BY MICK COCHRAN Photography and graphics editor for The State Journal-Register in Springfield, Cochran was formerly farm editor. He was also editor of Country Journal.
AGRICULTURAL interests made a great deal of headway in the past legislative session, and no one appreciates that more than Illinois Agriculture Director John Block. With bills passed that would halt rising farmland taxes, improve soil and water quality in rural districts and help eliminate farm runoff pollution, and provide new money for agriculture department buildings at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, it's easy to see why John Block is so happy.
But Block, always maintaining he's the country boy on loan to the Department of Agriculture, still says he misses farming on his land near Galesburg. Last February he was swept up by Gov. James R. Thompson to fill the director's post vacated by Robert"Pud" Williams.
In less than a week, Block's personal saga of building his 300-acre and 200-hog farm into a 3,000-acre and 6,000 bog agribusiness was broadcast and set into type hundreds of times. It was, after all, his first claim to fame. "Fortune" magazine thought enough of Block's farming operation in Knox County to run several pages of color photographs on a harvest there.
To Gov. Thompson, Block stood out for other reasons.
"He's a graduate of West Point," Thompson said when he introduced Block lightheartedly to the press in February. "He served on the debating team and he was an airborne ranger. And it's about time we had a paratrooper in our cabinet."
Real world of farming
Whether paratrooper or farmer, Block was no politician then, and he says he's no politician now (though he's a strong Republican). When he first took office, he vowed to be the spokesman for the farmer in all sorts of agricultural and political situations. "I still don't consider myself a politician," Block said during a recent interview. "I think I can be more effective if I still consider myself a corn and hog farmer on loan to the Department of Agriculture. I still think of this as a short-term job. And by thinking in terms of farming, I know where my roots are. I still have a good feel for the real world."
The real world, Block says, is farming.
After being named director of agriculture, Block said he felt his biggest priority was to represent the farmers' perspective in the governor's cabinet. But an even greater priority came first — learning just exactly what the job of agriculture director was all about.
"I haven't been entirely surprised by what the job is," Block said. "It is very close to what I expected. I am comfortable in the job and feel that I'm competent. I've dealt with all the issues, the problems, and I have a good background to solve the problems." Block's background from farm boy in Gilson to infantry officer and back to farmer is enough, he says, to qualify him for the office, but it didn't necessarily prepare him for the pressures and responsibilities of being director. "I haven't been a student of the Department of Agriculture," he said shortly after his appointment. "In fact, I know very little about it. We've been working on the budget the last few days and I know I've got a lot to learn. But it's like anything else. It's a logical thing — hopefully. At least it will be logical once we get it all digested."
In seven months. Block has digested the quirks of the department and says only minor changes were needed to improve the department's efficiency. "It's like farming," he said. "We figure
October 1977 / Illinois Issues/ 19
ways to get something out of nothing. The real joy in working here is watching people solve problems by using a farmer's approach."
Block's reputation for organizing things stretches back to Knox County where he is a respected businessman. His grain and hog operation is one of the largest in the county and has attracted visits by many foreign guests. He has been the director of the Knox County Farm Bureau and president and board member of the Illinois Agriculture Association (IAA); he was IAA legislative chairman in 1976. In 1969 at the age of 33, he was named one of four outstanding young farmers in the U.S. and at the same time served as an advisor to the U. S. secretary of agriculture on feed grains and soybeans.
He's a member of enough associations to keep him in conventions the year around, including the Illinois Corn Growers Association, the Knox County and Illinois Pork Producers Associations, the Land of Lincoln Soybean Association and several livestock producer associations. And, if that weren't enough to establish community standing, he's also a director on the board of a hospital and a bank.
All that impressed Thompson enough to make the appointment. The appointment itself surprised Block. "It came as a total surprise to me," Block said two days after he accepted the appointment. "A little over a week ago the governor's people called me, set up an interview in Chicago, then another interview in Springfield with the governor. Six days later I was appointed. Here I am," he said as an anticlimax.
"The job is still a demand on time more than anything else," he said, "but you just try to do the priority things."
Priority on taxes
Although Block said his first priority was to get his feet on the ground in February, he didn't have much time before him, grinding out a number of agriculture related bills, all of interest to Block and his department. Uppermost on the agenda was a bill which would revise the methods by which farmland is assessed for taxes.
Farmers and farm organizations have grown more worried over the years that Illinois farmland taxes were rising faster than farmers' income. As a remedy, House Bill 1325 and Senate Bill 493 were drawn up which based farmland tax assessments on the value of agricultural products raised on the land, as well as production and sale price figures. S.B.493 had passed and was signed August 16 during Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
The whole bill was born via efforts of the IAA. Block knew about the bill before the bill's sponsors did. He was on the IAA state board of directors which drew up the proposal and the whole new formula for tax assessments. The IAA said reform in farmland assessments
| It didn't take long for the legislature to warm up to him, grinding out a number of agriculture related bills, all of interest to Block and his department |
was its highest priority for this legislative session, and Block said he feels the legislation is the most important farm legislation to come out of the 80th General Assembly. The bill received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, though it was later stalled as legislators questioned the bill's effects on future tax income for county governments and school districts.
