Supreme Court rules on side of dissident California raisin growers

The Tribune ^ | 06/22/2015 | Michael Doyle

[aimhigh]

The Supreme Court has undercut a long-running raisin supply management program, ruling Monday that the federal government must pay for raisins kept out of the marketplace.

In a marked victory for Fresno County grower Marvin Horne and other dissident California raisin producers, the divided court said the program that compels some raisins to be held back in a reserve is subject to the just compensation commands of the Fifth Amendment.

Raisin handlers set aside 47 percent of their crop during the 2002-03 season and 30 percent for 2003-04, but they were paid for only part of what they surrendered.

[aimhigh]

Amazing how the article hides what was happening. The government was confiscating up to 47 of the product from the farmer, for their own good of course /sarc/. Sotomeyer dissented.

[chajin]

The issue was cut and dried. (Or at least dried.)

[aimhigh]

The decision is an interesting read.
HORNE ET AL. v. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Paladin2]

"Sotomeyer dissented"

Thanks....That should be an interesting read of a convoluted pretzel....

[hoosierham]

Government immorally creating shortages to drive up the price was institutionalized by FDR.My mother remembers pigs being shot and the carcasses buried on the farm in the 1930s-while people were going hungry in the U.S.

There has to be a special place in Hell for those who deliberately ruin food.

[BenLurkin]

Fresno ping

[Nifster]

So 8-1?

Any count for the farmers is good

[vette6387]

“Sotomeyer dissented”

Yeah, it figures, because the “wise latrina” was probably a grape picker in her earlier years and hates farmers as a consequence.

[headstamp 2]

Exactly.

To waste something like this is criminal.

[spel_grammer_an_punct_polise]

“Supreme Court rules on side of dissident California raisin growers”

I see that we have yet another genius ‘journalist’.

Raisin grower, Mr. Doyle? They are dried grapes, dumb-ox!

[mrobisr]

You are spot on, my Daddy and Uncles talked about milk cows being shot in the same way.

[ctdonath2]

Judge Thomas has a sense of humor:

To the extent that the Committee is not taking the raisins “for public use,” having the Court of Appeals calculate “just compensation” in this case would be a fruitless exercise.

Methinks he submitted a concurring opinion just to use the pun.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Kind of like Canada and their Maple Syrup plan.

[knarf]

I vagueloy remember something like that in the mid to late 90's

What I want are my California almonds back again !

[taxcontrol]

Communists and Socialist ALWAYS ruin the food system.

[ctdonath2]

I read Sotomeyer’s dissent.

She basically observes that numerous related cases upheld “takings” by observing that the owner was not _completely_ deprived of property or use thereof. Her reasoning is that there isn’t a bright line differentiating this one from the others, so the only conclusion is all-or-nothing: since not all the raisins were taken (about 50%) and the actual land was not otherwise commandeered for use depriving the owners from benefitting from it (hey, they even got paid for a lot of the confiscated raisins), then it matches assorted other upheld takings; if we’re going to strike this one down, then we have to state & explain where the dividing line is, which the Court didn’t do.

I disagree with her conclusion, but can respect how she got to it (insofar it’s taking other rulings to their logical conclusions, and thus painting the Court into a corner).

[bgill]

Do you think I'd need just one raisin tree or will I have to buy a male and female? Do they grow from seeds or do they need grafting?

My spaghetti tree is doing great!

[lastchance]

Good.

[lastchance]

Maybe it is simply because she is an idiot.

[Rome2000]

Sotomeyer dissented

Obviously thought it was a racist attack on these guys.