4/23/08 - The League of Rural Voters Joins National Group to Address Rural Policy
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Emily Gaumer
612.879.7578 (O)
612.270.0469 (C)
emily@leagueofruralvoters.org
The League of Rural Voters Joins National Group to Address Rural Policy
The Rural Compact created as call to action for rural communities
( 04/23/08) MINNEAPOLIS--In the run up to the fall elections, the League of Rural Voters (LRV) has joined with other national rural advocacy groups in calling on Presidential and Congressional candidates to pursue a new direction in rural policy.
As part of a grassroots campaign, LRV is asking individuals and organizations to sign on to a statement of principles about the future of rural America dubbed The Rural Compact. (ruralcompact.org). The Compact calls for action in four key areas:
- Quality education
- Stewardship of natural resources
- Affordable healthcare for all
- Adequate capital investment for job creation
The campaign goal is to gather twenty thousand signatures by the end of August and then to present the Compact and the endorsements to federal candidates and others who are a position to help rural communities, including federal and state policy makers, journalists, corporate leaders, philanthropists, community leaders, and others.
LRV will reach out through county fairs and community events as well as through e-mail and a RuralCompact.org website.
"Those who live and work in rural communities know all too well the challenges they face," said LRV President Niel Ritchie. "From jobs and the economy to health care and education, rural communities everywhere are feeling the strain. But we also know there is entrepreneurial spirit and energy that is abundant and available to rebuild rural economies with an eye towards the future," Ritchie added, "The skyrocketing price of fuel means that the demand for locally produced goods will grow and there is a growing consensus about the need for more home-grown renewable energy as a matter of national security."
For more information about the League of Rural Voters, visit leagueofruralvoters.org.
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The League of Rural Voters was founded in 1985 as a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the representation of rural people in the public policy making process. The League seeks to build awareness of the economic challenges facing rural communities while advocating for federal and state policies that focus government resources on education, health care and local and regional economic development.
LRV_RuralCompact_4_23_08.pdf
