Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Farm subsidies Corporate Welfare, Dead Farmers get Billions, Corporations get millions! More spent than on Homeland Defense!

                                                      

Farm subsidies is largest Corporate Welfare program with more given to them than we spend on Home Land Defense. Dead Farmers get Billions, Corporations get millions and needy farmers get nothing but for Willie Nelson!

A week and a half ago I became aware of another corruptive program I never realized before because it was well hidden by corruptive Politicians. I keep seeing more and more related information and because of all the unfolding corruption and problems this is getting no attention and it should!
Having gone to an Agricultural High School I am a Farmer by Vocation I worked on and managed many farms. Struggling small farmers was to me normal and just thought that was part of the hard but fun life of today's farmers. That was before I served my country, became an accountant, then turned to writing the truth about Bush and the ever growing corruption
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Thinking that Farm Subsidies were out there to help average farmers, I should have known better but I was really caught off guard when I became aware that Washington spends more on corporate welfare than on homeland security and farm subsidies are America's largest corporate welfare program.

Farms have come a long way since subsidies were introduced as a temporary solution to alleviate the effects of the Great Depression. Today farms have one of the lowest failure rates of any industry in the country. But that is because of the millionaire farmers subsidized by Politicians as the small farmer continues to be left to fail and helped only by Willie Nelson and Farm Aid.

If farm subsidies were really about alleviating farmer poverty, then lawmakers could guarantee every full-time farmer an income of 185 percent of the federal level ($38,203 for a family of four) for under $5 billion annually — one-fifth the current cost of farm subsidies. Instead, small farmers are largely excluded from farm subsidies. Farm subsidy payments are based on acreage, so by definition, the largest agribusiness's get the largest subsidies. Consequently, commercial farmers — who report an average income of $200,000 and net worth of nearly $2 million — now collect the majority of farm subsidies. Most farm subsidy dollars go to millionaires.

The Environmental Working Groups farm subsidy database reveals that from 1995 to 2005, farm subsidies have been distributed to Fortune 500 companies such as John Hancock Life Insurance ($2,849,799) and Westvaco ($534,210); as well as celebrity hobby farmers like David Rockefeller ($553,782) and Ted Turner ($206,948). Even Members of Congress who vote on farm legislation have received subsidies, such as Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa, $225,041) and Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo., $161,084).
http://www.foxnews.com/...
 
Then like all the rest of the underhanded activities going on today it gets worse. I found out the U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed $1.1 billion over seven years to the estates or companies of deceased farmers and routinely failed to conduct reviews required to ensure that the payments were properly made, according to a government report. In a selection of 181 cases from 1999 to 2005, the Government Accountability Office found that officials approved payments without any review 40 percent of the time.

The report cited a 1,900-acre soybean and corn farm in Illinois that collected $400,000 on behalf of an owner who lived in Florida before his death in 1995. The company did not notify the government of the death but certified each year that the dead shareholder, who owned 40 percent of the company, was "actively engaged" in managing the farm. again the more you hear the worse it gets. http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
 
In that report we hear from,Surprise! Senator Grassley of all people that these programs are to help- "needy" farmers, that to him is needy Millionaire corporate farmers. Knowing this Billion dollar corporate Welfare system has been going on at least under my radar can anyone really expect the no over sight, corruption champion Bush to veto the $300 billion farm bill expected to come before the U.S. House of Representatives this week? No way!

The farm bill, which includes $35 billion in crop subsidies for farmers, also contains production incentives that would benefit some of the world's biggest food companies, including Tyson Foods Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Co.
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/...
 
This Bill will pass because many Republicans need it an it primarily benefits wealthy Corporations not Needy or small family farmers. In steps Willie Nelson and Farm Aid. I have to say that I never realized how valuable him and farm aid was to average farmers. His help is priceless and often the only way small farmers in "serious" trouble can turn.

Willie is Working to keep family farmers on their land, Farm Aid brings together family farmers and citizens to guarantee family farm food is available to you. Together we can restore family farm-centered agriculture that ensures safe, healthful food, protects natural resources, and strengthens local economies. Please learn more about Willie and farm aid! http://www.farmaid.org/...
 
I guess when all is said and done it should be no surprise that every single program that can be used to help the wealthy, is and as usual if average Americans are to get help they cannot rely on the Government but must rely on private interests as Katrina has highlighted.

Are we ever going to be able to get our Government honest and helping those that really need it?

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot

12 comments:

Larry said...

Corporate welfare has destroyed the fabric of the country.

Corporate elitists say they want taxes reduced, but taxes are used to give them their undeserved welfare dollars.

Larry said...

"When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny."

John Adams

jmsjoin said...

Hey Larry
I was going to forego kos and go with the schmoozing exclusively but I am not getting much with it. I have been getting some great response from kos on this.
I was surprised to find out the subsidy program is corporate welfare and gets more money than Homeland Security.

jmsjoin said...

Larry
John Adams was right in his day but today with more millionaires than ever, they are getting richer and the poor is getting poorer but the Political power will not be shared amongst them but kept in the greedy hands that possess it if at all possible.

Larry said...

Jim:

Schmoozing takes time to build a following. I make my rounds morning and late afternoon on various blogs, leaving comments to their posts.

They now make their way to Lydia's blog to comment, return the favor.

It pays off, it just takes the time.

Larry said...

Jim:

This guy is a firm believer in the New World Order and writes many of his posts on it. I comment there everyday.

UberHighwayman

two crows said...

hey AAP--
I well remember the '70's when farm family after farm family were forced off their land. I'm sure the land went to the big, corporate farmers who basically bought it to hold till suburban development caught up with it. then they sold it for huge profits. meanwhile, probably, the farm subsidies paid the conglomerates NOT to farm the land they had bought for pennies on the dollar.

so, who lost? the independent farmer-families, of course. they lost their livelihoods.

and so did the consumers who were forced, more and more to buy from the conglomerates rather than the individual farmers who had used the more organic farming methods.

so, only the fat cats won. as has always been the case.

jmsjoin said...

Larry
I know and I am not giving up. I am rather enjoying this. I am seeing you in a lot of places I go. I was just thinking of linking to POP, enigma, and some others and I might do that tomorrow.

jmsjoin said...

Thanks Larry! What bothers me is that despite what everybody writes about I have total faith that Bush is shortly going to put it all beyond anyones control! I will check his site out as soon as I see what two crows said.thanks again!

jmsjoin said...

two crows
Sadly everything is stacked in favor of the fat cats and against average Americans. That like everything else that is wrong has only worsened exponentially under Bush

enigma4ever said...

Hey there , I still am having trouble finding the Nixon post ( what date is it under?), I am trying to set link to it on my blog as well....
If you don't mind I am doing a Blogger Roundup Thursday that will be the Fellas- an I include your blog ? ( there is nothing average about your blog;-)

This is a great post.....and such an important issue, we can no be importing food from abrod whne we have so many hardworking farmers here...

jmsjoin said...

Hi enigma
Thanks for the words. I thought I gave you a link to one of the posts but I will dig the up and give them too you. I think one was on the 14th or something. I will look at your site and if you have an E I will send them to you. By the way, you will see me Thursday and sooner for sure.