Weary (tobacco)farmers ready for (federal)buyout - some propose raising taxes to pay for it

kypost ^

[Flyer]

A novel idea. . .

Remove all restrictions and excise taxes on tobacco and return it to a free market commodity.

. . . Yeah, right.

---

[sneakypete]

Please be specific, and please only describe how TOBACCO farmers get money from the g'ovt.

They got it by the quota system in use,where only certain people can grow it,and even they can only grow so much. This amounts to a government mandated monopoly with price supports. They have been getting this for generations because the permit to grow tobacco passes on to the heirs of the farm.

[TigersEye]

And there is no prohibition on growing tobacco for your own use. It's an awful lot of work, but if you want to and you can get the stuff to grow, knock yourself out.

Therein lies the problem, Joe. Unlike smokem dopem tobacco doesn't grow just anywhere and the work and care it takes to properly cure and process tobacco into a satisfying usable form is prohibitive to the average individual. They won't have to make it illegal to grow your own.

Looks to me like the gummint has yet a new angle to control and tax tobacco. Capone, Nitty & Kennedy Investment Corp. highly recommends shares in Black Market Tobacco Inc..

[gratefulwharffratt]

They got it by the quota system in use,where only certain people can grow it,and even they can only grow so much. This amounts to a government mandated monopoly with price supports. They have been getting this for generations because the permit to grow tobacco passes on to the heirs of the farm.

Let me see if I understand what you are saying...

The government limits how much tobacco I can grow (and even then, they slash the acreage on a regular basis), then MANDATES that I sell it in a fixed market, completely devoid of market forces, and you consider that to be a GOOD thing for farmers??? And that is "getting money from the government for generations??" And you think that farmers WANT to be in that system??

I am sure that RJ Reynolds and Phillip Morris are quite happy with the system, but NONE of the tobacco farmers that I know have EVER had a positive thing to say about the wretched program.

I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. Maybe you could explain to me how this is such a great thing for farmers.

[sneakypete]

I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. Maybe you could explain to me how this is such a great thing for farmers.

I already have,and you must agree with me,or you wouldn't still be growing tobacco. Nobody is forcing you to do this,and you COULD grow another crop instead. Since you don't,this tells me you are making money growing tobacco.

[Lion's Cub]

Notice he does not say it would be wrong, only a hard sell...

I see that.

Obviously, the commies have won again. I'm sure the UN is thrilled.

Another American industry bites the dust and America becomes dependent on foriegn products--most likely soon to be smuggled.

In addition, more farm land is lost--soon to be claimed as some bioreserve that Americans dare not tread on without asking the UN first.

Politicians can all rot in hell as far as I'm concerned.

[Lion's Cub]

When I went to school, we used to call agriculture that was centrally managed by the state "communism". They've now changed the term to "progressive".

Who says we won the cold war? WE LOST!!!

[gratefulwharffratt]

Nobody is forcing you to do this,and you COULD grow another crop instead. Since you don't,this tells me you are making money growing tobacco.

I am an advocate of free markets. Tobacco has been grown around here for more than three hundred years, and if it were up to me, the farmers here would still be able to grow the best tobacco in the world for three hundred MORE years.

Making 'some' money, and being SEVERELY limited by the government is NOT the same thing as "getting money from the government for generations." If you were a factory worker, it would be like telling you that you can only work 25 hours per week, and oh yeah, you can only make whatever wage we decide. I can't see how this is a good thing.

Or, do you believe that ALL money is earned only at the pleasure of the government?? Somehow, the government SEVERELY limiting my ability to farm does NOT mean (to me, anyway) that I am 'getting money from the government.'

Now, if tobacco farmers were part of the farm subsidy bill, which pays farmers NOT to grow crops or to raise livestock, then your point would be well taken. However, this is not the case, and tobacco farmers are limited in their choices, and NOT compensated for those limitations.

I guess you would be happier if I bought a few dairy cows, and then jumped on the public dole, like many hollywood 'farmers??'

[Just another Joe]

Unlike smokem dopem tobacco doesn't grow just anywhere and the work and care it takes to properly cure and process tobacco into a satisfying usable form is prohibitive to the average individual. They won't have to make it illegal to grow your own.

You have a point, Tiger, but you watch the wording on it. They will use that to make sure that even those individuals that WANT to grow for their own use can't.