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Does Collin Peterson Have Any Words Beyond "Stupid" and "Dumb" in His Vocabulary?

by: Jill Richardson

Wed Mar 11, 2009 at 09:00:00 AM PDT

Rep. Peterson made news with a quote again (hat tip to Dave Murphy). This time for saying Obama's plan to cut farm subsidies "is a very stupid idea." (Last time, he was calling organic consumers "dumb." Maybe time to pick up an SAT study guide to expand your vocabulary, Rep. Peterson?)

As for Obama's idea... it's stupid, and it isn't. The idea to take away direct payments from rich farmers? Good idea. The specific way Obama wants to do it? Stupid idea. (This is just KILLING me that I am agreeing with Collin Peterson!)

Farmers get payments in a few different ways. One way is a subsidy when prices fall below what the government thinks is fair. One way is a payment for conservation practices. The third way - and the way we're talking about - is a "direct payment." Direct payments don't go to everybody, but in general if you've been growing corn (or any commodity) on your land for years and years, you'll get a check automatically every year that is based on a running average of your past yield and the crop you grow.

Now, if we're talking about taking away direct payments from a farmer who makes $500,000 in NET INCOME (revenues less costs), I'd be OK with that. I'd be thrilled actually. What are we doing giving government payments to a guy making $500,000? But that's not what Obama's talking about if I'm understanding things right.

What Obama wants to do is cut off the direct payments from anyone who makes more than $500,000 in gross sales. So you sell over $500k of corn and we take away your payments - even if you have $600k in costs? How's that fair? Or helpful? Now you've got one more farmer who can't afford to continue farming. How's that good for any of us? We need farmers or else we won't have any more food.

Here's where I have a hunch Sen. Peterson and I differ. He'd probably say that my idea to cut off direct payments from farmers who are making a lot in NET INCOME "stupid" too. After all, he already called me "dumb" for buying organic food.

Jill Richardson :: Does Collin Peterson Have Any Words Beyond "Stupid" and "Dumb" in His Vocabulary?

Tags: Collin Peterson, House Ag Committee, (All Tags)

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Does Collin Peterson Have Any Words Beyond "Stupid" and "Dumb" in His Vocabulary? | 4 comments

I had a nice long reply written (4.00 / 1)

and then I hit the back button.

I'm not sure the 500K net income plan works. It seems like it might be easy to scam the system. All the farmer making 500-750K n.i. would have to do is spend a little more money to get net income to $499K, and then collect subsidies. Is there some way to monitor that, or write the law so that doesn't happen? I have no idea. Also, how would we know how much a farmer makes without their subsidies? Maybe with their subsidies they make $525K/year and without their subsidies they sell the land to developers who want a Wal-Mart on that side of town? Do you think we should consider what they make with subsidies as well as what they would legitimately make/do without?

Maybe the current plan should be used but up'd to $1,000,000?

Finally, and this might just be nitpicking, but you linked to the Washington Times. The Washington Times played a huge role in lying to the nation about the Iraq war. Also their sister company True World Foods does not seem like a friend to sustainable aquaculture. http://nocheapsushi.tribe.net/...

by: Curtis Abbey @ Wed Mar 11, 2009 at 19:25:59 PM UTC

LOL, I know I linked to the WashTimes (4.00 / 1)

shame, shame. But the article seemed to be reasonably written and that was the one emailed to me.

Re: a $500k income limit... agreed w/ you. And first off, I think it would have to be lower than that. We don't give out welfare and food stamps to people making under a half million dollars a year!!!

So clearly there's a problem with gross income and a problem with net income... what about the subsidy cap proposed by Grassley and Dorgan? Limit subsidies to $250k. If you're small you'd never get that much anyway. If you're huge, well, you better not get yourself in the hole over $250k because after that you're on your own. We'd have significant savings from that and we could put it into conservation. That's what Obama came into office supporting anyway, I thought.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Wed Mar 11, 2009 at 19:59:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Just checking :) (4.00 / 1)

I never miss an opportunity to speak poorly of the washington times.

We don't give out welfare and food stamps to people making under a half million dollars a year!!!

Is this 500K profit for the owner of the farm? Or 500K profit for the farming operation? Because a lot of family farms band together, so 500K profit might be split up between two, three, four family members ( I think )?

I'll read up some more on it, though I despise subsidies I don't know much about the specifics.

by: Curtis Abbey @ Wed Mar 11, 2009 at 20:30:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

oh right, good call (0.00 / 0)

$500 split up between 20 people is $25k each... not that great. But for one farmer... that'd be a rich farmer!

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

by: Jill Richardson @ Wed Mar 11, 2009 at 20:36:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]