Vice President Al Gore appeared solo last night at an ag issues forum in Ames. Gore and Bill Bradley, Gore’s competitor for the democratic party’s presidential nomination, were both invited to the forum, but Bradley declined. Gore mentioned his solo status at the beginning of the evening, referring to Bradley as an intellectual and a friend.Gore said the next President cannot wait until the current farm bill expires in 2002 as it must be re-written right away.Gore said there must be effective enforcement of laws designed to prevent monopolies from dominating the marketplace. In addition, Gore favors national standards for large-scale hog operations, as well as a national law preventing packers from owning livestock. In a prepared statement, Bradley said the Clinton/Gore administration has presided over a farm crisis of historic proportions and Bradley vowed to put teeth in federal efforts to reduce concentration in the meatpacking and hog-confinement industries.
