Secretary Vilsack on the El Reno Rural Tour Stop

Last week I traveled to El Reno as part of President Obama’s Rural Tour to listen to Oklahomans about how the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Obama administration can work to rebuild and revitalize rural America.

I heard about the crushing cost of health care, concerns about schools, our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and climate change. The thoughts, ideas and concerns for the future I heard in El Reno were a reminder of the strength and optimism I have seen in communities throughout rural America.

What I didn’t hear in El Reno was an unwillingness to take on the challenges that face our nation, or doubt in the American spirit of innovation, progress and determination that has consistently propelled our country to greatness. Every Oklahoman I spoke with expressed a hope and optimism that we can build a stronger America as long as we reject the nay-saying that has become the status quo.

Simply put, the people I met said they are ready to embrace President Obama’s belief that the strength of our nation depends on a healthy and prosperous rural America. I met family farmers from Loyal, already benefiting from the increased income opportunities of sustainable farm practices. They were excited about the possibility that energy and climate change legislation will reward farmers, create a clean energy economy and reduce the threat of climate change.

I heard from individuals who were thankful for President Obama’s stimulus package that invested in critical infrastructure, stimulated local economies, created jobs and provided tax relief for 95 percent of America’s families. They are excited about our investments in broadband technology. And they are looking for health insurance reform that will provide security and stability for their families. It is clear that Oklahoma is ready to challenge the idea that we cannot change and is committed to moving the state forward.

Nowhere was this more evident than in questions and comments from the members of 4-H and FFA, youth educational programs. These youngsters represent part of Oklahoma’s future. I am confident that their passion and determination will help rebuild and revitalize your communities.

We’ve already begun by investing in our communities — education and nutrition, rural development and broadband, conservation and clean energy — with the Recovery Act. We must help rural communities create wealth so they are self-sustaining, repopulating and thriving economically. It means building a rural America with the opportunities that convince the young people I met that the small communities they grew up in are still the best place in the country to raise a family.

To accomplish these goals, we need your ingenuity, your innovation and most of all your involvement. That’s how change happens — because Americans from every corner of this country stand up and face the future unafraid. And if we summon that spirit now, I’m confident we’ll look back at this moment and know that we left our children an America even more vibrant and prosperous than the America we inherited from our parents.

Secretary Vilsack's commentary originally published in the Oklahoman

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