Congress could’ve answered the question of “who is a farmer?” and thus eligible to get payments when it passed the Farm Bill a year ago, but it punted the matter to the USDA.
Wealthy executives, celebrities and others get subsidies even if they never set foot on a farm or don’t need the taxpayer-funded assistance. They include the likes of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, according to an Environmental Working Group report.
More
8 comments:
Another government give away scam I missed! I guess as long as you have the money and connections they tell each other where the gravy train is stopping next.
Watch out Jay Martin of Bivalve , your gravy train is about to stop.
12:43 And then make the REAL FARMERS jump through their bureaucratic hoops. I always feel nauseous when dealing with MDA, MDE, USDA and FDA.
Hats off to real farmers, those who actually raise the food that we eat.
Farm subsidies help those who need the money to break even from year to year, but so many of the blind entitlements take away from that, both in dollars that could be better used and are more deserved; and in the what should be the good intent of the program in terms of conscience and good accountability to the taxpayers.
There should never have been any subsidies for those rich folks who sit at a desk at a company with some "questionable" agricultural ties. The subsidies should go to the people who own an actual plot of dirt and grow plants or animals for the public to eat.
If the government REALLY cared... they would subsidize farmers to grow out CSA's for people, instead of issuing Independence cards. They buy junk, or cash out for other nonessential items.
Take that money and invest in a farm operation, providing dairy, eggs, meat, veggies, greens and fruits. Ration it out to the families in need of food assistance and stop the runaway train that is SNAP, WIC, etc.
It would support farmers of all sizes, and allow small farmers to expand, build infrastructure, hire more hands for employment, etc.
Add Bruce Springsteen to the list.
What about the farm house on Jersey Road past Adkins road that has planted fruit trees only to let them die and operating a house under very strange conditions. Rumors (and only rumors) have said that foreigners were given government money and do nothing. I don't know what this is about....but most of the trees are dead and there are boards over sliding doors. Strange. Who keeps an eye on this kinda stuff locally. Is someone from USDA checking on farms that take money locally and if so...who do they have to report to?
Post a Comment