Ohio Farmers Get the Shaft from Dubya

E-Z-B

E-Z-B

CAGiversary!
All I can say is that you reap what you sow:

Farmers Who Backed Bush Upset With Budget

Thu Feb 17, 2:59 AM ET Business - AP

By JOHN SEEWER, Associated Press Writer

TOLEDO, Ohio - Some farmers from battleground election states who campaigned and voted for President Bush say they are not happy about proposed cuts in federal farm subsidies and other agriculture programs.

"We wouldn't call it a double-cross or anything like that, but I don't think this is going to sit real well," said Harold Bateson, whose family's grain farm covers 2,300 acres in northwest Ohio near Bowling Green.

The president has proposed an across-the-board cut of 5 percent for all farm payments and a reduction in the cap on individual subsidies to $250,000. The cuts would total $2.5 billion — more than reductions in health, housing and law enforcement.

"It's kind of a slap in the face," said Neil Clark, an Ohio grain farmer who worked to gather support among farmers for Bush's campaign in Hancock County.

In Ohio and other key election states, conservatives in small towns and farm communities went to the polls for Bush. In rural Ohio, the vote helped negate Democrat John Kerry advantage in the state's big cities.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...09&e=33&u=/ap/20050217/ap_on_bi_ge/farm_scene
 
you reap what you sow, they made there decision in Nov. and now they have to face the consequences. Not saying kerry wouldnt have done something like that, but we will never know
 
Well - farm subsidies had been getting out of control. I actually support Bush's efforts to curtail corporate welfare. I just wish it extended to SUV subsidies, pharmaceutical companies and players in the IP copyright arena. However I'll take what I can get :)
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']This is one of the few things I support the president on, in fact I say we should elimination of government handouts to farmers.[/quote]

I believe subsidies do serve a purpose. However their purpose has been abused by agri-business.
 
[quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire']This is one of the few things I support the president on, in fact I say we should elimination of government handouts to farmers.[/quote]

I believe subsidies do serve a purpose. However their purpose has been abused by agri-business.[/quote]

I just think it's insane how little debbie snacks don't cost anything because the ingredients are all subsidiezed if the company had to pay what flower and corn syrup really should cost they would have been out of buisness long ago. I figure if we are going to deregulate the utilities why not cut off subsidies to farmers. After all competition is good. :D
 
[quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire']This is one of the few things I support the president on, in fact I say we should elimination of government handouts to farmers.[/quote]

I believe subsidies do serve a purpose. However their purpose has been abused by agri-business.[/quote]

I just think it's insane how little debbie snacks don't cost anything because the ingredients are all subsidiezed if the company had to pay what flower and corn syrup really should cost they would have been out of buisness long ago. I figure if we are going to deregulate the utilities why not cut off subsidies to farmers. After all competition is good. :D[/quote]

You cut off subsidies and government regulation, you get an Enron-California energy situation. Commodities just don't work like other markets.
 
Not necessarily true. The market is simply forced to correct itself and the power is placed back into hands of the consumer to control what they will and will not accept. This is not an endorsement of Bush's policy, but an endorsement of ending any and all government socialist programs and stop the federal from looting the pockets of mis-represented taxpayers.
 
There is a problem with farm subsidies that people don't realize. In my econ class (grad school) we learned that over 50% of the dollars that are given in subsidies are given to multi-million dollar corporate farms. That's rediculous that our tax money is going to huge companies in that sense. Whenever we talk about subsidies, they always put out the mom and pop farmer just getting by. I think subsidy laws need to be re-written to protect the small farmer, but not the huge farms (fat chance, since corporate farms give huge political contributions).
 
[quote name='lordxixor101']There is a problem with farm subsidies that people don't realize. In my econ class (grad school) we learned that over 50% of the dollars that are given in subsidies are given to multi-million dollar corporate farms. That's rediculous that our tax money is going to huge companies in that sense. Whenever we talk about subsidies, they always put out the mom and pop farmer just getting by. I think subsidy laws need to be re-written to protect the small farmer, but not the huge farms (fat chance, since corporate farms give huge political contributions).[/quote]

True, most farms in the U.S. are now large corporate farms, not exactly the picture most people get when thinking about a family farm. The subsides should be phased out. BTW, one reason poorer countries are in as much of an economic rut as they are is because of large farm subsidies in places like the U.S., but especially Europe and Japan, that drive up costs for consumers and squelch fair competition.
 
