Both Front Feet In The Trough - Redux

[JimMeade]

Here is what your friend the Environmental Working Group is reporting today.

"Nearly 28,000 farmers have received USDA farm subsidies or disaster relief payments every year for 32 years — adding up to more than $19 billion in assistance, according to a report from the Environmental Working Group being released today. The average payment was $687,204, according to the report. One farm in Sondheimer, La., raked in $11.3 million in subsidies between 1985 and 2016. Nine other farms across the country received $8 million each."

Every year for 32 years.  Well, there is nothing wrong with that as the law is written.  Some would say you are a fool if you are eligible and you don't partake (I used to but have not for years).

Well, it's the kind of headline that is designed to set a tone to the article before it even starts.  

Let me ask you, who would the EWG kick around if they won their current battles?  They wouldn't go out of business, would they?  One doubts they would.

[lsc76cat]

More than $19 billion is wasted every week by the Pentagon and interest payments on the national debt.

How much was spent on bailing out the big banks in 2008?

Some people's agendas have no perspective.

[BA Deere]

I`ll say it again for the 100th time, the farm bill is a "cheap food policy", those getting disaster payments for 32 years straight makes my point.   It encourages jackpot farming on the fringe, ground that never should`ve been outside of pasture is planted to corn and beans and maybe 2 out of 5 years they hit it big and that weighs on prices in areas  where corn and beans are supposed to be raised.

See, here`s a 34,000 corn field, with a 40bu yield in South DeKody.

When it hits, it hits big.  But would be in cattle if it wasn`t for the farm bill.

[k-289]

BA  -  spot  on,  &  we  might  include  umpteen  row  planter, &  spray rigs, as  a  24 row cultivator might have a tough go here  &  good  ole  crop - revenue insurance ---

Might question the gal running for Governor of S D about this photo, she's leaving the US Legislature - - -  

[BA Deere]

K-289, it`s a federal program, that`s always backed bipartisanly.  The farmbills are written on "K-street" by lobbyists from General Mills, Kraft, Monsanto and the AARP so I take it the deep state is happy with the way it is.

But the guy with a 34,000 acre corn field and a 40bpa on a good year probably makes a buck an acre, contrast that with a Grundy county farmer raising 250 corn and 80 beans and on the verge of bankruptcy.  The Grundy county farmer pays his crop insurance premium faithfully every year, but might collect 1 out of 10 years.  The 34,000 acre South DeKody probably collects every year and is looking to expand.

[sw363535]

BA it is easy to take a swing when it is only 28K of your neighbors and coworkers.

Wise up and take a swing at the comparative numbers and dollars to welfare recepients...  What is the guess as to how many families have lived off the trough for 32 years?  Or how many universities have recieved federal grants for a consecutive 32 years?  I bet that is higher than 28K

Or how many students have been going to school on student loans for 32 years?   Sounds silly but I would still like to know.

Ok lets just add up how much and how many defaults there have been in the last 32 years???

Recognize the EWG for what it is and always has been....  It is not a government improvement organization.... 

It is Opposed to Agriculture as a private enterprise.  Opposed to any acquisition of personal wealth by ownership of land.  

Notice how it is single minded as to its database, in opposition to the production of grain crops as its only issue on government spending.

There is nothing environmental about that organization since they have no axe to grind with the auto industry or energy industry.

We really should stop giving them recognition.... and they are an ever present example of why we should never give personal data to usda.  

The feds give away every bit of information they claim to protect.

I am really shocked that there are only 28K........... that gives you a clue as to the problems in agriculture, when so few have longevity.

[JimMeade]

Well, now, one can make the case that the national defense is one area where we really do need to spend money.  We could cut way back on many areas and let people get along on their own, but the average farmer or computer operator can't buy an aircraft carrier on it's own and if we didn't have some, the Chinese would be saying, "hello, Mate" and "Aloha" before you know it.

[BA Deere]

SW, none of this socialism is defendable.   To put on my taxpayer hat for a moment, I guess I would support a safety net for farmers that has payment limitations.   Because at what point to farms get so big that we say "No!"?  Like if farms become so large it`s like the auto industry and there becomes a "big 3" or even a "big 3,000" do we still subsidize crop insurance if 3,000 farms do 90% of the production?   On the one hand we had decided for us that "farming is a business, not a way of life" that was in the late 80`s.  Well, being a "business" has risks and downfalls, taxpayers should have to be sold on the idea of subsidies and bailouts.  

I think a case can be made that as a way of life and food security that small and mid-sized farms should be protected, but once size gets to a point, they have to be on there own.

Yes EWG is a fraud,but an effective one.  They`re publishing farmers and their amounts of subsidy has pitted farmers against each other, probably most town people don`t even look at it outside of the local BTO`s amounts.   

[k-289]

TO   clarify  a  couple  of  things,  the  cnadate  for  Governor  of  S Dekody , leaving the US legislature,  ''family'' operation has collected 3,058,152  between 1995 & 2009 - - -

K- Street  might  be  one  of  those '' swamp  THINGY ''  items  your  hero  talks  about  while  I  hear  those  ads  on  the  S Dakody  station  about  how  con servative  this  person  running  for  the  office,  K  street  nor  E W G  stats  are  ever  mentioned - - -            

[k-289]

E W G  is  not  an  Gov. Organization,  private  enterprise  being  the American  way,  and  I've  yet  to  see  our  local  boaster's  ever  mention the afore mentioned without a profane adjective    - -

As  far  as  defaults,  our   current  D C  hero  might  be  the  poster  rambo ,  while that being public information, or should those files  be  Kept  $ecret  ?