Presidential candidate John Kerry flip-flops again, as usual. While speaking to a group of dairy producers in Wisconsin recently, Kerry explained that he had originally supported the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact. However, flip-flop as usual, he no longer supports compacts, he told the group.

As many politicians do, he was preaching to the choir – tell ’em what they want to hear. The upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, has been adamantly opposed to dairy compacts since their inception.

Kerry believes it’s better for the U.S. government to subsidize producers all across the country.

The Dairy Compact worked very well from 1996 through September 2001. The U.S Congress chose not to reinstate the Compact in October 2001. Thus, we lost a milk pricing system, which was fair to consumers and producers alike. The money came from the market place, not from the federal government.

Having served as a member of the Northeast Dairy Compact Commission during its brief existence, I can attest to this fact. Like anything good coming out of Washington, D.C., if it works, they tinker with it or do away with it completely.

Fred Hardy, New Sharon

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