Posted on 08/29/2007 2:41:07 PM PDT by radar101
Have a look at the map of Manhattan below (used recently by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in a speech). The red dots indicate people who live in Manhattan (and so clearly are neither hurting for money nor tilling the soil on the family farm) but receive agricultural subsidies from the federal government. Have a look at the map of Manhattan below (used recently by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns in a speech). The red dots indicate people who live in Manhattan (and so clearly are neither hurting for money nor tilling the soil on the soil on the family farm) but receive agricultural subsidies from the federal government.
The larger red blobs mark people receiving more than a quarter of a million dollars in farm subsidies annually.
The farm bill passed by House Democrats in July would continue giving millionaires farm subsidies (setting the income threshold for payments at $1 million a year, and keeping loopholes in place that allow some making much more to qualify). The Bush administration has proposed sharply reducing the income threshold to $200,000 a year and ending many of those loopholes. That would reduce the number of subsidy recipients by less than 40,000 (of the current million or so recipients)—though I suppose it might put some rooftop gardens on Park Avenue out of commission.
Well that`s just f***ed up.
Unbelievable.
Having a tomato plant on the deck sure pays off for democrat donors.
You mean that they shouldn’t do that? I’ll be darned. How do I get mine. I have my own garden and tools and related expenses.
I think they are being paid to not grow tomatoes so the market doesn’t become flooded...
With crops at record prices, especially corn, they should get rid of ALL farm subsidies.
Do they own the farms elsewhere? Upstate or in a different state? Probably crooks anyway, but . . .
Hey, we need to apply for one of these (grin).
Hope you are dried out up there Diana.
I’m sitting here watching local news and the first rain in a month or more passing just below me. My garden is dried up. We did get about two drops here at my house, but we’re more than 13 inches below normal for rainfall.
It’ll even out next year. You’ll get all the rain and I’ll get all the drought!
Nice scam if you can get in on it. However, the less the government knows about what goes on out here in the country, the better off we all are! :)
They’ve been harvesting Sweet Corn for two days straight now, day and night. I’ve had semi’s in and out of here about every 30 minutes for 48 hours straight right now. It’s amazing what they can accomplish. Those 700 acres will be bare within another 24 hours, I’m betting.
Then it’s time to glean the fields for me and the hens. :)
Many of these land owners and farmers are receiving big bucks. I personally don’t object to helping family owned and operated farms, but there should be a limit to the amount of subsidy that any one farmer and or land owner receives. Thus the $200,000 ceiling that President Bush wants in the new farm bill.
The grossest misapplication of farm subsidies is to the corporate operators such as ArthurDanielsMidland and others. Corporate investors in farming should be afforded no more protection than anyone that invests in GM,Ford, Enron or Wal-Mart
If we are going to have farm subsidies at all, should we -- as a matter of industrial and trade policy -- discriminate against our most efficient producers? Why should we subsidize inefficient producers and penalize the best, especially in an industry that is exporting more than a quarter of everything it produces?
Also, if we get into the business of cherry picking recipients, there is no longer a level playing field. The "evil" corporate farm (which is probably family owned, btw) would now have to compete against subsidized neighbors. That's not good either.
Let's have a level playing field. Phase out the subsidies entirely.
I promise not to grow any corn in the midst of my woods. There, do I qualify? Of course, with this drought I may soon live in a meadow and need to grow corn.
Nashville got an inch of rain today, making it the wettest day since May. I however, got less than your 2 drops.
Wait!!! I heard an unusual sound as I was typing this and looked outside. It is raining!!!! Martha, the farm is saved!!!
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