Peter Welch

If we are going to restore some sense of fairness that the American taxpayer needs, do you think that we have to address such transfers where the goal of the taxpayer bailout was to revive the financial system, but not to reward any…

One of the things that we have learned in this entire catastrophe of the financial meltdown is that most of the things that were done that are truly outrageous and harmful to taxpayers and our economy were all legal.

Trying to figure out what is the 'right level of compensation' ultimately is an arbitrary decision.

There has been a premise in corporate America that the more you are paid, the more you are worth.

At a certain point reasonable people have to ask the question as to whether the efforts that you are taking are cosmetic.

Your routine is to come in here and tell us you are 'doing everything [you] possibly can' and profess concern.

I think it was important for this Committee to hear as many different voices as possible from all across the country when it comes to the current plight of the dairy industry and how best to move forward.

I think the two things that would immediately help would be to raise the support price, and I would recommend 20 cents.

I think the concept has a lot of merit. It is a supply management program.

I have been told it is for keeping quality.

The milk protein concentrates have always been cheaper from New Zealand and Australia.

I am suggesting they would have a standard bid. It would be the support price.

I don't want to get in trouble here but those standards are roadblocks to make it difficult to offer cheese.

My suggestion is that when there is an offer at the support price, the CCC should automatically buy it.

What we have to do is make certain that we continue to have the resources in our dairy states and dairy farmers so we continue to become food independent.

If we had all of the people in dairy and those people who represent dairy come in to give testimony about the problems they are having, we wouldn't have time for much else that is going on here in Congress because most everybody I know…

If we increase the support price, somebody has to buy that product and that ends up being the government, and I don't think that is going to work in the long run.

The U.S. dairy industry has been supported forever basically. It has been a very good floor and safety net for years and years and years.

I strongly fear if we don't do something, we are going to have a mass liquidation and we won't have enough milk.

I think if you had one order, you would have not all these other issues about orders, shipping, and all the other requirements.

The time is now. So I urge everyone to come to the table with your ideas and desires.

We must move beyond these differences in order to develop new and innovative policies that benefit the whole dairy industry.

The economic situation in this iconic American industry is dire, and it must be addressed quickly.

I would like to thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry on the current dairy crisis in the State of Vermont and some possible short-term solutions to this…

I would encourage you to consider the potential of regional food security by the states working together to set milk prices that could reflect supply and demand in their regions.