Sunshine... taxpayer funded farm subsidies in Elk County, KS

[sixdogsmom]

I agree Anmar, thanks for posting! And yes, it's our Pam (I think)!

[Anmar]

O well, if it is Pam,  HELLO PAM!!!!!

[sixdogsmom]

Check out the postings from "That's MrsC To You". This is the latest reincarnation. As far as this thread is concerned, I know/knew many, many people on this list of subsidized business people from around here. They are doing what is legal and is okay with me as long as it is legal. This isn't welfare and neither is Social Security, It is a way to keep foreign producers from toppling our farmers. I too would like to see a stop put to all the garbage that is entering this country under the name of product. Tariffs? I'm for 'em except for energy; until we can produce what we need, no tariffs.

[Anmar]

Free trade is really part of the big underlying problem plaguing our economy.  Its not a republican or democrat problem.  Both parties have contributed to the free trade debacle.  Obama, when he was running, said he would pull the US out of NAFTA.  It would be a start, but he hasn't really tackled that problem yet.  Frankly I think if he tried, the tea party types would fight him on it just for the sake of fighting.

On the other hand,  and I'm really just thinking aloud (is that possible when i'm typing?), pulling out of NAFTA would lead to certain death for a re-election campaign.  The big corporations would pour money into tea party and republican movements  (like they aren't doing that enough already) just to defeat Obama.  Maybe he's waiting for his second term, when he's got nothing to lose.

Either way, it seems the best hope of getting out of the free trade movement appears to be the dems.  If the republicans ever gave up their corporate financial base and really started to stand up for working people, there would be no stopping 'em.

[thatsMRSc2u]

   Yep this is me Pam Cheever hence the MrsC. and David its good to see you back on and you too Anmar....I DO support my local farmers AND businesses as much as humanly possible although down in this neck of the woods most of the local farmers work for Tyson or Georges LOL. If family farms and small producers disappear that will be the true death knell for this country, they are where things truly start for all the small businesses up the line......if only huge corporations control the farmland they control the food supply.....think about THAT one when you are hollerin about a few thousand worth of subsidies..............

[frawin]

"The United States currently pays around $20 billion per year to farmers in direct subsidies as "farm income stabilization"[9][10][11] via U.S. farm bills. These bills date back to the economic turmoil of the Great Depression with 1922 Grain Futures Act, the 1929 Agricultural Marketing Act and the 1933 Agricultural Adjustment Act creating a tradition of government support. A Canadian report claimed that for every dollar U.S. farmers earn, 62 cents comes from some form of government, with total aid in 2009 from all levels of government adding up to $180.8 billion.[12]"

I would venture that the bulk of this is not going to the family farm, but instead to large corporate farms.

In many cases this subsidy is paying the landowners not to raise crops and/or pasture the land. In a time of rising prices for food this seems to cause even more inflation.

[thatsMRSc2u]

  thats probably true Frank....Corporations DO get a big share.....but to help the ones who need it sometimes you have to help the ones who dont.
  I know part of it goes to pay for NOT growing on certain # of acres to bring the price up......it's that capitalism yall like so much at work. Why SHOULDNT they? Everybody else operates on supply and demand instead of need. If it's ok for oil companies to charge whatever they can get it oughta be ok for farmers too.
  You cant have it both ways.....you cant have it for whatever industry pays YOUR( as in any persons) bills and NOT have it for whatever you ( as in any person) have to PAY for.

  and thats all I got to say about THAT.....

[mtcookson]

I think that if the government properly put tariffs on goods imported from other countries, we wouldn't have to give subsidies to the farmers just so they can keep their heads above water.

Actually, if government would get out of farming completely and get rid of the horrible regulations tariffs wouldn't be necessary.

I just recently overheard the lady that does the beef jerky locally saying they are unable to make it themselves due to horrible regulation so therefore it must be sent to (if i remember right) el dorado and great bend for processing and packaging which raises the costs up tremendously.

The only reason for U.S. farmers to be having issues is either due to natural disaster/issues or more commonly our own government. You know something is wrong when stuff coming from OVER SEAS (i.e. growing, processing, packaging, storing, shipping them in a boat over the water, storing, shipping them in a truck across the country, storing, them delivering them to some local grocer) is cheaper than local and even national. Yeah, they may have cheaper labor but our own costs should not be exceeding all of the costs associated with getting that stuff over here. Its absolutely ridiculous and you know something MUST be wrong locally for that to occur... and that is government.

[evanstrail]

I'm glad someone moved this out of the Coffee Shop and into Politics - it keeps me from having to jump in and refute several statements made here that are fictions perpertrated by various politically motivated organizations.

[sodbuster]

   Yep this is me Pam Cheever hence the MrsC. and David its good to see you back on and you too Anmar....I DO support my local farmers AND businesses as much as humanly possible although down in this neck of the woods most of the local farmers work for Tyson or Georges LOL. If family farms and small producers disappear that will be the true death knell for this country, they are where things truly start for all the small businesses up the line......if only huge corporations control the farmland they control the food supply.....think about THAT one when you are hollerin about a few thousand worth of subsidies..............

Pam I knew it was you, your voice is unique. I too am glad to see Anmar back and I hope we can get Warph in better shape where he wants to start posting more. (Hint, Hint, Warph) I miss all of our debates even the times we did not agree with each other. I come here to the forum when I am looking for folks that are participating in our government. Thank you all.

David