The farm subsidy program was a decent plan when it started, but its long since been corrupted to be little more than corporate welfare. Once upon a time, it was a way to help small farmers who'd sell their wheat to small millers who's sell flour to consumers who'd bake bread. Now the money goes to large corporations so they can sell their flour to Wonder a bit cheaper. If they'd entirely end the program tomorrow, prices wouldn't go up a dime.
 
You are absolutely right. Consumer market and a drive to stay competitive would keep prices the same, for fear that someone else may seize the oppurtunity to sell more.
 
[quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire']This is one of the few things I support the president on, in fact I say we should elimination of government handouts to farmers.[/quote]

I believe subsidies do serve a purpose. However their purpose has been abused by agri-business.[/quote]

I just think it's insane how little debbie snacks don't cost anything because the ingredients are all subsidiezed if the company had to pay what flower and corn syrup really should cost they would have been out of buisness long ago. I figure if we are going to deregulate the utilities why not cut off subsidies to farmers. After all competition is good. :D[/quote]

You cut off subsidies and government regulation, you get an Enron-California energy situation. Commodities just don't work like other markets.[/quote]

The government has done a terrible job regulating farming through the use of subsidies. It has created ripples throughout the product market that allow for cheap products due to suppressed prices by the US government. Why use sugar in your candy when corn syrup doesn't cost anything because the US government is helping to pay for it? I've seen where some of these subsidies go and I'm not impressed. If the government really wants to balance the budget start cutting out agricultural welfare.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire']This is one of the few things I support the president on, in fact I say we should elimination of government handouts to farmers.[/quote]

I believe subsidies do serve a purpose. However their purpose has been abused by agri-business.[/quote]

I just think it's insane how little debbie snacks don't cost anything because the ingredients are all subsidiezed if the company had to pay what flower and corn syrup really should cost they would have been out of buisness long ago. I figure if we are going to deregulate the utilities why not cut off subsidies to farmers. After all competition is good. :D[/quote]

You cut off subsidies and government regulation, you get an Enron-California energy situation. Commodities just don't work like other markets.[/quote]

The government has done a terrible job regulating farming through the use of subsidies. It has created ripples throughout the product market that allow for cheap products due to suppressed prices by the US government. Why use sugar in your candy when corn syrup doesn't cost anything because the US government is helping to pay for it? I've seen where some of these subsidies go and I'm not impressed. If the government really wants to balance the budget start cutting out agricultural welfare.[/quote]

I totally agree.

I just don't necessarily think that ALL subsidies should be cut out. It's always good to have a store of grain in case of emergency...
 
[quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='camoor'][quote name='zionoverfire']This is one of the few things I support the president on, in fact I say we should elimination of government handouts to farmers.[/quote]

I believe subsidies do serve a purpose. However their purpose has been abused by agri-business.[/quote]

I just think it's insane how little debbie snacks don't cost anything because the ingredients are all subsidiezed if the company had to pay what flower and corn syrup really should cost they would have been out of buisness long ago. I figure if we are going to deregulate the utilities why not cut off subsidies to farmers. After all competition is good. :D[/quote]

You cut off subsidies and government regulation, you get an Enron-California energy situation. Commodities just don't work like other markets.[/quote]

The government has done a terrible job regulating farming through the use of subsidies. It has created ripples throughout the product market that allow for cheap products due to suppressed prices by the US government. Why use sugar in your candy when corn syrup doesn't cost anything because the US government is helping to pay for it? I've seen where some of these subsidies go and I'm not impressed. If the government really wants to balance the budget start cutting out agricultural welfare.[/quote]

I totally agree.

I just don't necessarily think that ALL subsidies should be cut out. It's always good to have a store of grain in case of emergency...[/quote]

:lol: True, it's just much easier to say all than 80%.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top