Review: Most payments to dead farmers are proper

hosted ^ | Jan 26

[JoeProBono]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A 2007 report that the federal government had paid $1.1 billion in subsidies to dead farmers sparked an outcry and has been frequently cited by critics who considered the payments a blatant example of wasteful spending. But a follow-up that found no fraud and determined nearly all the subsidies paid on behalf of dead farmers in recent years were proper has received little attention.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, just a little over $1 million out of the billions of dollars paid in subsidies in 2009 went to estates or business entities that weren't entitled to them.

"Very little money is going to individuals who have not earned that money."

[JoeProBono]

[sayuncledave]

Because the dead need to eat too. (Brains!)

[sphinx]

The commodities subsidies are an anachcronism and should be phased out. Most U.S. farms, and most commodities, are not subsidized -- most of the subsidies go to just five big "program" crops. Everyone else in agriculture produces for the market and manages to get along just fine.

That said, I always thought estates were entitled to collect funds due at the time of death. So if anyone wants to eliminate post-mortem payments, let's level the playing field and elimninate the outstanding debts and pending taxes as well.