Pangloss Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 The House passed a 300 billion dollar farm bill today, to help out farmers who are in the midst of the biggest boom in half a century. So much for Democratic reforms -- this is just as bad as the oil company subsidy. What are these idiots thinking? Bush would've veto'd it, wanting to cut the subsidy far more. (Actually he'll veto it anyway and let them do the override thing.) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/washington/15farm.html?hp Mr. Bush had sought an adjusted gross income limit of $200,000 above which farmers could not qualify for any subsidy payments. The bill passed by the House, however, allows farm income of up to $750,000 and nonfarm income of $500,000 per individual. I was surprised to find in that article that Nancy Pelosi is one of the biggest supporters of the ethanol subsidy. It's interesting how with one hand they cheer about a few extra food stamps for the poor and with the other hand they cause the poor to need more food stamps in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDarwin Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I was surprised to find in that article that Nancy Pelosi is one of the biggest supporters of the ethanol subsidy. It's interesting how with one hand they cheer about a few extra food stamps for the poor and with the other hand they cause the poor to need more food stamps in the first place. And undermine all sorts of free trade efforts and hurt poor people all over the world. There's a nasty protectionist streak in the Democratic Party that needs to go if it is to ba a party of leadership in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bascule Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 What are these idiots thinking? I would guess it has something to do with campaign (or other) contributions from the farm lobby... Personally I think these sorts of subsidies wreak havoc both on the health of the American people and on the international food market and should be completely abolished Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecoli Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I would guess it has something to do with campaign (or other) contributions from the farm lobby... Personally I think these sorts of subsidies wreak havoc both on the health of the American people and on the international food market and should be completely abolished Have we not been complaining loud enough about this? I gave up on emailing my elected representatives months ago... I've never gotten a response from those scumbags. Aren't there economists in Washington telling these people the effects subsidies have on food prices? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doG Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I'll say it again, send all of the 535 current Congress critters home as they come up for reelection. There's not a statesman in the bunch... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParanoiA Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I'll say it again, send all of the 535 current Congress critters home as they come up for reelection. There's not a statesman in the bunch... Damn right doG. I'll do my part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted May 15, 2008 Share Posted May 15, 2008 I just emailed my rep for all the good it will do, asking how this passes for farms subsidy reform and why I should return him to congress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bascule Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 House and senate votes here: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/house/2/votes/315/ Both my representative and senator voted for it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecoli Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 House and senate votes here: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/house/2/votes/315/ Both my representative and senator voted for it as did mine... I've emailed him before about votes I haven't liked, but have never got a response. It may be worth mentioning, both Kucinich and Paul voted no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNow Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Thank Thor for punk rock. it's not the right time to be sobernow the idiots have taken over spreading like a social cancer, is there an answer? Mensa membership conceding tell me why and how are all the stupid people breeding Watson, it's really elementary the industrial revolution has flipped the bitch on evolution the benevolent and wise are being thwarted, ostracized, what a bummer the world keeps getting dumber insensitivity is standard and faith is being fancied over reason darwin's rollin over in his coffin the fittest are surviving much less often now everything seems to be reversing, and it's worsening someone flopped a steamer in the gene pool now angry mob mentality's no longer the exception, it's the rule and im startin to feel a lot like charlton heston stranded on a primate planet apes and orangutans that ran it to the ground with generals and the armies that obeyed them followers following fables philosophies that enable them to rule without regard there's no point for democracy when ignorance is celebrated political scientists get the same one vote as some Arkansas inbred majority rule, don't work in mental institutions sometimes the smallest softest voice carries the grand biggest solutions what are we left with? a nation of god-fearing pregnant nationalists who feel it's their duty to populate the homeland pass on traditions how to get ahead religions And prosperity via simpleton culture the idiots are takin over [x8] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU5gA6IcIpk First they put away the dealers,keep our kids safe and off the street. Then they put away the prostitutes, keep married men cloistered at home. Then they shooed away the bums, then they beat and bashed the queers, turned away asylum-seekers, fed us suspicions and fears. We didn't raise our voice, we didn't make a fuss. It's funny there was no one left to notice when they came for us. Looks like witches are in season, you better fly your flag and be aware of anyone who might fit the description, diversity is now our biggest fear. Now with our conversations tapped and our differences exposed, how ya supposed to love your neighbor with our minds and curtains closed? We used to worry 'bout big brother, now we got a big father and an even bigger mother. And you still believe this aristocracy gives a **** about you. They put the mock in democracy and you swallowed every hook. The sad truth is you'd rather follow the school into the net 'cause swimming alone at sea is not the kind of freedom that you actually want. So go back to your crib and suck on a tit go bask in the warmth of your diaper. You're sitting in shit and piss while sucking a giant pacifier, a country of adult infants. A legion of mental midgets, a country of adult infants, a country of adult infants. all regaining their unconsciousness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParanoiA Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 Yeah, maybe we can drop that number to 533 congress critters that ought to go home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted May 16, 2008 Share Posted May 16, 2008 *raises wine glass* Three cheers to our senators and representatives, for investing in yet another stupid, idiotic plan that has no future and for adding yet another mistake that our children will have to pay for. They could have invested that money in just about anything else, *cough* solar/nuclear/geothermal/(list renewable resource here) *cough*, but, in their shortsighted wisdom they chose to grant subsidies to corn and switchgrass based biofuels. It won't be long before our lush forests and ecosystems, and all hope for feeding the world, is just a distant memory.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangloss Posted May 16, 2008 Author Share Posted May 16, 2008 I didn't see a Senate vote on that link (maybe I'm just not spotting it). But the senate did pass it today. That web site was amusing -- it allowed you to sort through the votes by astrological sign! That just seemed really appropriate in this case. Nice one, Bascule. (Cancer RULES! Take that, Gemini and Virgo, you LOSERS!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bascule Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Veto-proof? Apparently you didn't consider the power of confusion! http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/21/bush.farmbill.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted May 22, 2008 Share Posted May 22, 2008 Congress gets to make the same mistake all over again! Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangloss Posted May 23, 2008 Author Share Posted May 23, 2008 It was a bizarre situation, which actually says a lot about the hard-working people who work behind the scenes (that this doesn't happen more often). I've heard that they are very dedicated and non-partisan. Slip-ups are bound to happen now and then, I suppose. It's interesting that nobody noticed the problem until after the veto and the override, and I suspect that what happened is that another worker discovered the issue and did the correct legal thing and brought it to their political boss' attention. I mean, it's not as if reporters actually uncover these things anymore. They just sit behind their desks and pass along press releases. Anyway, they're supposed to be fixing the issue today. I think they're going to have to send a new bill to the White House for veto and then override it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted May 23, 2008 Share Posted May 23, 2008 Anyway, they're supposed to be fixing the issue today. I think they're going to have to send a new bill to the White House for veto and then override it again. They could, however, remove/reduce the fat farm subsidies and shrink or eliminate the ethanol subsidy beyond the token change currently in the bill, especially since they won't make their deadline of "pass and override the veto before the holiday." But they won't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now