Comments on: TIME TO PHASE OUT FARM SUBSIDIES

By: kb5zcs

kb5zcs — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:19:38 +0000

Lets stop all these subsidies to all these guys,lets dont for get the oil guys, they got there fare share when bush was running the show,it’s funny bush gave them what they wanted and then they stuck it to us at the pump,people havent you had it with the rich telling how to live.The rich have had there way and now we are all paying for it.

By: Jon

Jon — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:39:38 +0000

http://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY10budsum.pdf

The thing I find interesting is that the US Department of Agriculture spends 67% of their budget on nutrition assistance (WIC and school lunches). Only 17% of their budget is slated to be spent on Farm Programs…

By: Dirk

Dirk — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:34:01 +0000

I am a farmer in the midwest, and I too would be all for ending farm subsidies. In the end they mostly go to the landowner. As far as ethanol, if you want to abolish ethanol subsidies let us be consistent and put an end to all the special treatment the IRS gives the oil companies. And all the ethanol subsidies combined don’t add up to what goes out through our military budget every year to protect the overseas interests of the oil industry. You want to end subsidies and special treatment, let’s end them all. I’ll support you all the way. Keep in mind that at least the dollars from those ethanol subsidies are staying here, not going to the Middle East.

By: Maggie's Farm

Maggie's Farm — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:19:50 +0000

Thurs. morning links…

The first power generating nuke reactor
Gone sane: Dr. Sanity goes offline
G8 promises to control world temperature. Ya can’t make this stuff up.
Your mammogram by the lowest bidder
The second time we agree with the O: time to get rid of fa…

By: Davebo

Davebo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:06:49 +0000

Which state holds it’s primaries first again?

Hell if we could rid ourselves of the ethanol subsidies it would be a great start but don’t count on it?

And by the way, what does New Hampshire get out of it?

By: gregdn

gregdn — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:33:17 +0000

To me it’s ironic that we’ve let high paying manufacturing jobs go overseas while ruthlessly protecting an industry that provides only low paying jobs (to everyone except the farm owner).

By: Chuck Tucson

Chuck Tucson — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:13:43 +0000

Rob F said:

However, abolishing the subsidies doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of happening, no matter how good doing so may be in the long run.

Amen to that. If we were willing to sit by and watch Saddam use gas to murder untold numbers of Iraqi people just so we could continue the billion dollar agriculture trade from southern farmers during the Reagan years, we’re sure as hell not going to see subsidies going anywhere anytime soon.

By: Commie Stooge

Commie Stooge — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:44:41 +0000

At least you’re not blaming it just on FDR.

During WW1 American Farmers expanded production; only to see prices fall after the War.

During the 20s farmers continued to overproduce, and there were even schemes to limit production that were unworkable; so prices continued to fall.

The farms were the first sector of the economy to decline even before the stock market crash.

Farm subsidies and production limits were a centerpiece of the New Deal; and we’ve never figured out how to elimante them.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:54:28 +0000

I read the whole thing but really didn’t have to, as we are all on the same page for once. Well written anyway.

By: DoorHold

DoorHold — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:45:44 +0000

I agree there’s no compelling reason to continue such subsidies, but I find it odd that Obama FINALLY draws the line on government spending when it comes to “farming.” I would NOT be surprised if this, like he’s doing to the health industry, is part of a scheme to nationalize the farming industry.