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Oink! Oink! Oink!
The Washington Post reports that the solons on Capitol Hill have finalized their negotiations on the farm bill payola. The bill has wide support. The Post notes:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) supports the bill. Congressional leaders plan to bring it to the House and Senate floors next week for votes that could test the depth of support for it.
Here are some Post low-lights:
The package, the product of weeks of closed-door bargaining, is stuffed with plums for key constituencies. Dairy farmers will get as much as $410 million more over 10 years to cover higher feed costs, and negotiators tucked in an annual authorization of $15 million to help "geographically disadvantaged farmers" in Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa and Puerto Rico.
The bill assures growers of basic crops such as wheat, cotton, corn and soybeans $5 billion a year in automatic payments, even if farm and food prices stay at record levels...
...new protections for sugar beet and sugar cane growers that will require the government to buy excess quantities of Mexican sugar and resell it to ethanol plants at a loss...
...bill increases support prices and guaranteed prices for more than a dozen crops, making the United States vulnerable to trading partners' claims that it violates subsidy limits.
Only taxpayers and consumers are the losers. President Bush says he'll veto the bill, but a lot of Republicans are in thrall to the farm lobby so this turkey of a bill is likely to pass over his veto. Go to Post story here.
Episiarch|5.9.08 @ 11:38AM|#
Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are better than the GOP. The Downfall thread already made for some amusement and I want more.
|5.9.08 @ 11:40AM|#
Political cartoons are supposed to look enough like the subject
that you can recognize who it is without a label.
I would have guessed that was Condoleeza Rice.
|5.9.08 @ 11:45AM|#
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) supports the bill.
That alone is almost reason enough for me to hate the bill...she's
one of the few politicians more incompetent than Dubya.
|5.9.08 @ 11:46AM|#
negotiators tucked in an annual authorization of $15 million
to help "geographically disadvantaged farmers" in Alaska, Hawaii,
American Samoa and Puerto Rico.
Soon it will be time to start my banana plantation.
|5.9.08 @ 11:53AM|#
Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are
better than the GOP. The Downfall thread already made for some
amusement and I want more.
Dems aren't better. Divided government might be better.
Bush wouldn't veto any Republican-passed bill, no matter how stupid
(e.g., see the last farm bill). He might veto this one.
Of course, since the Democrats are almost surely going to hold onto
Congress, that's a reason to vote McCain for President, right? All
the pro-divided government libertarians who made the argument in
2006 should at least give it some thought now.
|5.9.08 @ 11:58AM|#
Of course, since the Democrats are almost surely going to
hold onto Congress, that's a reason to vote McCain for President,
right? All the pro-divided government libertarians who made the
argument in 2006 should at least give it some thought
now.
I'm factoring it into my decision which I haven't yet finalized.
I'm factoring in all of the dead people in Mesopotamia as well.
Color me discouraged.
|5.9.08 @ 12:03PM|#
President Bush says he'll veto the bill
That's rich. Seeing as how in his first year in office he signed
the Farm Bill that wiped out the result of decades of Ag reform.
Now it's a Dem congress, he's against it.
Fucking piece of shit. I want that man, and his cronies, in front
of a wall.
|5.9.08 @ 12:06PM|#
Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are
better than the GOP.
Cuz libertarians are constitutionally unable to come up with a
foreign policy so they simply cut and paste the left's foreign
policy which requires irrational hatred of Bush.
stuartl|5.9.08 @ 12:07PM|#
geographically disadvantaged farmers!!!
Does this mean if I try to grow grapes or corn in the woods behind
my house, I can apply for federal aid as a "geographically
disadvantaged farmer?" I promise to use some of the profit to
support congressional campaigns.
Oh, and I fixed the open italics.
|5.9.08 @ 12:10PM|#
...she's one of the few politicians more incompetent than
Dubya.
WTF are you talking about?
She got the farm bill she wanted, that the vast majority of
Americans disagree with and she got it with a veto proof majority.
How is that incompetent?
|5.9.08 @ 12:10PM|#
Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are
better than the GOP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_Corpus_Restoration_Act_of_2007
But, on the other hand, there is a farm bill this year, just like
every other year.
So, I guess it's a question of your priorities.
Taktix®|5.9.08 @ 12:12PM|#
I live in Fort Lauderdale, and urban area with little fertile
farm land. Do I qualify as a "geographically disadvantaged farmer"
and if so where's my check?
I need to buy Grand Theft Auto IV new seed for my
arugula root farm.
(P.S. When looking up the spelling for arugula, I found that it's
technical name is Eruca Sativa. Anyone know if
it's related to cannibus sativa?
|5.9.08 @ 12:13PM|#
Of course, since the Democrats are almost surely going to
hold onto Congress, that's a reason to vote McCain for President,
right? All the pro-divided government libertarians who made the
argument in 2006 should at least give it some thought
now.
