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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 26, 2001 JOE BACA AND CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS JOIN IN OPPOSITION TO THOMAS DORR NOMINATION
Washington, DC - Today the Congressional Hispanic Caucus sent a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin and Minority Ranking Member Richard Lugar urging the opposition of Thomas Dorr as Undersecretary of Agriculture for Rural Development. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus' opposition is based on Mr. Dorr's very vocal and unorthodox vision of farming, his resistance to sustainable agriculture, the certain threat he would pose to small farmers and farm workers in this nation, and his racially insensitive comments. Thomas Dorr, if confirmed, would work to fulfill his vision of farming. Mr. Dorr views the future of farming as a 225,000-acre operation - which is one farm for every 350 square miles and 656 times the size of an average farm. In addition, Mr. Dorr is a strong supporter of deceptively named law "Freedom to Farm" and other policies that have forced grain and livestock prices to record lows, cost taxpayers $60 billion in just the last two years, and are a threat to our air, water and health. Congressman Reyes, Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said, "Dorr's vision would replace 500 farms with 1 mega-farm. This is why Dorr calls himself 'the Pariah' of his community. Even Dorr's supporters admit he poses a threat to family farms." Congressman Baca added, "This man is bad for farmers, bad for farm workers, bad for environmentalists - I can't imagine why he was nominated in the first place." Thomas Dorr has made many unusual comments and has shared his unorthodox and bizarre vision of farming very vocally. In 1999 Mr. Dorr was quoted as claiming that economic development in 3 Iowa counties stemmed from being "… very non diverse in their ethnic background and their religious background...." Adding to his strange views on agriculture is his belief that North Carolina factory farms are the models for livestock production. Family farmers have over and over again rejected the industrialized model of North Carolina factory farms. This model has been shown to be extremely flawed due to it forcing 75% of family hog farmers out of business in the last 12 years, environmental destruction caused by factory farms led to a 1999 moratorium of new hog factories in North Carolina, and research by the University of North Carolina found that the hog factory model supported by Dorr and the resulting environmental, health and economic destruction is disproportionately forced on low-income and minority populations. Resident Commissioner Anibal Acevedo Vila, the only other Hispanic in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said, "American farming has proven itself time and time again to be the model for the world. Mr. Dorr wants to upset this model and force us into absolute corporate farming." Congressman Baca added, "Small and family farms would disappear overnight or be incorporated into the corporate collective - they would become serfs in their own land. This is not agriculture he is talking about - it's a return to feudalism." # # # |
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