Tom Coon
Director, Michigan State University Extension
Michigan, the state that pioneered the land-grant university system 150 years ago, could become the first state to dismantle the whole agricultural education-research-Extension complex.
Disputes between the Democratic governor and the Republican senate over money – how much revenue to raise and where to spend it – have put Michigan State University’s agriculture budget at risk. Gov. Jennifer Granholm has threatened to use her line-item veto to eliminate entirely the $64 million budget for research and Extension.
Tom Coon, the director of Extension at Michigan State University, spoke to us during the crisis.
Is this serious business, or is this just another move in a chess game?
We can’t afford to not take it seriously. And we had to react quickly. Avoiding a veto is much easier than overriding one. We’re reaching out to the governor to convince her this is not a good idea.
Is there some way to get out of the game? What does agriculture need to do?
I think the governor understands the value of agriculture in the state, even though it has been overshadowed by the automobile industry. She thinks agriculture is politically strong and that we can help her get what she wants, which is concessions on increasing revenue from Republicans and some members of her own party. It is a game of chicken, though, and she knows that few vetoes get overridden.
Are the fruit and vegetable industries more vulnerable because the crops are more specific to a state than field crops would be?
Both the fruit and vegetable industries show, by their support, how much they value MSU research and Extension. They invest a great deal. And here’s the travesty. Sen. (Debby) Stabenow has been able to get a great deal of money for specialty crops producers, for Michigan and other states. The work of Amy Iezzoni, who recently received a large grant for cherry breeding, and Mary Hausbeck, who has gotten support for her work in vegetable diseases – it’s all put at risk. We won’t even be able to take advantage of the federal money.
So what’s the next move?
This week, we have to try to convince the governor that a veto is not a good idea. At the same time, we have to make preparations to shut everything down if she vetoes our budget. |
