Reich: Kill those farm subsidies
Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, agrees with us on the need to eliminate farm subsidies:
I've got a way to reduce global poverty, decrease the number of workers crossing our borders illegally, save American taxpayers money, and cut your supermarket bill -- in one fell swoop. How? Get rid of US farm subsidies and tariffs.They were supposed to be a temporary remedy for small farmers during the Depression. But, renewed every five years regardless of which party controls Congress, farm subsidies keep going and going. They've been costing taxpayers some $11 billion a year. The Senate is now considering the latest version, and it's hardly better than what's come before.
Look, I have no problem insuring small farmers against major losses. But farm subsidies go mostly to big agribusinesses that hardly need them.
Reich knows what he's talking about. Call your Senators. Ask them to eliminate farm subsidies.
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Comments
Subsidies for large agribusiness is one of the most rediculous ideas since subsidies for Big Oil or the auto industry or...
Posted by: Derek Phillips | October 9, 2007 3:17 PM
Yep, it's sort of what Madison feared about the influence of "factions" on government policy, to the detriment of the public interest. We've let corporations, industry, and their lobbies evolve into factions that have waaay too much influence over government policy, and it's almost never worked out in the interest of the majority of the American people. But it's worked out great for corporate America.
Posted by: Mike | October 10, 2007 8:29 AM