Reply #11: not just cheap produce

[unpossibles]

but all food - cows and pigs and such animals who eat grain (well, when we aren't feeding them other cows and pigs and such... :puke: ), are all subsidized much more so because of the amount of water and grains necessary to raise an animal.

One estimate I have read (and this was 15 years ago) that if water subsidies did not go to cattle farmers, cheap ground beef would cost at least $30 per pound. I don't have it in front of me, so this figure may be a bit off, but I know it costs us in the 100's of millions of dollars per year.

some stats can be found on google, but are quite varied as it is hard to say how much water goes into growing feed, water for the animals themselves, and water used to drain waste. In contrast, if we eat more veggies, not only is it better for us, but also better for the environment and not as financially wasteful.

"Agriculture in the west occurs largely in arid to semiarid regions and requires large water subsidies. It takes about 2500 gallons of water to produce 1 LB of beef, 1600 gallons of water to produce 1 LB of pork, 815 gallons to produce 1 LB of chicken."
from: http://users.sisqtel.net/tcreek/bwaterefficmarkd.htm

I like to use this argument when discussing this with people who like to passionately call for a "free market" away from regulations and socialist dogma. I remind them that we all use more social systems than we are aware, from roads to food to public safety to education grants and beyond.

Tax and spend Democrat is yet another ad campaign by the Repukes to make everyone else look bad. Sadly, it has sunk in, much like the "success" of trickle-down economics.