Horace wrote: > On Jun 16, 2008, at 10:03 AM, Michael Foster wrote: > > > > > For example, the recent "meager" farm > subsidy bill was $307 > > billion! That's $1000 for each person in the U.S., > or roughly $2600 > > per household. How is this meager? > > I just wrote: "I don't like to be picky, but I > think that is roughly > a dollar per person, or about $3 per household." > Slight mistake on > my part! Only 3 orders of magnitude! Do you have a > reference on the > above. That seems a bit high. Over what period?
A bit high? Hell no, it's outrageous! Yes, it's $307 billion, no BS. The time period is complicated as different parts of the bill take effect over different time periods, or are one-time payments. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-05-15-farmbill_N.htm "To its critics, the $307 billion farm bill heading to President Bush's desk is the poster child for what John McCain and Barack Obama promise to change about Washington. (Except Obama voted for it, McCain against) "At a time of soaring food prices and record farm income, the legislation would authorize billions in subsidies for wealthy agribusiness interests that give millions in political contributions. "More than half the subsidies paid out from 2003 to 2005 went to 19 of the 435 congressional districts, according to the non-partisan Environmental Working Group, an opponent of the bill." Let me reiterate my proposed newspaper headline. "Congress Forces Each Household to Give Big Agribusiness $2600". That's the truth, put plainly. It's too bad the average voter doesn't seem to get it, because your average journalist is too stupid to add up the numbers or just doesn't care. M.
