It seems that Gabby was in Southern Arizona just long enough to pass out some disinformation on her Farm Bill Tour. She explains that her support comes from her interest in financially helping the organic farmers. What she doesn’t mention is the organic farmer she wishes to help could have am adjusted gross income of $2,500,000 and qualify under the current guidlines. The Bush Administration wishes to lower this to $200,000 adjusted gross income a figure that makes sense which is why the Democratic majority rejected the lower figure. President Bush vetoed the Farm Bill because of bloated fat and pork barrel spending.
From 2003 to 2005 farmer’s grossing under 2.5 million dollars recieved $9.8 billion in crop subsidy’s and $34.8 billion in commodity program payments. So much for the small organic farmer. If anyone heard Sen. Max Baucus (D) Montana talk you would have heard how he plans to pull another $8 billion to $10 billion for new social programs funded through the Farm Bill with additional related taxes. This little nugget would have increased the Farm Bill to over $280 billion over the next 5 years.
Something to think about, residential housing uses less than 1% of the ground water pumped while agraculture uses about 80%. The homeowner (1%) is told we must conserve water or else but the farmer (80%) seems to be forgotten as far as water conservation is concerned.
Gabby doesn’t talk about the bloated portion of the Bill including grants for free internet service, hundreds of millions will go to the “Socially Disadvantaged Farmer”, ( What’s that?) and adding breakfast programs to free school lunches and expansion of the Farm Wefare program.
Does it seem a little disengenuous of Gabby to parrot Nancy Pelosi in demonizing the President on the economy and then turn around and vote for this stinker?
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