Farm subsidies face $30B hit under GOP budget plan

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Farm subsidies face $30B hit under GOP budget plan
by Associated Press | Apr 11, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Republican head of the House Budget Committee has proposed cutting agriculture subsidies by $30 billion over the next 10 years as part of a broad effort to slash federal spending, but it remains to be seen whether his ideas will be incorporated in legislation that sets funding for agriculture programs.

That legislation is handled by a different committee that's dominated by lawmakers from states where farmers have historically received big government handouts.

The $3.5 trillion budget plan put forward by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has grabbed headlines because of its proposed revamps of Medicare and Medicaid and its tax cuts, but it also would reduce spending on agriculture and a wide range of other federal programs. It awaits a floor vote in the House but has no chance in the Democratic controlled Senate. Still, it's framing the budget debate and some of its proposals could make it into other legislation, including the 2012 farm bill.

Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, commended Ryan for "taking the first serious step in reining in our deficit" but was quick to add that the policy proposals "are simply suggestions. At the end of the day, members of the House Agriculture Committee and I will write the next farm bill."



Read more: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/news/farm-subsidies-face-30b-hit-under-gop-budget-plan/6214848/

[Skittles]

1. repukes love their farm handouts

they'll keep them

[SpiralHawk]

2. Republicon Socialism for the Rich

The Repubs will fight like hell to keep this Republicon Socialist handout flowing into their bulging bank accounts...

[Skittles]

8. that teabagger whore Bachmann can lead the way

yes INDEED

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/22/bachmann-farm-subisidies_n_400608.html

[BumRushDaShow]

3. They need to get in there and dissect that Farm Bill

leave the assistance to the poor alone and pull out all the pork being given out to the wealthy repuke farmers and farm relatives/families of the lunatic fringe RW Congress monsters - including batshit crazy Bachmann.

[Cirque du So-What]

4. There is NO justification on gawd's green earth

for continuation of farm subsidies. With food prices soaring and famine looming in various locations around the world, it is unconscionable to hand out welfare payments to wealthy absentee landowners because they DON'T grow crops...not to mention the so-called 'budget deficits,' which are actually shortfalls because the rich don't pay their fair fucking share of taxes!

DEMOCRATS! Make some noise about this, and you may find results to your liking!

[customerserviceguy]

12. Yep, the time has come

to stop paying people for not growing food.

[No Elephants]

14. +1 Excellent points!

[No Elephants]

15. "The Environmental Working Group, which contends subsidies are corporate welfare

that foster ecologically unsound farming practices, welcomed the subsidy cuts while expressing reservations about what might happen to conservation programs, which the plan doesn't address.



Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/04/11/1962151/farm-subsidies-face-30b-hit-under.html##ixzz1JDLtKZYK

[Po_d Mainiac]

20. Some of that money goes towards assisting smaller farms

with controlling run-off from manure and silage piles, re-establishing riparian zones along waterways, and sound soil management. It's peanuts compared to what the corporate farms rake in, but beneficial to both the local micro economy and the environment.

I have little doubt these programs will be de-funded, while multi-million $ tax shelters are allowed to feed at the USDA trough.

[rasputin1952]

5. I'm out here in NE...Many, not all, farmers, receive huge subsidy

checks. In fact, around town there are a slew of brand new huge GMC, Ford, Chevy and Ram pick-ups, all with Farm Plates that will never set a tire in a field...happens every year about this time. Since they have Fame Plates, they also use on-tax fuel, (although it is illegal to use said fuel on improved roads, no one ever checks).

Flatbeds are delivering new combines every day, most w/GPS systems so that once the coordinates of the field are plugged in, all the driver has to do is sit read the paper, the combine does everything else, you don't even have to drive the thing! Then, there is the subsidy on corn and soy to keep the price artificially low, but ensure a good profit for the farmer, as well as the genetically modified grains and a host of other things that make life about as easy as it gets. Grandpa was dead at 40 fro either a farm accident or working that scythe on the North 40 for 15 hours a day...in less than a decade, a farmer will live to be be 90, and his combine will bury him, put up a stone and mow the grass around the grave....maybe even place a facsimile of that "Welfare King" check he received.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

6. We farm and we're against these handouts

The farm bill is unfair. One family we know have been given as much as $4 million. They have nice homes, (yes - more than one), go to Europe every year, send their children to private schools and very good colleges. All the farm families that we know, who have received amounts in the millions, are doing very well. They are ALL republicans.

