Pig-Free Pork

3 July 2006



US Pays $1.3 Billion in Farm Subsidies to Non-Farmers

Farm subsidies are a pretty bad idea in general. They drive up taxes in rich countries while preventing poor countries from successfully exporting produce and developing their economies. However, there is something worse – paying a farm subsidy to non-farmers.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that Uncle Sam paid out $1.3 billion to people who haven’t had crops on their land since 2000. It is silly to pay farmers not to grow crops, but it is ridiculous to pay non-farmers to compete with farmers in not growing crops. How much body armor would that buy the troops in Iraq? How many school books? How much road could it pave?

The Post cites Donald R. Matthews, a guy in Texas, who put his dream house on 18 acres of what was once rice paddies. The Federal government by act of congress pays him $1,300 a year even though there is no rice on his land anymore. Mr. Matthews tried to give the money back, but he was told the cash would just go to someone else.

Now, $110 a month isn’t a lot of money. It won’t even buy gasoline for a month, and Mr. Matthews probably doesn’t need it. Yet, it does mount up when thousands upon thousands receive their payments every year. The federal budget deficit will be around $400 billion or so each and every year from now until someone wakes up and raises taxes and cuts spending. So, $1.3 billion doesn’t put much of a dent in things. But as Everett Dirksen said, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.”

The Post also reported, “The farm policy we’re pursuing now has no rhyme or reason, and we’re just sending big checks to big farmers,” said Gary Mitchell, now a family farmer in Kansas who was once a top aide to then-Rep. Pat Roberts (R-KS), the 1996 bill’s House sponsor. “They’re living off their welfare checks.” Welfare for the richest is not the American Way, but there is no movement to eliminate this program during an election year. That is the power of money in US politics.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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