Posted on 06/01/2008 4:26:22 AM PDT by Kaslin
When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week, a group of House Republicans known as the FIT Force will unveil an effort to expose Washington waste. Led by Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), this newly formed Fiscal Integrity Task Force wants to hold congressional spendthrifts accountable for their excesses.
McCotter’s goal is admirable—and one that all Americans, regardless of ideology, should support. Unfortunately, the group’s timing couldn’t be worse. That’s because McCotter and half of the FIT Force members themselves abandoned fiscal integrity less than two weeks ago. That’s when they voted to override President Bush’s veto of the farm bill, a $307 billion monstrosity that will cost the average U.S. family about $5,650.
Farm income has doubled since the 2002 farm bill. Commodity prices are the highest ever. Yet Congress couldn’t bring itself to not increase subsidies for millionaire farmers.
A majority of House Republicans joined nearly all Democrats to hop on this gravy train, despite opposition from Bush and the party’s putative standard bearer, Sen. John McCain, a longtime critic of farm subsidies.
Despite the FIT Force defections on the farm bill, McCotter intends to plow ahead with his “comprehensive assault on Washington waste.”
“Excessive spending has rightfully raised doubts about the fiscal integrity of the federal budget and, most importantly, concern by taxpayers for their family budgets,” McCotter said in a press release less than 24 hours after voting to override Bush’s veto.
The co-chairman of the FIT Force, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tex.), was also among those supporting parochial interests. In fact, nine other FIT Force members voted to override the veto, as did Minority Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.). Even with a scorecard, the farm vote made it hard to tell the difference between self-proclaimed fiscal watchdogs and the traditional tax-and-spenders of the left.
Republican Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (Va.), who opposed the farm bill and voted to uphold Bush’s veto, sounded beleaguered after his Republican colleagues dug themselves a deeper grave. “The vote on the farm bill has definitely been a challenge, if you look at it as regaining our fiscal brand,” Cantor told the Washington Post.
The situation wasn’t much better in the Senate, where the GOP leader, Mitch McConnell (Ky.), chose home-state pork over principle. Granted, McConnell’s tough re-election bid and parochial interests made it unlikely for him to oppose the bill, but his lack of leadership led 34 other Republicans to vote for the override.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the titular conservatives who supported the farm bill will likely get another chance to do the right thing—at least when it comes to one section of the bill. Because of a clerical error, Title III of the legislation, which deals with trade, was never sent to Bush. Despite the mistake, Democrats moved forward with the override vote, knowing they would have to do something about the missing 34 pages after their Memorial Day recess.
A coalition led by the National Taxpayers Union and Citizens Against Government Waste hopes to convince lawmakers to vote against the missing section of the bill to demonstrate at least some commitment to fiscal responsibility. The taxpayer watchdogs cite several objectionable provisions:
• It spends $200 million annually on a corporate welfare program that gives crop manufacturers and food processors taxpayer money to market their products overseas.
It is amazing how much law is aimed at agriculture in some way or another.
One thing that always annoys me is that high fructose corn syrup is in everything these days because of the sugar tariffs. These tariffs protect farmers that have stubbornly chosen to grow the wrong crop and drives candy companies (jobs) to Canada and Mexico.
The idiotic ethanol fuel subsidies are another example of Congress screwing America generally, at the benefit of certain agribusinesses.
Congress is the enemy of the American people and the US Constitution.
Corn for fuel...An absurdity!!
[Congress is the enemy of the American people and the US Constitution.]
Amen to that. The U.S. Congress has done more damage to the economy and to the Constitution than the Islamic terrorist have done to American people.
Corn for fuel...An absurdity!!
Oil at $9.00/ gallon is an absurdity. (Last week in England)
To produce the food you eat. a $200,000 tractor will burn 20+ gallons of diesel fuel an hour. $4.25 right now.
The combine the farmer uses to harvest the crop cost over 1 million dollars US currency.
The seed that he plants cost over $250.00 to cover 3½ acres.
The fertilizer he spreads to grow the crop cost over $300. per acre.
If you think the American farmer is getting rich, I suggest you attempt to buy some land that cost $5,500.00 per acre and get in get into the business.
The GOP members of Congress either don’t get it, or get it all too well and are making their plans for their post-Congress careers.