You can look up how much farmers are getting in your state or county here;

http://farm.ewg.org/addrsearch.php?s=yup&stab=US&zip=&last=&first=&stab=WA&i=Search+Recipients&fullname=&stab2=AL

[snappyturtle]

10. THANK YOU! I need to show this to my mother....she's 94 and

renting her farmland out. I found my cousin, the renter, on the list--the top list--who has received over $655,000 in the last 14 years. This averages out to over $37,500 per year. Some years it's 20 thousand and other years much, much more. I found one year at $51 thousand and another in the 70 thousand dollar range!
He's a republican as is my mother. My grandfather would roll over in his grave if he saw these figures.

edit: Mom gets $145.00/acre from this cousin.

[rfranklin]

13. If anything, your mother should be collecting that money and giving it to you...

Depriving her child is inexplicable.

[snappyturtle]

25. I guess I didn't get my point across. I think farm subsidies suck.

I am not asking for anything. BUT, I do think that some of those renting are making a killing off of old people like my mother. This farm is not cheap to run. She gets no part of the "profit" only rather, a straight rent/per acre---when profit is high or when it is low, her income stays the same.

[No Elephants]

17. $4 million in corporate welfare to one family and we're cutting home heating fuel subsidies by $2.5b

[valerief]

24. Don't forget the Republican healthcare plan. Get sick and die quickly. nt

[pampango]

7. Column: (OH) GOP lawmakers biggest recipients of farm subsidies

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/article/BA/20110405/OPINION02/104050318/0/SPORTS/Column-GOP-lawmakers-biggest-recipients-farm-subsidies?odyssey=nav|head

Republican lawmakers are the biggest recipients of farm subsidies, a finding that mirrors GOP dominance of rural congressional seats.

The Environmental Working Group, which maintains a database of farm subsidies going back to the 1990s, says that 17 Republicans in Congress and six Democrats received payments from 1995 to 2009 either directly or through family members. There's a much larger imbalance when it comes to the amount of money those lawmakers have received. Republicans have collected $5.3 million compared with Democrats' $489,856.

The group, which has long argued for overhauling the subsidy system to better conserve land and water resources, said "the fact that so many more Republicans in Congress receive so much more in farm subsidies than their Democratic colleagues does highlight the GOP's controversial decision to spare those programs from the budget ax -- even as it slashes funding for so many others."

[SpiralHawk]

18. Republicon Welfare Grifters

Sooo typical of the hypocrite party = Republicons....

[pipoman]

21. Could it be that a much higher percentage of

rethugs in congress come from rural areas/states or are from farm families? I mean, not to interrupt a good rant, but anyone in farming, repub or dem, will be eligible for some farm subsidy money...

[HereSince1628]

9. That's gotta be good for the groups like the DFL.

The R's desire to turn things back to the 1880's should be a great recruiting tool for an ordinary people-based political party.

[Kolesar]

11. Busted link, try this

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/04/11/1962151/farm-subsidies-face-30b-hit-under.html

[pipoman]

16. I guess we'll see,

Farm subsidies are payment for government control of private enterprise. Subsidies pay farmers to grow specific products in specific amounts. Without subsidies, farmers, as other business owners can and will grow what they want in what ever quantities they want, just as you would do in their position. The government tells farmers to grow x number of acres of x product...in return we will insure that the price for your product will be $x. This system makes overall farm production predictable. Without such a system, farm product consumers are at the mercy of quasi farm cartels. If, for instance, corn prices dropped due to a glut this year, next year the corn growers association would strongly urge corn growers to reduce production next year, driving the price up, resulting in the same or greater profits for producers with less work and less up front expense in seed, fertilizer, fuel, and equipment costs...it would be a no brainer from a producer standpoint.

