Praise the Lord! (and Congress)

[Shaggy98]

I guess I don't understand enterprise insurance. My coverage is for each individual farm.

[farmerguy89]

Everyone needs insurance. Otherwise it's too risky and only old money will play. All the inheritors can use their inheritances as a backstop on their loans.

If everyone stopped inheriting stuff like normal people I don't think this would be such an elitist business. I am glad I am not around the crazy rents.

[Red Steele]

You made the comment that red states are getting subsidized, the implication being that blue states, the marxist ones, are somehow paying in more than they get back. We currently have a $17 Trillion, that is with a T, recognized national debt, and estimates of many, many times that in real actuarial debt for unfunded liabilities. Show us which blue state is pulling its own weight in total federal cash flows.

The often quoted "blue states subsidize red states" leave off everything but federal income tax payments...ie , no SS taxes, no transfers via SS payments and subsidized Medicare, etc.

The truth is that none of the states is paying in more than they get back.

Refute this, Pal.

[kraft-t]

You're right Reno in that highly productive farms rarely get their premiums back even if they do have a loss. They must have our participation to pay claims on acres not so poductive.

2012 was the first year i had a claim on federal crop and didn't recover the fll premium. 2013 I will exceed the premium in that the market price drop will assure a gain. but not much over premium paid.

[Illowahillfarms]

Shaggy.  enterprise unit is whole operation thrown together per crop,possibly by county.Cheapens up insurance per acre but whole farm must fall below guarantee.

[BA Deere]

I just wish the rest of the areas of government spending was cut as deeply as the farm bill, if it was perhaps there would be hope of getting our house in order.  This new farm bill...talk about austerity!

[Illowahillfarms]

Didn't have insurance in 1988 . Sure wish I did.Have carried 75_80percent every year since.  Never collected one dollar.

[Illowahillfarms]

I think crop insurance is pretty fair for all areas of US.I have 10 year proven yields which I think every body has to have. Can only insure your bushels. Only loophole I see is someone renting new land that is not very good land and they get county average on that farm.

[jput]

First of all it is not accurate to say there was a $5 billion cut.   As cited below,  there was a TEMPORARY increase in 2009 which was set to expire:

"There's a big automatic cut scheduled for Nov. 1, as a temporary boost from the 2009 stimulus bill expires. That change will trim about $5 billion from federal food-stamp spending over the coming year. [The Washington Post, 10/28/13]"

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The SNAP program is rife with fraud,  corruption and waste.   Take the SNAP debit card to the inner city grocery,  buy items that are approved,  then cut a deal to sell it back to the store owner for cash,  then buy cigarettes, booze,  and unapproved items.  

Better to establish days when welfare recipients can pick up their basic food commodities at the local courthouse,  etc.   Give them dried beans,   milk,  flour,  sugar,  yeast,  noodles,  rice,  etc.  and a recipe book.

Then you actually feed the poor instead of enabling fraud and corruption.

[Palouser]

The explanation lies in the tax dollar outfow compared to the tax dollars back in for federally funded programs. That does NOT account for all money spent by the federal government. Ex. Foreign bases, etc.