Issues of the Day

August 21, 2020

Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the National Corn Growers Association, CropLife America, and Renewable Fuels Association. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.

And now for today’s commentary –

Pick up your newspaper. Turn on your tv. I am shocked at the level of mayhem,
destruction, and looting in some of our great cities. Look at Chicago, Portland, New York,
Minneapolis and many more. They are burning government buildings, torching cars, looting
stores, smashing windows. Not to mention an explosion in gun violence. This is not going to
help black families. They are suffering the most. Defunding the police is not going to help
either.

It is time for the Governors, Mayors and the public to stand up and demand law and order. This
is not the United States of America that I love.
On a positive note President Trump opened the Alaska Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil
drilling after 40 years of review and consideration. We are not talking about a little field. We
are talking about 19 million acres. The environmental lobby is against the drilling, but Alaskans
support the decision. It is not going to threaten the polar bears and other wildlife. Think of the
thousands of new jobs that will be created. Our valuable assets need to be put to use.
Now, just a word about the U.S. Postal Service. They have been losing billions of dollars for
many years. They need to make some changes. Well, they have started to do some things, but
with an election coming up and millions of mail-in ballots expected, can they handle the load?
The Post Office battle has just begun.

Last subject – Illinois Governor James R. Thompson passed away at age 84. What a great guy –
a very outstanding governor serving a record 16 years. He was elected Governor in 1976. Took
the lead in creating jobs and International Trade. Of course, he needed to appoint his cabinet.
He needed a Director of Agriculture. Jim Thompson a Chicago lawyer – I did not know him.
He did not know me. Some how my name got passed to him. I was asked to go to Springfield,
Illinois for an interview. Surprise – He asked me to serve as Director of the Illinois Department
of Agriculture. Four years later Ronald Reagan was elected President of the U.S. Governor Jim
Thompson encouraged President-elect Reagan to consider John Block as his Secretary of
Agriculture. You know the rest of the story. I thank Governor Thompson for his support, but
more than that – we are all grateful for his service to our state and the nation.

Until next week, this John Block reporting from Washington, D.C. If you would like to review
my radio shows going back more than 20 years, just go on-line to www.johnblockreports.com.