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The Farm Bill Boondoggle, cont.
The more I thought about the passage of the Farm Bill last week, the angrier I got. So, I decided to write my Texas Senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, and complain. Both claim to advocate limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free market capitalism. The Farm Bill passed last week contains none of the above.
By the way, if you haven't read Federalist No. 10, it's pretty interesting and, absent the archaic language, could easily be of contemporary origin.
Dear Senator:
I read with great sadness that you voted in favor of the $302 billion "Farm Bill" last week. As a Republican committed to limited government, property rights, and individual liberty, I find none of the above in the wealth transfer facilitated in this piece of legislation. Confiscating the paychecks of one group of citizens to give to another certainly seems out of line with Republican principles, and certain this kind of legislation goes against the promises Republicans have made to cut the size and scope of government and provide tax relief to individuals and families. The Founding Fathers certainly never intended such a bill, although James Madison certainly predicted it in Federalist Paper No. 10.
Among the provisions of the bill, wealthy farmers continue to receive cash payments — welfare for the wealthy, but wrong even if the neediest farmers are receiving them, as it amounts to paying for failed enterprises. This certainly does not encourage more responsible farming practices. A "permanent disaster fund" encourages planting on disaster-prone lands. Instead of ending altogether the price-raising, environment polluting, anti-free trade sugar subsidy system, it continues it and even increases it. And of course, the bill is laden with earmarks — earmarks that Congress pledged to end.
The agricultural markets are booming, and farm income is at an all-time high. Why should money be confiscated from the paychecks of working Americans — citizens who are paying these high prices for food — and be redistributed to farmers?
Now is the perfect time to live up to the promise of the Freedom to Farm Act enacted under the original Republican Congress, which phased out farm subsidies and worked to establish a true free market agricultural system in the US.
I urge you to support a veto of this legislation by President Bush. I urge you to join the 13 Republican Senators and 2 Democrats in voting to sustain this veto. And, I urge you to work to convince other free market, limited government Senators, Democrat or Republican, to join you. This bill is bad for individuals and families, bad for the nation, and bad for Texas.
Sincerely,
Dave Smith
Houston, TX
I read with great sadness that you voted in favor of the $302 billion "Farm Bill" last week. As a Republican committed to limited government, property rights, and individual liberty, I find none of the above in the wealth transfer facilitated in this piece of legislation. Confiscating the paychecks of one group of citizens to give to another certainly seems out of line with Republican principles, and certain this kind of legislation goes against the promises Republicans have made to cut the size and scope of government and provide tax relief to individuals and families. The Founding Fathers certainly never intended such a bill, although James Madison certainly predicted it in Federalist Paper No. 10.
Among the provisions of the bill, wealthy farmers continue to receive cash payments — welfare for the wealthy, but wrong even if the neediest farmers are receiving them, as it amounts to paying for failed enterprises. This certainly does not encourage more responsible farming practices. A "permanent disaster fund" encourages planting on disaster-prone lands. Instead of ending altogether the price-raising, environment polluting, anti-free trade sugar subsidy system, it continues it and even increases it. And of course, the bill is laden with earmarks — earmarks that Congress pledged to end.
The agricultural markets are booming, and farm income is at an all-time high. Why should money be confiscated from the paychecks of working Americans — citizens who are paying these high prices for food — and be redistributed to farmers?
Now is the perfect time to live up to the promise of the Freedom to Farm Act enacted under the original Republican Congress, which phased out farm subsidies and worked to establish a true free market agricultural system in the US.
I urge you to support a veto of this legislation by President Bush. I urge you to join the 13 Republican Senators and 2 Democrats in voting to sustain this veto. And, I urge you to work to convince other free market, limited government Senators, Democrat or Republican, to join you. This bill is bad for individuals and families, bad for the nation, and bad for Texas.
Sincerely,
Dave Smith
Houston, TX
By the way, if you haven't read Federalist No. 10, it's pretty interesting and, absent the archaic language, could easily be of contemporary origin.
Dave,
This is Brent from the YR events over the weekend. You told me about your site and I thought I'd check it out. Very good work and some interesting reads here. Hope to see you in Houston next month.
Cheers,
Brent
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