I hate to brake it to you...but the pro-divided government
libertarians are not libertarians....but Democrats who lied to
you.
|5.9.08 @ 12:17PM|#
Should pro-divided government libertarians vote for someone
who's constantly reminding us about how they want to unify the
country and how we've been too divided?
Hmmm.... I wonder...
Episiarch|5.9.08 @ 12:17PM|#
Thanks, joe, for giving me a good laugh, just as I requested. I appreciate it.
|5.9.08 @ 12:18PM|#
The Post article also leaves out another expected but
oh-so-charming
detail.:
Congress refused the suggestion of the Administration to allow US
food aid to spend some money buying crops and redistributed them in
hard hit countries, instead of buying subsidized US crops, shipping
them overseas at great expense, and dumping them on the market of
the poor countries while driving their own farmers out of business.
The purpose of US food aid isn't to help foreign countries, after
all; that's incidental to helping US farmers.
|5.9.08 @ 12:22PM|#
Yes, being thrown into a hole without trial is always good for a
larf, Episiarch.
Military Commissions Act Roll Call
Democrats: Yay 11 Nay 32
Republicans: Yay 53 Nay 1
|5.9.08 @ 12:23PM|#
But, hey, there's a farm bill.
So, you know, six of one, a half dozen of the other.
Guy Montag|5.9.08 @ 12:25PM|#
...new protections for sugar beet and sugar cane growers
that will require the government to buy excess quantities of
Mexican sugar and resell it to ethanol plants at a
loss...
Okay, I know this stuff is not supposed to make sense, but I am
really not figuring this one out.
The feds are buying "excess" Mexican sugar? If it is truly
excess shouldn't they be able to just offer free shipping
to haul it out of the way? Then they are going to sell it for even
less to those snake oil ethanol folks?
How is this protecting the beet and cane growers anyway? It is
already illegal to import sugar into the USA, or is there some
exemption for Mexican sugar? Or there is no Mexican exemption and
the feds have to import it themselves?
This sounds even dumber than buying beet and cane sugar from our
farmers and selling it at a loss to the ethanol huckesters.
Neil|5.9.08 @ 12:35PM|#
Folks, if you think government spending is bad now, if B. Hussein gets the Presidency, you a'int seen nothin' yet.
Guy Montag|5.9.08 @ 12:36PM|#
OT: SO, no official comment by reason on the Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY)and LTC(R-USAF) Fay story?
|5.9.08 @ 12:40PM|#
Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Enemy Combatant.
Enemy Combatant Who?
Cough cough gasp gargh sputter sputter blub blub blub gasp gasp
cough cough sputter blub blub blub.
|5.9.08 @ 12:41PM|#
Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa...
Stop it, stop it! You're kiling me!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa!!!
|5.9.08 @ 12:49PM|#
Yes, being thrown into a hole without trial is always good
for a larf, Episiarch.
As opposed to being killed by the military, which is apparently no
problem whatsoever, or at least non-controversial. Fighting enemy
combatants in a foreign country and killing them-- ok. Capturing
enemy combatants in a foreign country and giving them military
trials-- outrageous. (And I suspect that honestly in the long run
I'd probably take being waterboarded for a short period of time
over being imprisoned in federal prison for 20 years, even aside
from prison rape, but you see what gets more outrage.)
|5.9.08 @ 12:56PM|#
sutartl,
Nope,
Episiarch | May 9, 2008, 11:38am | #
Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are better than
the GOP. The Downfall thread already made for some amusement and I
want more.
Please direct your comments to the appropriate party.
stuartl|5.9.08 @ 1:01PM|#
testing, yes you can. It screws up subsequent posts until
someone fixes it. I'm sure the software could be modified to close
all open tags after a comment. HnR, are you listening?
jeo, are you the pot or the kettle?
|5.9.08 @ 1:11PM|#
John Thacker,
I don't want to jack the thread onto a tangent of a tangent (of a
tangent?). Suffice it to say, opinions do indeed vary on the merits
of that particular bill.
|5.9.08 @ 1:15PM|#
jeo, are you the pot..
It's not mine, officer. This, like, guy gave it to me. To hold for
him. I didn't know WHAT it was.
I don't know his name, I've never seen him before.
|5.9.08 @ 1:15PM|#
In addition, my client's name is misspelled on the
indictment.
Move for dismissal.
robc|5.9.08 @ 1:22PM|#
I thought joe wanted threads where everyone was in
agreement?
What happened to that joe from yesterday?
sneezix|5.9.08 @ 1:33PM|#
Joe said:
"But, hey, there's a farm bill.
So, you know, six of one, a half dozen of the other."
