GOP Leaders Consider Tobacco Farms Buyout

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- Republican leaders are considering sending tobacco farmer buyout legislation to the House floor as part of an unrelated tax bill in hopes of enticing Southern lawmakers to vote for the package.

The tobacco buyout would pay farmers to leave a Depression-era government program that sets price and production controls on U.S. leaf. Estimates of a buyout range as high as $10 billion over several years.

more.....................

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-tobacco-buyout,0,578824.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Nlighten1]

1. What exactly does this mean?

Farmer buyout?

[Frodo]

4. It means Bush is worried that Burr won't beat Bowles in NC.

Unless Burr can show some influence with Bush.

[Mrs. Venation]

2. This Has Been Done In Maryland

on a statewide basis. The state government paid tobacco farmers to stop growing tobacco and either stop farming or switch to other crops. The program has been very successful, and I am proud of our state legislature for offering this option to Maryland's farmers.

[Kolesar]

3. There is some land in Ohio that supports tobacco and not much else

Poor soil in the Appalachian foothills can't grow corn, so they grow what they can. That part of the state is aging and dying out already on account of the demise of King Coal.

[leesa]

6. It would support hemp and hemp is the most useful plant on the planet

Instead we the people get to pay these people millions to grow something ungrowable like corn or rice.

[leesa]

5. Good. More corporate welfare.