The 2006 defeat had less to do with the war and more to do with what was perceived to be corruption and hypocrisy by the GOP. Since 2006, the GOP hasn’t embraced conservative principles. Rather, it has rushed headlong to embrace it’s reputation as being the political party of Corruption, Ineptness, and Hypocrisy (soon to be registered trademark).
The thing that I just haven’t been able to figure is how the GOP members could be so stupid as to not see what was unfolding before their eyes. The exit polls from 2006, while generally hushed up, are out there and avaialble. Some folks like Sen. Coburn are openly talking about it being “the hypocrisy, stupid.”
Then it started to occur to me that perhaps the GOP members of Congress see the writing on the wall so brightly that they’re actually working strategies for their own personal post-Congress careers. Perhaps the GOP members of Congress have accepted the fact that they’re going to be routed this year, and are doing what they need to do to beef-up their resumes as future lobbyists, industry representatives, etc. You don’t do that by actually holding the line on spending. You do that by showing what a good little employee you’ll be for the special interests of choice.
For obvious reasons, this does not bode well in the short term for conservatives. But in the long run, it might be exactly what’s needed. Maybe, just maybe, the rout of the GOP will be so huge that conservatives will finally pick another political party at it’s champion.
This year might be the “Whig year” for the GOP. If so, the “GOP Oblivion thread” in November will be an interesting place to be.
Lets face it, the past and current “crop” (pun intended) of republicans law makers and elected officials are idiots they have no spine and represent no one but themselves. and we deserve exactly what we get.
and the Republicans wonder why they lost the majority in both houses of Congress last time after only four years...
Really? What brands?
As you probably know, what the tractor burns in fuel depends on what task the tractor is performing. Breaking ground with a 35 foot disc is going to burn much, much more fuel than using a planter at 6 mph and relatively low rpm. I find the 20+ gallons/hour a bit high for an average.
"The combine the farmer uses to harvest the crop cost over 1 million dollars US currency."
That figure is high as well. $350k will buy you a state-of-the-art combine, minus the heads.
"The fertilizer he spreads to grow the crop cost over $300. per acre."
I guess that might depend on where you farm. In my part of the country, nitrogen has not gotten anywhere near $300/acre. We are currently paying approximately one-third of that figure.
"If you think the American farmer is getting rich, I suggest you attempt to buy some land that cost $5,500.00 per acre and get in get into the business.
If you're talking about Illinois, that price may be accurate, but in Louisiana good farm acreage can be had for $1,500 and less. The highest price I've seen in recent years was $2,000/acre, but that was exceptional quality land, precision leveled with a well.
While I agree with your assessment that most folks are not going to get rich farming, it must be noted that prices vary widely depending on location.
Most folks don’t realize that about 90 percent of the farm bill is devoted to ‘nutrition programs’ and other spending that does not go directly to any farmer.
Plenty of decent used ones for sale but that million may be for the “Combine Three Ina Pack”.
And they are going to lose bigger still unless they get back to being conservatives and quickly.
The trouble with American Farmers today is: They are over capitalized. You don’t have to keep buying new equipment.
there is no longer any reason for subsidies, if there ever was. Let the market decide the price of milk, soybeans,
corn, etc.
Oh I think the GOP will lose more seats in Congress...
they’ll just have to get their act together for 2010 but you are correct; conservatives need to take back the GOP and do it ASAP! Actually, I’d rather see a two party system of Liberal(Democrat) vs. Conservative(GOP). Get rid of the RINO’s and bring the Reagan & Blue Dog Democrats and Conservative Independents into the GOP which would make more sense.
I am getting old enough that waiting as long as we need to is not an option for me. Not much else we can do about it though immediatly. I like your idea but it is not going to happen.
“I like your idea but it is not going to happen.”
After America elected and reelected a three-time draft dodger POTUS; I’ve learned to say “never say never.” LOL
Really? What brands?
Try a John Deere Dealer he’ll be glad to sell you one.
The trouble with American Farmers today is: They are over capitalized. You don’t have to keep buying new equipment.
there is no longer any reason for subsidies, if there ever was. Let the market decide the price of milk, soybeans,
corn, etc.
Without the farmer there will be no milk,soybeans or corn. He is entitled to make a profit.
In 1936 there were 11.5 million farmers in the US. today there are less than 1.5 million. Reason: prices increased but the returns didn’t keep pace.
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