<a href="http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=5BACE54A-C332-26AD-CD425CCF6595AEFE" >Johanns unveils drought aid package</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns toured drought-ravaged areas of South Dakota Tuesday, then announced a new program for hard-hit livestock producers called the Livestock Assistance Grant Program (LAGP).<br />n<br />nUnder the program, <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> will provide a total of $50 million in Section 32 <acronym title="United States Department of Agriculture, Bought and Paid for by The Big Meat Packers">USDA</acronym> emergency funds as block grants to states that have counties rated as D3 or D4 on the Drought Monitor Map between March 1st and August 31st of this year. States will then disburse their share of the funds to eligible livestock producers living in those counties.</blockquote><br />n<br />nDole out money to producers for votes, pure and simple election politics here. This will help some ranchers but those in the direst of straights it wont help at all. As the last paragraph of the article says, "too little, too late." What is funny about the comment is the person saying it, a Democrat. So Mr. Democrat, has your party been trying to do something to help livestock producers? Not that I am aware of so don't hold your head to high. <br />n<br />nElection year politics, you gotta love it.<br />n<br />n<strong>Politics are now nothing more than means of rising in the world. With this sole view do men engage in politics, and their whole conduct proceeds upon it. Samuel Johnson</strong><br />n<br />nP.S. The county I am in is a D3 on the drought monitor. Am I eligible for some of this aid? Only time will tell.