Thoughts of LoWriter

It's about Time

It's about damn time somebody limited the maximum income a farmer can make and still receive government subsidies. There is no reason why professional athetes and so forth who make millions or billions a year should be getting government farm aid. If the current farm bill passes, anybody making over $1 million a year would be ineligible for farm subsidies.

I also see no reason why the max income should not be lowered to $250,000 or even $200,000. This article, to me, makes no sense because they talk about farmers putting in huge up-front investments and benefitting the rural economy. The investments that you make in a farm are deductable just like any other business expense is deductable from the income made from the business. So, there's really no reason why a farm spending a great deal of its earnings on farm-related supplies and equipment couldn't go on contributing to the rural economy and still receive subsidies. They're talking about $1 million in adjusted gross income, which, if my tax knowledge doesn't fail me, is money made after expenses. (If I am wrong, please correct me, Danika).

At any rate, to me, rich people getting farm subsidies is paramount to rich people getting welfare checks. The money is there to help poorer farms make ends meet and continue to grow the grain needed to feed the country. It's to keep the industry and food costs stable, yes, but if you are making over $1 million a year in profits, there's no reason why the market can't be kept stable anyway. You have enough money to continue growing without help.

There is a big, corporate farmer who operates in the county where I grew up. He owns half the county and owns even more land in other counties and in southern MN. He shall remain nameless. My friend's dad worked for him for awhile, and the standard practice was to dump chemicals on the land to get the maximum production for as long as possible. My friend said her dad said that after three years the land was just sour. You couldn't grow anything because of all the chemicals (pesticides, fertilizer, herbicides, etc.) that they'd put on the land. When he buys land, he clears whatever trees are on it, and ditches it so as to drain it completely and send water pouring into the ditches, flooding out his neighbors who can't afford to hire drainage ditches dug the way he can. Basically, he can buy whatever he wants and is a poor steward of what he gets.

He was in so much debt because he bought so much land and equipment (overspent his means), but he got his debt forgiven by the government so that he could keep operating. So basically, he used his resources foolishly, overspent, damaged the environment, and hurt his neighbors, and the government still rewarded him. Meanwhile, other smaller farms are going under. Who will forgive their debts?

Farm legislation needs major reform, and this bill looks to me like an important step towards making sure that farm aid goes to the people who need it. Hooray Congress!