Published: July 31, 2008 12:06 am      

ELECTION 2008: Davis: 'Predatory' trade practices hurt WNY

GASPORT — Put country-of-origin labeling on all foods. Get the United States out of its free-trade entanglements. Convince elected representatives to stop taking campaign contributions from special interests.

That’s Jack Davis’ prescription for fixing what ails American agriculture.

Davis, who is seeking the Democratic line in the 26th Congressional District race, strove to hit the low lights of free trade in a Wednesday speech at Becker Farms/Vizcarra Vineyards. The campaign’s perennial catch line is “saving jobs, farms and American industry,” but with a working farm as his backdrop, Davis focused on local agriculture.

Of apples, which used to be Niagara County’s premiere crop, Davis says they’re going unpicked — reportedly by the millions statewide last year — while fresh product and juice concentrate are imported from China and South America.

“Local apple growers are being destroyed by free trade policies, the same as our manufacturing jobs,” he said.

Dairy farmers also are undercut by lower-cost foreign dairy producers, and Davis suggested something as “American” as ice cream becomes less so when the ingredients are imported from South America.

The importing, enabled by free trade agreements that Congress approved, undercuts American family farmers and farm workers and at the same time does not benefit consumers, Davis observed. The price of milk lately hovers around $4 a gallon.

Of imported farm products generally, he says, their safety isn’t assured, because the government doesn’t inspect them at their points of entry any more than it demands imported foods meet the same environmental standards that U.S. producers are held to. Tons of U.S.-grown tomatoes were thrown away because of the recent salmonella alert and now the government says the source more likely was Mexican-grown jalapenos.

Blame big-scale agribusiness and Congress for the senselessness, Davis says. The former’s campaign contributions to the latter keeps the “predatory” free-trade cycle going unchecked.

“Last year (the United States) imported more food products than we exported. ... Our Washington elected officials have been bought by the free traders,” he said. “We have lost the toy industry, the electronic entertainment industry and many others. As a nation, we are also losing our ability to feed ourselves.”

To help U.S. agriculture, Davis said, he’s committed to three specific acts: Pushing for mandatory country-of-origin labeling of all food products to help consumers make informed choices; pushing for U.S. pullout of existing free-trade pacts and the World Trade Organization; and refusing campaign contributions from agribusiness corporations, importers, wholesalers, retailers, their lobbyists or political action groups.

“The huge agribusiness corporations don’t care about our farmers or our way of life. I do,” Davis said. “Special interest money does not impress me. I will not take a dime.”

Davis, 75, seems to be waging an uphill battle to claim the Democratic line in his third consecutive House run. He’s wealthy and can afford to not dip at the campaign donor well, but he’s shut out politically by the seven county Democratic committees in the district, all of which endorsed Jonathan Powers, a 30-year-old Army veteran. Also vying for the party line in the upcoming primary election is environmental attorney Alice Kryzan.

Despite his name recognition and financial means, Davis acknowledges he’s not sure his save jobs-farms-industry message is getting across to district residents. Speeches are sparsely attended and the parades he’s been in get rained on, he said. His biggest people-drawing campaign event was an offer to make gas available at $1.50 a gallon at a Byron station one day last month and he can’t be sure his name stood out after the rush on cheap fuel.

“It’s hard to get people out and paying attention to the election; they seem somewhat apathetic,” Davis said. “There is a disadvantage in not having the (Democratic) endorsement, but I’m working my way around it.”

The party preference for Powers doesn’t make sense to Davis supporters like Paul DiFiglia, chairman of the Town of Pembroke Democratic committee.

“What a steal (Davis) is, what a chance we have to get the right person to do the job — and they’re confused,” DiFiglia said.

While Davis’ competition steals sound bites from him, they don’t seem willing to embrace the larger message, added Gene Simes of GowandaCQ.

“Most candidates say what they think you want to hear and they only talk at election time. Jack says it all the time,” Simes said. “He said today what he was saying yesterday and the day before that. And you know he means it. Look at his (R Squared Element manufacturing) company; it’s built on, and takes care of, families.”

Becker Farms owner Oscar Vizcarra said he doesn’t know much about Davis’ specific issue stances, but the fact that agriculture is consistently a campaign plank makes him want to learn. Vizcarra is a registered Republican who never met Davis before Wednesday but was willing to host his speech because the topic doesn’t get much attention from many other office seekers.

“He’s speaking on behalf of small family farms and he seems to have knowledge of the problems that small farms face,” Vizcarra said. “We’ve been trying to fight this situation for years, but we don’t have the lobby power that the agricultural corporations have.”

Vizcarra interprets Davis’ self-financed campaigns as a sign of independence and says he appreciates that, too.

“It’s interesting, someone putting his own money into helping the country,” he said. “I like his approach to government.”