Farm Bill, good or bad?

[EvilMonkey]

Many editorials are out calling it pure pork, etc. The NT Time, LA Times, etc. In fact, the LA Times article ends with this paragraph:

There are a few senators who recognize this bill as the bloated monstrosity it is. The last hope is that there are enough of them to uphold Bush's veto.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-...0,6853747.story

Are any of those senators named McCain? Yes. Are any named Obama or Clinton? Um, no.

"I would veto that bill," McCain said, calling the farm bill an unwarranted handout to corporate farmers and an obstacle to freer agricultural trade worldwide." says McCain.

"Clinton and Obama applauded Senate passage of the bill and said Bush should sign it." the story says about the other two.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/...amp;oref=slogin

As a side note, it mentions that none of them bothered to show up and vote on it. That is bad on all 3's part. They still have jobs to do, and if they don't want to bother to show up and vote on things, they should be refunding part of their Senatorial salary.

 

 

[Balta1701]

The Senate vote for the Farm Bill was 81-15.

 

Had all 3 shown up, it would have been 81-18. Presumably the 100th Senator not voting was Kennedy.

 

I really couldn't care less if they miss a vote like that.

 

Anywho, the Farm bills are, every time they come through, amongst the worst bills that the Congress passes. They directly impact the obesity epidemic, in reducing the cost of some products relative to healthier ones. They waste a lot of money. They hurt the rest of the world. They hurt the U.S. by stressing its farmland and water supplies. It is the lobbying community working at its finest.

[southsider2k5]

Another horrible bill. I don't get how the oil companies amongst others make record profits and it is a huge epidemic of horror. The people who put food on the table of every single person in the country make record profits, and the congresses solution is to give them more money, and it is hardly news. Its depressing. Do we really wonder why we have a deficit? Its the sum of bills like this crap.

[StrangeSox]

The Farm Bill is absolutely terrible.

[Y2HH]

Another horrible bill. I don't get how the oil companies amongst others make record profits and it is a huge epidemic of horror. The people who put food on the table of every single person in the country make record profits, and the congresses solution is to give them more money, and it is hardly news. Its depressing. Do we really wonder why we have a deficit? Its the sum of bills like this crap.

 

It's because 95% of this country vote these people into office not knowing anything about them, but because they belong to their "party". And I'm not even sure how they feel as if they became part of this party, it's as if political affiliation is something you're born with in this country.

 

And THAT is what is depressing.

 

Maybe if people knew half the stuff these people do/did or how they think as people they wouldn't be so quick to vote them in just because it says : Democrat or Republican next to their names on the ballots.

[southsider2k5]

It's because 95% of this country vote these people into office not knowing anything about them, but because they belong to their "party". And I'm not even sure how they feel as if they became part of this party, it's as if political affiliation is something you're born with in this country.

 

And THAT is what is depressing.

 

Maybe if people knew half the stuff these people do/did or how they think as people they wouldn't be so quick to vote them in just because it says : Democrat or Republican next to their names on the ballots.

 

For once that doesn't matter. This bill was a bipartisian clusterf*** of the American people.

[EvilMonkey]

For once that doesn't matter. This bill was a bipartisian clusterf*** of the American people.

Yes.

[Texsox]

There are two distinct populations of farmers in this country. One are the mega-corporations who farm and ranch for their own needs. (What-a-burger and their giant herd for burgers) Two are the smaller entrepreneurs who have a very tough time of it. As we buy more and more farm goods from outside the US, we raise our dependence on an extremely important commodity, our food.

 

A good friend of mine, Member of Bush's Farm-Ranch Team, and a staunch Rush believing GOPerhead, is getting paid not to plant grain, specifically sorghum. His justification regarding the payments is multifaceted.

 

• He'd make more money "planting" houses and removing the land from potential agriculture, should we need it in an emergency.
• The lower prices from over planting would hurt everyone, and put more farmers out of business.
• The open land is better for the environment.

[southsider2k5]

There are two distinct populations of farmers in this country. One are the mega-corporations who farm and ranch for their own needs. (What-a-burger and their giant herd for burgers) Two are the smaller entrepreneurs who have a very tough time of it. As we buy more and more farm goods from outside the US, we raise our dependence on an extremely important commodity, our food.

 

A good friend of mine, Member of Bush's Farm-Ranch Team, and a staunch Rush believing GOPerhead, is getting paid not to plant grain, specifically sorghum. His justification regarding the payments is multifaceted.

 

• He'd make more money "planting" houses and removing the land from potential agriculture, should we need it in an emergency.
• The lower prices from over planting would hurt everyone, and put more farmers out of business.
• The open land is better for the environment.

 

That logic could be applied to the oil industry too...

 

By keeping prices higher, they are assuring that more oil will be in the ground, because people can't afford. (should we need it in an emergency)

Lower prices would put all of the people who work in the energy industry out of jobs (like they did in the 80's and 90's in Texas for example)

The open land is better for the enviornment

 

Should we be shutting down more refinaries and oil wells?

[Y2HH]

That logic could be applied to the oil industry too...

 

By keeping prices higher, they are assuring that more oil will be in the ground, because people can't afford. (should we need it in an emergency)

Lower prices would put all of the people who work in the energy industry out of jobs (like they did in the 80's and 90's in Texas for example)

The open land is better for the enviornment

 

Should we be shutting down more refinaries and oil wells?

 

If you pay someone enough, they will try to justify almost anything.

[Texsox]

That logic could be applied to the oil industry too...

 

By keeping prices higher, they are assuring that more oil will be in the ground, because people can't afford. (should we need it in an emergency)

Lower prices would put all of the people who work in the energy industry out of jobs (like they did in the 80's and 90's in Texas for example)

The open land is better for the enviornment

 

Should we be shutting down more refinaries and oil wells?

 

I think the key difference here is we would burn all the oil we would produce, we could not use all the grain we could produce. We would be using cheaper imported grain and the more expensive US grain would be rotting in silos.

[StrangeSox]

I think the key difference here is we would burn all the oil we would produce, we could not use all the grain we could produce. We would be using cheaper imported grain and the more expensive US grain would be rotting in silos.

 

Tell that to the millions of people around the world who go hungry. Or the people in this country who go hungry.

 

If we're going to be paying farmers, might as well pay them to grow something and give it away to countries in need.

Edited May 21, 2008 by StrangeSox

[Texsox]

Tell that to the millions of people around the world who go hungry. Or the people in this country who go hungry.

 

If we're going to be paying farmers, might as well pay them to grow something and give it away to countries in need.

That has been discussed. The difference comes down to money. Estimates run as high as 80X more to have them plant, maintain, and harvest. The cheapest route is this. Plus some of the crops that fall under this are used to feed live stock, not direct consumption by humans. Which in and of itself is amazing. How many crops we raise just to feed live stock which we slaughter and eat. Far more efficient if we raise grains and vegetables for humans to eat. But as long as Americans love our meat, we perpetuate an inefficient system.

 

I'm not saying I agree, just offering some of the rational as I know it, to these bills.

[Y2HH]

Vetoed by Bush, unfortunately it will likely get overridden as it's nearly veto invulnerable.

 

That said, Bush still got this one right.

 

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6fCPxb...e6IN9gD90Q5FQ00

Edited May 21, 2008 by Y2HH

[southsider2k5]

Vetoed by Bush, unfortunately it will likely get overridden as it's nearly veto invulnerable.

 

That said, Bush still got this one right.

 

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6fCPxb...e6IN9gD90Q5FQ00

 

Its too bad he took 7 years to find his small budget roots.