PRESIDENTIAL PARADIGMS
Advocacy
y Is Important
p
Charles
Ch
l Wilf
Wilfong, P
President,
id t W
Westt Virginia
Vi i i Farm
F
Bureau
B
Several of your WVFB
leaders were in Washington,
D.C. February 23-26 to
take part in American
Farm Bureau’s Advocacy
Conference. The main focus
of the conference was how to
successfully promote Farm
Bureau’s position on issues
of concern. On the 25th,
we had the opportunity to make visits to Capitol
Hill. We met with Senator Capito, Representative
McKinley, Representative Mooney, Representative
Jenkins, and staff members of Senator Joe
Manchin. It was very encouraging that our entire
Congressional delegation was in agreement with
us on most all of our issues. Some of the issues
we discussed with them were:
•
EPA overreach – the adverse impacts of EPA
regulations on agriculture, coal, oil and gas
and other industries, especially EPA’s attempt
to redefine ‘Waters of the U.S.’ under the
Clean Water Act.
• Estate taxes – we must have total repeal of
this tax, so farmers and other small business
owners don’t have to worry about losing
family businesses when they die.
• Section 179 Expensing – farms and small
businesses will be hel