Deroy Muroch, writing for Scripps Howard, has a column on how ridiculous farm subsidies are in the present conditions.
If America’s farmers faced economic ruin, one might argue seriously for the $286 billion in agricultural subsidies currently before Congress. But as today’s farmers enjoy sky-high incomes, this bill’s advocates soon may explode into laughter while pleading for the perennially doomed “family farm.”
In fact, agricultural prices, profits and property values all are up dramatically, some at all-time highs.
. . .
Since 2002’s $73.5 billion Republican-led agro-bailout, farm profits have rocketed 118.2 percent, from $40.1 billion to last year’s $87.5 billion.Also, farmland prices have risen 78.5 percent since 2002.
Meanwhile, this bounty’s recipients usually are not the family farmers who inhabit our popular psyche. The legendary family farm is largely as quaint as Grant Wood’s 1930 painting “American Gothic.” While mom-and-pop farms remain, most U.S. agriculture involves corporate mega-farms rather than pitchforks, barns and overalls.
“Fifty-one percent of agricultural subsidies go to ‘commercial farmers,'” says the Heritage Foundation’s Brian Riedl. “Commercial farmers have an average income of $200,000 and an average net worth of $2 million.”
Quarter of a trillion here for agri-welfare; half a trillion there for war in Iraq, pretty soon we’re talking about a lot of money in return for not much of anything.
A fun website that tracks those farm payments is http://farm.ewg.org/farm/index.php?key=nosign
Jon Elrod’s a welfare baby – his wealthy parents receive thousands in those farm subsidy payments. It’s also amusing to see how many folk named Lugar are feeding at that federal payment trough!
Unfortunately, the Democrats also failed to stand up to agribusiness this year in Indiana’s legislature. There was the opportunity, for the 2nd year in a row, to pass a bill regulating confined animal feeding operations. It was a weak bill at best, but at least it provided for some oversight of these large scale polluters and inhumane operations. However, it died a quiet death in the Democratic led House, with barely a mention in news. Until we dismantle factory farming as an institution, true farmers never stand a chance competing in Indiana.
Im glad we’re putting the spotlight on farm subsidies.We’re not talking about my cousins in Wisconsin who collect their eggs by hand and load then on the back of a pick-up to take them to distritutor hoping to get 25 a dozen( Im guessing the current price) when they’re going for big bucks at markets.
Farm subsisdies are like any other big business subsidies.That means the more you get the more you can buy votes,and the more clout
you have to get more Part of these payments
pay for vactions and yachts,etc. ..Subsidies
of this kind is one item that turns both liberals and conservative against government.
One unrelated story on farming. My cousin sprayed the chicken coop with DDT in the 70s and he says it kept flies away for the next 25 years. I guess that’s why it was banned.
25 = 25 cents above
Follow the money- Does ADM (etc., etc.) shovel huge dollars into the campaign chests of both parties? You betcha. Are both parties afraid to take on farmers for PR concerns? You betcha.
Let’s see if our Democratic-led Congress has the courage or integrity to undo this farce. Any bets, Wilson?