"I don't think there was any organized opposition to the bill," Block said. "The most complaints came from taxing bodies and assessors' offices." Taxing bodies feared the loss of revenues in future years while assessors felt they would have to do again what they had already done before in assessing 1978 taxes. The bill would be effective in 1977, for taxes payable in 1978.
"My first comments on the bill came when it was introduced," Block said. "I said it was a giant step in the right direction."
Block said he felt the fears of the general public and the taxing bodies had to be alleviated. "We had to assure them that there would not be a quick reduction in revenues," Block said. "I gave three to five talks a week and always told the people I was talking to that the new assessment formula was not a tax rollback — much as I would like to see a tax rollback."
Block and his legislative aide, Dick Davidson, approached the assessment bill much the same way they approached other farm legislation — via jawboning.
Power of office
Block's word, and the department's word were one and the same. And Block scheduled speaking engagements all over the state. He's too modest to say whether or not the word of the director of agriculture carries with it any power. But in the privacy of his office, he'll talk about it shyly. "I think the farmers are glad to hear my support of things
they like," Block said. "I think I do have some clout. Probably for three reasons. The office itself has a little inherent power that goes with it. The Department of Agriculture is a respected department. That may be the same
thing
as power of the office, but I don't
think
so. And people know I have an understanding of agriculture, so they
trust
what I say. But I don't have any illusions that I can do it all. I know that I
need
help."
Block's help comes, in part, from two men who were candidates for the post Block now holds. Ray Lett, assistant director of the Department of Agriculture, and Gilbert (Gib) Fricke, who is superintendent of markets and agricultural services (and Block's constant companion at official functions and press conferences), were both eyed as candidates for the directorship.
Fricke had given a resume to Tho mp son's staff and was actively running for the post in January. Lett, who was state executive director of the Illinois Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service office in Springfield, wasn't actively seeking the post, but his name was mentioned as a possible candidate. Block says both men have his utmost confidence, and have helped him ease into the office. "As far as the legislature is concerned, Dick Davidson is the one who gets things done," Block said, as he ran down the list of bills which would help farmers.
Legislation for farmer
"The farmland assessment bill was
the
most important bill on the agenda '' Block said. "And I think the
Food For
Century III project is important."
Gov. Thompson
signed the Food
for Century
III bill (Public Act 80-152) July
28,
20 / October 1977 / Illinois Issues
saying the research provided by the bill would increase overall productivity of Illinois farmland.
Block rates high the new Soil and Water Conservation Act (P.A. 80-159) which is aimed at ending pollution from farm runoff.
Also on his list of achievements is passage of H.B. 258 to license and regulate grain dealers. The bill still was not signed September 12.
In reference to this bill, Block said, "We increased the bonding necessary for grain elevators to operate." And that's a subject dear to the director. "There is one thing I wish we could do, and that's to guarantee that no grain elevator would ever go bankrupt. A lot of people are hurt when something like that happens. My biggest worry, as far as regulations are concerned, is that we do a good job on elevator bankruptcies. I'm concerned that a mistake or oversight on our part could create real economic hardship for farmers. I wish we could do a better job, but I don't think we should have the money to do a perfect job. That would be too expensive for the taxpayers." Block said he would try to improve the way the state inspects grain elevators, and would move to insure that all elevators are bonded at a high enough rate to cover any losses to farmers due to bankruptcy.
Future for department
Looking to next year. Block says the picture still is cloudy on agricultural issues. "I'm still trying to get signatures on bills passed during this last session," he said. "There are some items, some budgetary things, that I'd like to see passed next year. Mainly for the office here. Automobiles and equipment, some computers, are what I'm talking about," he said. "We're using second hand police cars now for Agriculture Department cars. It's not very economical to use a car with 60,000 miles on it."
Block says he would like to initiate use of computers in the agriculture department's comptroller's office. "It's all done by hand now," he said.
A couple of trips to Washington have even stretched Block's influence outside of Illinois' boundaries. The locks and dam at Alton have been the center of controversy in Washington for several years. Still pending in Congress is H.R. 8309 which would provide money to build new locks and dam to replace what Army Corps of Engineers have termed an out-of-date structure at Alton. Director Block has already testified in Washington and may return to testify in favor of the replacement of the locks and dam facility. "At the last meeting I attended, things looked very good for the new locks and dam," Block said.
Thus the power which Agriculture Director Block wields is ever-increasing. And he is conscious of his growing influence.
"My influence has to be balanced," he
|
|
said. "It is important that I make myself available to the public. I need to know what the public is thinking, and people need to know how I feel about certain issues. It's important to me to contact as many people as I can, and it's important to me that the Agriculture Department doesn't become cold and impersonal."
Job of 'love' |
It looks like after seven months in office, the farm boy on loan to the Agriculture Department still feels the way he did when he arrived in Springfield. He'd been in office only a month when he said: "The only reason I'm here in this spot today is because the governor asked me to serve the thing I love most and the thing which has been so good to me over the years."
ART CREDITS
Ed Dyson, Springfield artist and graphics designer, is doing the artwork for our bigger and brighter Illinois Issues. The photographs of Sen. Dawn Clark Netsch in the August magazine were done by Springfield photographer Jessie Ewing. The September magazine in which we greatly expanded our use of photography featured the work of Michael W. Thomas of Sangamon State University.
October 1977/ Illinois Issues/21