Patriot Act Roll Call
Democrats: Yay 48 Nay 1 Not Voting 1
Republicans: Yay 50 Nay 0
But, hey, there's foreign nationals' civil rights.
so, you know 700(ish) of one, 250 million(ish) of the other
|5.9.08 @ 1:34PM|#
Anybody who truly believes that hatred for Bush is IRRATIONAL is a fucking retard.
|5.9.08 @ 1:40PM|#
Like how I dangled it out there and yanked it
away?
Like a can of water at Gitmo?
|5.9.08 @ 1:40PM|#
sneezix,
You mean, the parties act the same on some things, and different on
others?
Good point.
|5.9.08 @ 2:09PM|#
Anybody who truly believes that hatred for Bush is
IRRATIONAL is a fucking retard.
He is going to veto the farm bill last I checked. So yes hating
Bush today is irrational.
Timmy Mac|5.9.08 @ 2:18PM|#
Hey, kids. I know the modern farming system's a total mess what
with subsidies and all. Can anyone recommend a good book about what
sensible reform looks like?
I've read "Raising More Hell, Less Corn," but am interested in any
other recommendations.
P.S. Go Celtics!
Taktix®|5.9.08 @ 2:20PM|#
He is going to veto the farm bill last I checked. So yes
hating Bush today is irrational.
I heard today he was going to veto the real-estate speculator
bail-out as well. He must have run out of his secret stash of
booze...
|5.9.08 @ 2:21PM|#
The Celtics are all set.
I mean, did you see those last two games?
What could possibly go wrong?
|5.9.08 @ 2:26PM|#
geographically disadvantaged farmers!!!
Does this mean if I try to grow grapes or corn in the woods behind
my house, I can apply for federal aid as a "geographically
disadvantaged farmer?"
Only if your congressional representative is a freshman incumbent
seeking to bring home the pork so s(he) can stay in office.
See Hirono, Mazie (D, Hawaii)
(with some logrolling with the Alaska contingent -- see Inouye, Dan
(D, Hawaii) and Mr. Bridge to Nowhere (R, Alaska))
robc|5.9.08 @ 2:41PM|#
Timmy Mac,
I cant recommend a good book but I can write one.
Sensible Farming Reform, by robc
1. Eliminate all farm subsidies
2. Eliminate all price supports
3. Eliminate farm product tariffs beyond a token to pay inspection
costs
4. Allow the sale of raw milk
robc|5.9.08 @ 2:42PM|#
What could possibly go wrong?
1. They could play in Cleveland like they did in Atlanta
2. LeBron could actually hit a shot
robc|5.9.08 @ 2:44PM|#
robc,
Before I get criticized for it, the "beyond a token to pay
inspection costs" was my nod to sensibility. I really didnt want to
put that on there.
|5.9.08 @ 3:20PM|#
The feds are buying "excess" Mexican sugar? If it is truly
excess shouldn't they be able to just offer free shipping to haul
it out of the way? Then they are going to sell it for even less to
those snake oil ethanol folks?
Just to hazard a guess...
NAFTA may finally allow free trade in sugar, so the feds are buying
Mexican sugar to keep the price up for domestic sugar. And that
now-government sugar may feed R&D for sugar-based ethanol
plants in the US as a subsidy to that industry and a bone thrown to
the left.
Laws and sausage, yadda yadda yadda -- except the sausage is that
described in The Jungle.
|5.9.08 @ 3:25PM|#
Should pro-divided government libertarians vote for someone
who's constantly reminding us about how they want to unify the
country and how we've been too divided?
We can't vote for George Bush again.
joe in the Atlanta series:
"They won the first two games by over 20, what could possibly go
wrong?
|5.9.08 @ 3:49PM|#
The Lakers kicking their butts?
From your lips to Flying Spaghetti Monster's ears.
|5.9.08 @ 4:02PM|#
The Celtics are all set.
I mean, did you see those last two games?
What could possibly go wrong?
The Pistons. Three NBA titles and five visits to the finals since
the last time the Celtics won the Eastern conference. That's a
whole lotta losing to blame on Len Bias.
Timmy Mac|5.9.08 @ 4:09PM|#
If I'd know the Celtics throwaway line would prove to be such a
distraction from book recs, I woulda skipped it.
Embrace your new green overlords and tell me the books already!
|5.9.08 @ 6:42PM|#
Back to farm pork for a moment: I live in North Dakota where the running joke goes, "if you see a farmer, be sure to go up to him and say, 'you're welcome...'"
NP|5.10.08 @ 3:39AM|#
You're wrong, J sub D. Have you seen their (the Pistons') last few games? They ain't as knuckle-breaking as they used to be. The Celtics will most likely win the Eastern Conference and then the Championship, unless Kobe puts up some extraordinary one-man shows throughout the finals (not that he hasn't been doing that so far). The Celtics just need to make sure to do better on the road, that's all.
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