FILTHY LUCRE

Although communities are increasingly organizing to take on filth-and-misery-generating livestock farms in their back yards, the hog lobby has friends in more powerful places, namely the state legislature. In Indiana's Senate bill, animal-based farms won't need the building permits all other farming operations (and, in fact everybody) has to get from the state. And the bill's sponsor is - guess what? - a hog farmer himself! How neat & tidy is that!

Meanwhile in South Carolina, a bill to "limit the ability of local government to regulate hog and chicken farms" has already gotten far enough that it's appalling, even if its enemies manage to shoot it down. Instrumental in pushing it through the SC House were House Speaker David Wilkins, R-Greenville, and Majority Leader Rick Quinn, R-Columbia (wow, both from the same party! What're the odds?...) Note that "Wilkins has received at least $5,500 in campaign contributions from farm interests, while Quinn has received at least $2,900." Pork, anyone?