If you're afraid to ask the stupid question of what the fiscal cliff is and are wondering how it might affect you as a resident of a rural area, the Daily Yonder [1] blog has provided an excellent explanation in simple terms.
Aleta Botts writes in a helpful post:
"You have probably driven by a sign in a rural community with the USDA logo about upcoming construction or renovation. These programs build libraries, lay pipe for new water systems, help build new houses, and support many other projects that mean that rural communities have a higher quality of life; they also mean jobs for the people working on those projects. Under an automatic budget cut set to occur on January 1, less funding is available for those types of projects.
"[M]any rural development programs (rural housing, electric, and community facilities) lose 8.2% of their budgets under the automatic cut."