Speech #970220494

Mass. His parents live 9.000 miles soil from the ravages of soil erosion. I away in Leningrad. and they have am introducing legislation which been denied exit visas since they first would exclude from Federal estate tax applied to leave almost 4 years ago. 50 percent of the value of farmland on Now 35 years old. Leonid was allowed which there was no significant degra- to leave the Soviet Union in 1978 after dation of agricultural productivity in his 16day hunger strike embarrassed each of the 5 years prior to the death Soviet authorities into granting him of the owner. an exit visa. Unfortunately. the SoviThe problem our Nation faces with ets have denied that same right to his respect to the deterioration of our parents. land resources in more than a passing one. It has tremendous longterm im- Since March 1981. I have been in plications for our ability both to meet contact with Dr. Sergey Chetverikov. the food needs of people around the Counselor of the Soviet Embassy. world and to contribute to a favorable urging that his government grant exit balance of trade for the United States. visas to the Lipchins so that their Currently. soil erosion exceeds tolera- family may be reunited. Several times ble levels. that is. levels that would I have requested the assistance of the result in sustained productivity over Counselor in facilitating the Lipchins the long term. on nearly 120 million departure. Unfortunately the Soviet acres. or more than 25 percent of our Government has been unwilling to cropland. This situation exists in spite grant the Lipchins exit visas. which of excellent achievements in soil and would be in compliance with internawater conservation over the past 50 tional accords which the U.S.S.R. has years by our Department of Agricul- signed. ture. We have been slow to realize that all I am deeply concerned with the curof our people share the responsibility rent emigration situation of Soviet for stewardship of our soil. Future Jews and the role of the American generations are the major benefactors Government in helping to alleviate of our erosion control work. But there this problem. The rate of emigration is not time to wait for future genera- has dropped sharply and reports of tions to solve the problem. If we fail to harrassment of refuseniks has incontrol erosion. future generations creased. Clearly. the Soviet Governwill pay dearly for that failure. We ment is trying to break the will of have expected the farmer to shoulder Soviet Jews. who have purusued their more than his share of the cost of soil goal of emigrating from the Soviet and water conservation. Today his Union to practice their religion in profits and ability to pay for soil con- freedom. servation work are squeezed by increasing production costs and decreas- Over the past decade. the United ing prices of his products. Society States played an integral role in openmust help. ing the doors of the Soviet Union for Existing Federal estate taxes have thousands of Jews seeking to emigrate. been a hardship on many farm fami- As discussions on various issues of lies. Numerous cases have come to our mutual concern continue. It is essenattention where farms which have tial that we reaffirm to the Soviets the been owned by a family for several American commitment to human generations were divided and a portion rights and that adherence to the Helsold in order to pay these taxes.