Thursday, March 31, 2011

Sacrifice for thee, but not for Tea Party

I'm surprised to see this today, what with the establishment media breathlessly awaiting the latest Tea Party protest in DC over the spending cuts, but good for ABC for pointing out Tea Party hypocrisy on agricultural subsidies:
While the majority of American farmers receive no government money at all, at least 23 current members of congress or their families have received government money for their farms -- combining for more than $12 million since 1995 according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group. [...]

In 2009 alone, government farm subsidies totaled more than $16 billion. They totaled almost a quarter of a trillion dollars over the last 15 years.
Yet they don't seem to be on the Tea Party hit list and only one of the recipients was willing to unequivocally state he would abolish them altogether.

It's far from a complete list, but SoBeale gives us the lowdown on her state's TP beneficiary and reminds me that Michelle Bachmann is also on that list.

This subsidy program ceased being a safety net for small farmers long ago. In fact, the bulk of agricultural subsidies go to corporations and many receive money who are not even actually farming the land. Indeed, even George Bush tried to eliminate them, but the "fiscally concerned" Congresscreatures of the corn belt block won't let them go. Guessing the 10% who collect 74% of the subsidies are big campaign funders.

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8 Comments:

Blogger Ruth said...

Bachman also had according to her about 23 foster kids, which in her home state is a lot of AFDC subsidy as well.

2:35:00 PM  
Blogger A Conservative Teacher said...

So, in summary, some people in Congress get subsidies for farm products, there is Tea Party, George Bush lied about the war, and liberal Democrats are perfect.

2:37:00 PM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

I didn't know Bachmann had foster kids. 23??? Good Lord, where is DSS when you need them?

3:05:00 PM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

No, that's not a summary, that's you pretending you have a point when you don't. Nobody here and nobody anywhere said anyone was perfect and if they allow people with such dishonest intentions and limited powers of reason to teach we're in more trouble than I thought - or is "conservative" just another word for supercilious twit?

8:39:00 AM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Seriously Fogg, teachers with no apparent reading comprehension is why there's so many uninformed voters.

8:45:00 AM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

Well if that twit really is a teacher, I hope he/she/it has her salary cut to minimum wage right after the GOP does away with the minimum wage and her right to ask for more while we kill public education altogether.

Let them raise the class size to 150 to save money and lets teach only "conservative subjects" like how Roosevelt caused the Depression, tax cuts for Bill Gates boost the economy, It only hurts when Democrats borrow,Corporations shouldn't be regulated, Eisenhower was a Commie and them Indians got what they deserved.

And if she has an accent? Well then do the Oklahoma GOP thing and fire her.

10:30:00 AM  
Blogger Ruth said...

Claiming to be something that would lend them authenticity occurs often in trolls, recently I got one who insisted his wife is a teacher. If she were, he's hellbent on making her position really threatened, and harder.

12:03:00 PM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Really. You can be anything on the internets. Astounding how many economics professors and business owners there are who have time to post comments all day long, every day.

6:16:00 PM  

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