Burton Folsom, Jr., details the origin of farm subsidies in America in his article, The Origin of American Farm Subsidies.[1] Like a lot of government programs, it is easy to assume that farm subsidies have been with us from the day of the signing in Philadelphia during the summer of 1776. In actuality, farm subsidies have a relatively short history.
Folsom notes that President Coolidge fought one of the first subsidy programs with the words, "Such action would establish bureaucracy on such a scale as to dominate not only the economic life but the moral, social, and political future of our people."
This wise warning was ignored by the nation's next two presidents, Hoover and Roosevelt. And, exactly as Coolidge pronounced, farm aid subsidies were the beginning of our long, wretched history of redistributing wealth to those who can grab hold of the politician's elbow.
Some of us are taxpayers while others are tax-recipients. Ludwig von Mises long ago describe the real class structure of modern society: Two classes exist, those who pay the taxes, and those who receive them. This link takes you to some of the biggest tax-recipients of my county, Delaware County, Ohio. With a few clicks you can find the same for your county or state. And I'm not talking about the unemployed hucksters we normally read about.
Some of the farmers receiving federal subsidies have such a tough life. Imagine getting close to $100,000 per year from the federal government, almost $1 million over the last ten years. Not a bad way to make a living. We keep paying and they keep cashing.
Go to the Environmental Working Group's (EWG) Farm Subsidy Database to learn more.[2]
And, when given the opportunity, thank those who farm tax dollars for a living.
note:
[1]This article was published by The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in their monthly magazine, The Freeman.
[2] While I do not subscribe to the politics of EWG, they certainly do have a wealth of data to mine.
2 comments:
Realize that the vast majority of farmers do not get subsidies. The subsidies go to the big guys who have the hired guns that jump their paperwork through the hoops that were specifically designed for them.
We also don't need farm subsidies. We need a reasonable environment and economy that encourages farming and individual self-sufficiency. I'm not talking about "survivalism", I'm talking about people having gardens, chickens, a summer pig, etc. What has happened with urbanization is that people have become too disconnected from their sources of food.
One problem with the subsidies is the hurt the unsubsidized farmers like myself. Big-ag can devote the dollars and hired guns to get their “share” of the subsidies racking up big profits from them. Small and Micro-farmers, who are your local producers selling at farmers market and direct to consumers, are then faced with fighting against a subsidized product in the market place. I say eliminate all of the subsidies.
However, there is another issue that hurts small farmers even more and that is the real estate valuation and over taxation. That’s turning cropland into condos at an ever increasing rate. Pretty soon you’ll have plentiful places to live but nothing to eat.
-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Pastured Pigs & Sheep
in Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://NoNAIS.org
Response in post above.
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