Farm subsidy reform

_VoV

What are your thoughts on farm subsidies in 2012? Many go to wealthy agribusinesses who grow, or agree NOT to grow, a handful of selected crops like corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton and rice. Fruit and vegetable farmers are mostly exempt from these subsidies.
Interesting article on this subject: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/dont-end-agricultural-subsidies-fix-them/

k8blujay2

Honestly, too many subsidies DO go to agribusiness... and people who might own "farm land" (as defined by the government) but don't farm...

I wish I could get the map a classmate of mine made a few years back (we were geography majors so maps were a huge thing)... he showed that a large concentration of farm subsidies are doled out in the Urban areas to individuals that possibly own land classified as farm land, but don't actually farm anything.

LastSixtySix

I like the aim of the NYT article - don't eliminate the subsidies, fix them. Easier said than done and some set backs are harder to take than others. I especially hate what passed in this latest revision. Makes my stomach churn. My only hope is that as more people become aware of what ultimate health entails, they will get involved and the next time revisions come up, perhaps our representatives will be pressured to make better choices, such as government protecting the most vulnerable against the profit motives of big food conglomerates. But golly, the latest revisions again go against what makes sense and further into the realms of cents. See this article published six days ago.

From http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/house-farm-bill_n_1652593.html: "The House Agriculture Committee on Thursday unveiled its approach for a long-term farm and food bill that would reduce spending by $3.5 billion a year, almost half of that coming from cuts in the federal food stamp program."

Why are we always trying to take the little already given away from the most needy in this country especially since new jobs and real income is decreasing??? Yet the current revisions protect the sugar and HFCS producers and GMOs?? It's not sense but cents, and dammit, whose interests exactly are our representatives in Congress and the Senate supporting but corporate interests versus building back up a sadly and dangerously failing American infrastructure? As important as interstates, available utilities, clean safe water, and trash pick up is to what we expect from our government, the people who make this country run - the lower and middle classes (undeniably the most productive people in the world) are even more important. Now, we are punishing the most vulnerable again and rewarding growing profits of the already secure?

What pray tell have we created in this country with the farm bill? True, without subsidies and the industrialization of food, our population could not be sustained. Still, though, are we going to starve the most vulnerable of our population by giving them a third less of nearly nothing? Can't be squemish, though. Gotta stay engaged and in the fight because, into every Farm Bill revision a
few
monsters
must
fall....

Laces_0ut

we need to keep as much food production in this country as possible. if that helps with that them i'm for it.

adrian_indy

I wonder if everyone would be more satisfied if we took the money we spent on these subsidies and instead paid the farmers to gorw the food so we could give veggies to people on welfare. It would appease the conservatives because you could lessen the cash given to welfare recipients and it would appease people who think the poor are too fat by eliminating their reliance on cheap bulk foods which are low in nutrition.

MaraDiaz

I hope they don't go too far, or I won't be able to afford burgers, much less steak. Nor will most other people. The direct subsidies are large, the indirect subsidies that go to the corn the cattle eat and the water they drink are enormous, and without them, beef would be so expensive only the rich would be able to afford it.