Bipartisan Ignorance

Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) recently had the opportunity to engage in a bit of bipartisanship. Rising to the occasion, they both proudly displayed their ignorance and demonstrated the lack of foresight that has contributed to the economic meltdown.

Appearing on "Face the Nation," with host Bob Schieffer, McConnell was first up and, as expected, continued his repetition of the failed mantra of the GOP: tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts. As I said, to be expected. It was in his effort to throw stones at other parts of the stimulus plan that he demonstrated his woeful ignorance. Using the tactic often employed by politicians when attacking large, multifaceted legislation, McConnell tried to provide an example of spending that he thought would appear ridiculous. He chose to mock and lambaste a program dedicated to providing insurance to those who raise honeybees.

Later, Schumer, in a separate segment, jumped on the bandwagon by essentially dismissing the program in a manner that suggested that this was obvious waste. Particularly egregious was Schumer's reaction because it was clear, in context, that he had no idea what the program was about. He chose to join the ridicule because he thought it was politically expedient that he agree there was waste in the bill.

The program the two mocked is a trust fund that provides emergency relief to qualified producers of various livestock, farm-raised fish and honeybees. In case McConnell and Schumer haven't heard, honeybees are essential to the production of food. They are only important to people who like to eat. When the honeybees die, so will we.

Over the past decade or so, the bee population of the United States, and many other countries, has been devastated. An enormous percentage (some estimates approach ninety percent) of the wild bee population has died out, and those hives maintained by commercial and hobbyists beekeepers have been under assault from various diseases such as tracheal mites and Colony Collapse Disorder. Honeybees, which pollinate between one-third and one-half of all food crops, are in desperate straits.

From an economic point of view, the keeping of bees is becoming inviable. Without insurance to provide assistance with catastrophic loss, there will be fewer and fewer people able or willing to take on the extremely important job of beekeeping. The inclusion of assistance for beekeepers is as crucial as any single item in the stimulus package.

It is just such thoughtless dismissal of important infrastructure (yes, infrastructure. Honeybees are the underlying support for almost all agriculture) that causes one to pause and question the judgment of our leaders. Bipartisanship is wonderful. Too bad it was wasted in a woeful display of ignorance.