Proposed cuts rile ranchers, farmers

[suegeo]

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2005/02/12/news/local/news03.txt

Proposed cuts rile ranchers, farmers
By Steve Miller, Journal Staff Writer

Two South Dakota agriculture groups say President Bush's proposed cut in ag spending for 2006 changes the rules of the 2002 farm bill in the middle of the game.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau and the South Dakota Farmers Union sometimes disagree on elements of national ag policy, but both groups this week criticized the Bush budget for its proposal to cut crop subsidy payments by 5 percent across the board.

[Zeke]

1. I'm Telling Yuh...

All those Dakata farmers probably
voted REpublican and for Bush Inc., too.

What will it take to wake them up?

[Colorado Blue]

2. Well these cuts might help. I hope!

[existentialist]

3. Farm and Ranch vote

Well, of course not ALL of those farmers and ranchers voted for Bush and other Republicans, but it is indeed pretty clear that a substantial majority did.

Interestingly, Bush clearly expressed his clear lack of sympathy for agriculture when, in 2002, campaigning with John Thune (then against Tim Johnson) Thune asked Bush what he could do to help ranchers with the drought then ( and still) hitting South Dakota pretty hard, and Bush, citing budget concerns, essentially said that he didn't intend to do anything.

As a result just enough farmers and ranchers voted for Johnson that he squeaked by. But obviously the lesson didn't take hold.

[sd_UDO]

4. Subsidize everything?

Look, most of them voted Elephant, and the Elephants wanna cut their
ag subsidies so they can overspend on the military (except for health insurance for Guard members).

Reagan, Bush Sr, Bush Jr--all deficit spenders, BIG spenders.

Let's say you and I publish books via lulu.com---we make money, should we then go to Congress and ask for subsidies to support our publishing businesses?

OK, we open a pet store and sell cats and dogs, we should ask Congress for pet shop subsidies?

We manufacture cat food, we should ask Congress for subsidies for cat food manufacturers?

We are consultants for losing Democrats, we should ask Congress for subsidies for political consultants?

These farmers need to read Dr. Phil and GET REAL!

Why should Congress subsidize them? We don't subsidize many manufacturers, they go to foreign countires anyway. Ag producers have never been subsidized as much as Canadian and Australian ag producers anyway.

Let's win elections 6 times a year! Not insane, simply legal!