Another function of subsidies has been soil conservation and wildlife management. The references to 'paying farmers not to grow', refers to programs like the CRP program. This program pays a similar rate per acre for land which must be planted into high quality forage capable of supporting a variety of birds and other wildlife. Additionally, CRP grasses renew the soil. Without those programs, farmers will farm every acre of their ground, 'from ditch bank, to ditch bank' as they used to say.

Expect dramatic price fluctuation in farm commodities and increased costs of fulfilling trade agreements with other nations..this alone may exceed the cost of subsidies. The US makes multi-year agreements for trade of ag products with other nations. Those agreements have set quantities and prices. Without control of production, these contracts will be at the same place consumers will be..that is not knowing the volume of production. A year which is a low production in attempt to raise prices could cost our government a ton of money to fulfill the existing agreements.

People not near the farm industry often are clueless about the costs and risks associated with farming. It is a very expensive business wrought with potential pitfalls. Farmers will survive without subsidies. Commodity give away programs for the under privileged may not.

[nalnn]

30. A couple of questions

Regarding the first paragraph of your post: Has this ever happened in U.S. history (uncontrolled food prices) I would search or wiki it, but I am not sure what terms to use.

In the second paragraph, I see that you are probably referencing the Dust Bowl. Right on about that one. THat is a good reason for some subsidies.

For the last paragraph, you are definitely right. I am very close to the ag industry, but mostly small family farms and it is VERY risky.

[pipoman]

32. I really don't know if it has recently

but I do remember times with reduced supplies at the urging of producer's groups...the results were higher prices due to less production. I believe subsidies as we know them really became all encompassing during the 1970's farm crisis. This also marked the take over of corporate farming both on large scale operations and on family corporate operations.

The dust bowl was the beginning of soil conservation. Again, the 1970's and 1980's began a movement of wildlife conservation has been dramatically improved since then. The wildlife populations out here on the prairie have boomed...it's been a good thing.

[madrchsod]

19. that`s not going to effect the incorporated farm operations

contrary to popular belief the farm subsidy program has merit. the problem is those who really need it will be the ones that will feel the cuts the most.

[robcon]

22. Those bribes by the farm lobbies should disappear.

Why are we raising prices of food like corn with those idiotic requirements for use as a fuel?

Why do we keep out, for example, sugar from other countries, so that the price of sugar in the U.S. is double the world price?

We should take the side of consumers, not producers, in our farm policies.

[nalnn]

23. Since subsidies means more of what is subsidized

Since when you subsidize something, you get more of it; does this mean America must subsidize farmers because if we didn't we would not have enough food? Although I live in an agricultural state and I know that many here get these subsidies, I don't know that they are necessary or not. Could America survive without the subsidies? I am ignorant about this.

[JoeyT]

26. Yes. Not all the subsidies are paying them to grow food.

There are subsidies that pay not to grow food to keep the price high.

[nalnn]

27. Yes

I am aware of the subsidies to not grow certain crops, but are those the majority? Is the entire purpose to affect the prices or is there a legitimate use for some subsidies to maintain enough food stores in the U.S. for the U.S. let alone for export?

[pipoman]

28. Read post 16

this is the reason it really doesn't matter who is in the Presidency or in Congress, subsidies have continued on. Some here want to pretend subsidies are payola or the efforts of lobbyists...like all government programs there is probably some of that, but overwhelmingly subsidies to farmers is payment for control of private enterprise.

[eppur_se_muova]

29. So that's about $3 billion PER YEAR -- out of $3.5 Trillion? Less than 0.1%?

Not worth noticing. Just enough so they can say they've already made cuts, so no further cuts in subsidies are necessary.

And of course, it will be modified year by year until it vanishes.

[WatsonT]

31. We should cut farm subsidies entirely

this is a start though.

[Odin2005]

33. It's probably worded so only family farmers are affected, Big Ag will still get $$$.