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Farming for dollars: Ag-subsidies bill throws your money to the pigs
Union Leader ^ | May 9 2002

Posted on 05/09/2002 2:49:42 AM PDT by 2Trievers

SPEAKING OF FARMING, last week the House and Senate passed a package of farm subsidies that increases federal spending on American farms by $71 billion over the next decade. That’s enough to buy every farm in America a brand new Lexus and still have change left over.

Why is Congress doing this? Are Americans running out of food? Are we in danger of famine or starvation? No, American farm productivity has never been higher, and Americans have never been healthier or better fed.

Well then, are these dollars going to help the suffering small farmer make ends meet? Nope. The bulk of these transfers goes to large agribusinesses. Significant portions even go to non-farmers who own cropland, such as billionaire Ted Turner and millionaire former Enron CEO Kenneth Lay.

How about the starving children in the Third World? Will this bill help them? Nope, it encourages the destruction or non-production of some crops and raises prices across the board. So why is Congress throwing billions at businesses that operate farms? Because throwing money at farm companies buys congressmen votes.

Economically, there is no sound rationale for transferring billions of dollars from non-farmers to farmers, or more specifically to large corporations that operate farms. Heck, large farm subsidies actually are an economic drain on the country and the world. They raise prices of agricultural goods for everyone, which further increases the amount taken from non-farmers and given to farming companies. And they spark retaliation from other countries, which raise their trade barriers and protectionist subsidies in return.

To its credit, New Hampshire’s entire congressional delegation voted against the farm subsidies bill last week. If only New Hampshire could elect a few hundred more congressmen, federal farm policy might make more sense.



TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; US: New Hampshire
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 05/09/2002 2:49:42 AM PDT by 2Trievers
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To: 2Trievers
71 billion devided by 250 million in the country times 4 people in the average household. Shoot! that's an increase of only a little over a grand per taxpayer. Why don't you find something else to complain about.
2 posted on 05/09/2002 2:58:53 AM PDT by StACase
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To: 2Trievers;Carry_Okie
Americans have never been...better fed.

Thanks to foreigners. America is a net importer of all types of food (with the exception of cereal grains).

Carry, could you re-post the link to the information?

3 posted on 05/09/2002 2:59:02 AM PDT by snopercod
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To: 2Trievers
This bill will guarantee that Tom Harkin is King for Life as far as Iowa is concerned. Have some fun and connect the dots: follow the campaign donations for Tommie the Commie all the way to the names of top gov't money recipients among Iowa "farmers."
4 posted on 05/09/2002 4:30:25 AM PDT by niteowl77
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To: snopercod; farmfriend
Millenium presentation on the agricultural balance of trade to the WTO by the Center for North American Studies at Texax A&M and related graphs as PowerPoint slides.

The data are from 1998, and the situation has deteriorated rapidly since then. I have not found a similar compilation of more current data. The principle causes of the trade imbalance are a combination of currency manipulation and the disparity in regulatory costs. FReepers who don't take it seriously haven't a clue what will happen when the currencies adjust (and should take a harder look at current dollar stability). The farmers won't be able to increase production to meet demand; they'll be gone. We'll pay a bundle more for food. We'll be dependent on foriegn food production (that'll make OPEC look like a laugher... think about depending upon Mexico to eat). The bankers who set this up will then have us all by the balls.

The imbalance is not a matter of farming efficiency. Urban whiners have no idea how much farmers "subsidize" them, primarily with paperwork for compliance to environmental regulations. Unfortunately, the issue is complex and takes not a little deprogramming to understand.

5 posted on 05/09/2002 7:47:49 AM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Carry_Okie;Hispanarepublicana;Iowa Granny
Thanks CO for the info. Will make good use of it. See his posts on this thread for great info.
6 posted on 05/09/2002 10:06:09 AM PDT by farmfriend
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To: Carry_Okie
Thanks for the repost of that information.

Right now, vegetables are so cheap that it doesn't make economic sense for an individual to raise a garden. (Yes, I understand there are other reasons for growing your own.)

But if the dollar falls drastically, we will once again see rural Americans creating "Truck Gardens", and trucking fruits and vegetables into the cities to sell. The republicans may get revenge on the liberals after all!

Nice tomatoes should be around $5 each, I think...

Don't worry, farmers will arise again if this happens.

7 posted on 05/09/2002 2:13:30 PM PDT by snopercod
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To: snopercod
I doubt it. Farmers will have been regulated into oblivion. Suburban transplants as truck farmers will be lucky to feed themselves. Where will they get the water, seed, parts, and fuel?
8 posted on 05/09/2002 3:06:50 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Carry_Okie
Just read a review of your book, and I'm going to buy it.
9 posted on 05/19/2002 7:04:48 PM PDT by lakey
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To: lakey
Best to do that here, and thank you.
10 posted on 05/19/2002 11:53:33 PM PDT by Carry_Okie
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