Why Do We still Have Farm Subsidies?

Question

While US agricultural exports are up 15% over last year, here at home the price of bread is up 24% since last year, milk is up 26%.

The price of soybeans is up about 70%, and wheat is much the same.

Why are we still paying big agribusiness billions of dollars in subsidies? Why aren't we growing as many oil crops as we possibly can and letting the free market work its magic?

ndmagic--I was thinking more about biodiesel than ethanol, and you seem to be the only one who still thinks these subsidies are in place for the benefit of the family farmer, but the question is, if these crops are so valuable, why are we taxpayers still paying to keep prices up?

Answer 1

http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0506-09.htm
http://www.alfafarmers.org/issues/farm_programs.phtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farm_subsidies
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Agriculture/BG1542.cfm
http://www.grist.org/comments/food/2007/01/30/farm_bill2/index.html?source=rss

i gave you pro and con sites you have to do the reading and decide for your self but

in my opinion we still have them because the Dem's and reps are too worried about losing votes for reelection then they are about doing what is good for the country.

that's why you should vote 3rd party and we all should vote both reps and Dem's out of office. they are both more worried about lining there pockets than working for a better tomorrow

Ron Paul o8
the only wasted vote is for the status quo

Answer 2

I live in a rural agricultural state. The main idea of farm subsidies is to help protect the small family farmer, which in the midwest is still the norm, from the large corporate farms. As far as growing as many oil crops as possible.....why do you think the price of milk is up so much, the price of meat also, it is precisely because more and more acres of corn are being planted for ethanol. Corn is the primary feed crop for cattle, pigs, chickens, etc. So as a rancher the cost of feed goes up, that increrase will be passed along to the consumer. With more acreage being planted in corn that means less in wheat and barley and rye and flax. So again less supply, mean higher prices. Ethanol is not the permanate answer. I read that if the US planted ALL available farm acreage in corn for ethanol production, it would only supply about 12% of our fuel needs. Ethanol is a temporary fix and not even a good one at that.

Answer 3

All big business gets subsidies, they just hide the term as tax deductions and other "loopholes" in the system.

If the airlines had to run their business like you have to run your household finances, they would be broke in no time. Try the auto industry, think the Fed has not bailed them out a few times, and still they loss money hand over fist, yet are able to stay in business, via government tax relief and deductions. It is all artificial numbers and bull, yet try to tell the IRS when things are tight for a family and see what happens.

Answer 4

Because the whole point of them was to destroy free enterprise and have everything controlled by the government.Same with governmental[no public ones left]schools.Once a handout is given the hook is firmly entrenched in the mouth.We live in a socialist state.It hasn't been a constitutional republic for a loooonnnngggg time.But the school textbooks are cleverly written to brainwash and dumb-down our youth.

Answer 5

You forgot all the grants and bankruptcies

Answer 6

because nobody wants to be a farmer anymore -

Answer 7

Why do we have cows?