Texas producers are fearful of and as Ag Commissioner, I want to provide the leadership to work with the Legislature to make certain the tools are in place to protect Texas farmers and ranchers.
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| Q: The new National Animal Identification System. Good idea or bad idea? |
| GILBERT: Terrible idea. We already have a law on the books called the Permanent Identification Law or, as we in agriculture know, the brand law, which gives permanent trace back. After talking with the head of NAIS and Animal Health Commission, this system is no more effective for disease trace back than what we currently have. It’s going to put small producers out of business, so big corporate agriculture can take its place. I’m definitely opposed to it and will file an injunction against it to permanently rid it once I become Commissioner. |
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(Staples helped pass the legislation that made NAIS mandatory, despite what he says now.)
Staples: I oppose a mandatory animal ID system, but do support a voluntary program that will allow producers to participate, to be done in a common sense way. I support strict inspect in our processing facilities, but we must use common sense in dealing with the issues that impact our livelihoods today.
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| Q: As Texas moves into a much more urban and service economy future, what is the Agriculture Commissioner’s role in protecting the rural way of life while maintaining a healthy agribusiness? |
GILBERT: The Ag Commissioner’s office was granted by the Legislature several years ago a seat on rural economic development boards. We’ve failed to occupy that through our current commissioner. We’re going to work closely with rural counties and rural areas to try to help in aiding agri-business while protecting the agricultural interest in the area also. The two need to work together and can work together very well. |
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(Staples tried to pipe water from his home district in East Texas to Dallas. Now he wants us to believe he cares?)
Staples: We know suburban, urban and rural Texas must be partners if we’re going to address the challenge that address us as the population doubles by the year 2050 or 2060. The Commissioner of Agriculture must be someone who is a strong advocate and can articulate our needs on such issues as water availability and water quality, must be someone who promotes renewable and alternative fuels, someone that address strongly the agro-terrorism and bioterrorism that threatens our food safety today, and I will be a strong advocate, someone that institutes common sense policies, that works with suburban, urban and rural Texas.
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