Sam Donaldson Paid $84,741.52 In Farm Subsidies 1995-2002

http://www.ewg.org/farm/region.php?fips=00000 ^ | Environmental Working Group

[chambley1]

Sam, of Mclean, Virginia of course.

http://www.ewg.org/farm/region.php?fips=00000

[.cnI redruM]

Rain on the scarecrow, blood on the plow.

[Support Free Republic]

Got a minute?

I'd really like you to rub my ears,
or help out FR.

[tractorman]

Hey Sam, how about buying a tractor?

[YaYa123]

I couldn't follow the link to find Sam's name, but this headline, on first quick read, looks like Sam had to pay that amount, not that he received that amount. But then, I'm no expert. I bet the farm" long ago...and lost.

[Fighter@heart]

I followed the link and typed in his name. He was PAID $84,741.52 In Farm Subsidies 1995-2002. He was receiving cash not sending it in!!

[Yo-Yo]

This is old news. Nothing to see here, move along.



Copyright 1995 Gannett Company, Inc.
USA TODAY

March 20, 1995, Monday, FINAL EDITION

SECTION: LIFE; Pg. 3D

LENGTH: 170 words

HEADLINE: D'Amato down on Donaldson's farm subsidy

BYLINE: Peter Johnson

BODY:
Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., denounced ABC's Sam Donaldson Friday on the Senate floor, saying the PrimeTime Live co-anchor should return $ 92,000 in federally funded farm subsidies he has received as owner of a sprawling ranch in New Mexico.

This came after reports last week questioned why Donaldson and other wealthy absentee landlords get farm subsidies. Donaldson was born in New Mexico and spends lots of time there. He raises sheep and goats, for which he gets wool and mohair supports sent to his home in Virginia. He said Friday prices for goat and sheep are based, in part, on subsidies. When he began buying animals, "the only way to break even was to be in the structure that you found, which includes subsidies."

He continues to take the subsidies, he said, because he is entitled to by law - even though he's spoken against them publicly many times. As for D'Amato, Donaldson said, "If I was going to be denounced by anyone on the Senate floor, I'm happy that it was Al D'Amato doing it."

LOAD-DATE: March 21, 1995

[VOA]

Don't quote this, but...
I think that Donaldson gets the subsidy due to some aged Federal program promoting
the growth of wool (and of course, the sheep that make the raw product).
My naive understanding was that this program had it's roots in WWII/Korean War-era
when the USA did need lots of wool to keep it's soldiers warm.

Don't quote me...that's just what I've heard before and maybe it's urban myth.

[conserv13]

As much as I dislike Donaldson, the American taxpayer subsidizes LOTS of farms for different reasons, and Bush just continued and raised the farm subsidies. Don't hate the player, hate the game...

[jsbankston]

Seems to me that Sam would be more Appreciative towards President Bush for his thirty billion dollar Farm Bill and actually support the President once in a while.

[Theodore R.]

Sam has been a supporter of "big government" for many years. He considers the bureaucracy "humane" and "caring." Now we know that he had other reasons for his boundless faith in "big goverment." Maybe Sam has played a role in keeping NM Democrat too.

[wzlboy]

Talk about a prime example of "fleecing" the tax payers.

[Paraclete]

Compared to a fair number of farmer friends in my area, that's "chicken feed."

[TopQuark]

So what's wrong with that? What does the wealth of the person has to do with that?

More of socialist propaganda that has become typical on this supposedly conservative forum.

[Mr. Bird]

I'm hard pressed to criticize Donaldson for this. I'm sure he also minimizes his tax liability. If it's an outrage that Donaldson gets a subsidy, then it's an outrage that anyone gets it.

[billhilly]

Sam Donaldson owns a ranch in New Mexico, and he has for a long time. I have a cousin who owned a small farm in the midwest, got very rich and retired at 50. He "farmed the government" he said to me years ago. He said he was not proud of saying that.

His mother was my father's sister, and his daddy was a two horse farmer, in addition to being a wonderful person. He turned that little dirt farm over to his only son who knew just exactly what to do.

[hoosierham]

Yes, it is easier to make money "not growin'" for the gov't than growinng crops for the market. One of the local bankers had a farm completely paid for by Soil Bank payments. There are all kinds of welfare.

[pointsal]

Hey,,,, the USDA has confidentiality standards! What's your party affiliation?

[Defender2]

Sounds like PAYOFF money to me.

[Madcelt]

mehtinks laddy that your right.