GILFILLAN -Rural residents peppered Minnesota Congressmen Collin Peterson and Tim Walz with questions during a sometimes-colorful discussion Tuesday in the Forum Tent as Farmfest 2009 got under way.
Peterson, a Democrat who has served in the House since 1990, admitted the past couple years in Congress with skyrocketing oil prices, foreclosures and bankrupt bank bailouts while housing prices sank, have tested him.
"It's been like drinking out of a fire hose for me," Peterson said. "I don't think it was our fault the [stock] market crashed. It was credit default swaps and other lack of regulation."
He blamed the Bush administration and big banks.
Peterson said Wall Street greed allowed by the Bush Administration almost destroyed the world economy.
"Wall Street needs some regulation in place. They still don't get it," Peterson added. "This fall, we'll be busy in Congress with financial regulations and health care reform.
He said most of the bailout money went to European countries.
"I wish the system would have sorted itself out." Peterson added.
Regarding the mandated closing of certain General Motors and Chrysler dealers by the government, Peterson said a "car czar decided Toyota had the right idea and 25 percent of the GM and Chrysler dealers had to go, without any other justification."
Walz, a Democrat representing the 1st District, said the new GI Bill that went into effect Monday was the best of its type in 63 years.
He played the optimism card again.
"We're better off in some ways than we were a year ago when gas prices neared $4 and diesel $5," Walz said.
He said foreign countries including the Philippine Islands, India, Japan and other countries are creating ethanol from rice.
He promoted sorghum into ethanol with modular and semi-truck trailer models for small-scale ethanol use.
"We need to look at the next economy so small businesses and farmers in Southern Minnesota can stay in good position," Walz added. "Mobile ethanol plants and other emerging technology can help stabilize the market. Thank God, I supervised the high school lunch room for 25 years. It got me ready for this challenging, ever-changing world."
He praised Peterson for his Farm Bill amendments that helped Minnesota farmers.
"It's good to be on the Agriculture Committee with Peterson. He stood in front of the train and made it slow down," Walz said regarding the most recent Farm Bill legislation.
Walz said the bill's cap and trade allowances would create new agriculture jobs, limit atmospheric pollution and generate farm income.
Farmers argued that capping and trading needed to be done by farmers in other countries too.
Walz said rural Minnesota's agricultural opportunities included wind turbines, biofuels and other alternative energy sources.
He talked about the value of looking ahead.
"Wayne Gretzky wasn't the fastest skater but he said he skated to where the puck was going to be, not where it was," Walz added.
He said the Chinese are concerned about America building modular and more nuclear and coal power plants again because it could cause them to buy energy back from the United States, paying down our debts to them.
(Fritz Busch can be e-mailed at fbusch@nujournal.com).
