The program to subsidize farmers is not being used as it was intended, according to some. Claims have been made that in some cases it's been abused by the bigger agricultual corporations.
The basic concept of crop insurance is a good one, to prevent the collapse of farming communities, and the loss of arable land and mechanical equipment for food production by abandonment. I saw ranches that had been owned for generations in the drought of the nineties in Texas that were lost.
Crop insurance was not mentioned, as these operations were dependent on the price of beef and it had bottomed out. Their fields were not providing summer feed and they were paying for hay from Oklahoma or other regions that were still able to produce. Some farm outfits, really large ones did not survive, others did.
At the same time the price of milk was low and some diarymen shot their calves since there was not sufficient money to seling them. I was offerd Holstein calves for $10 a head, but they'd require milk, veterinary care and feed. It was no use.
I understand that everyone would have prreferred to make the profits by crops. But now they have cash and possibly no rain next year. Are there any provisions for this money to be invested back into production, or can these profits be taken as corporations do, to fund non-farm ventures?
If one disregards the traditional meaning and culture of farming, do you see a true difference between this and a bail-out, if the monies were not called insurance? Since the government is the one making it works, it sounds like a necessary sort of bailout. And cash doesn't care where it goes, that money might go overseas.
Just a few thoughts I'm knocking around here, there are many things in this nation being left undone, people being hurt and they don't have what might be called in an urban setting, a job or industrial bail out or protection.
I don't have anything against anyone availing themselves of a government program. but wonder if Romney gets in and they continue to strip government, if all of this is a last gasp to get out of the business of farming.
I'd like to think, like most of us, that government will continue to be resposive to the needs of the citizens, but I can't imagine a Ryan budget helping these people out at all.
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