Farmer on the Dole

NYT article "Bush Is Said to Seek Deep Cuts in Farm and Commodity Programs". It may seem that Bush is saying big operators have to make it on their own, I don't believe it. Living in the armpit of the heartland of farming I have long ranted about the corporate farm welfare. The article says " Mr. Bush would set a firm overall limit of $250,000 on subsidies that can now exceed $1 million in some cases." The way it's done now is partnerships are set up, with 3 or 4 farmers collecting the limit which can be 1 million plus, i.e. your momma, your daddy, and little Johnny too are partners.

What Roosevelt set up for family farmers in the Great Depression has become, like most everything else, a big teat for the already rich. Farm wealthyfare for recipients such as Rockefeller, Ted Turner, Ken Lay, Bob Dole, Birch Bayh, and corporations such as Chevron, Caterpillar, Archer Daniels Midland, and Eli Lily Co. Will they sit their ploughs still for this? The small to mid size farms still working will go for sale, can't compete with the big boys. What may appear as fiscal responsibility on Bush's part (if it gets through the senate intact) will simply push the remainder of family farms into becoming tenant farmers, sharecroppers for the big ones. The agri-corporations will not be weaned.