Farm Bill Starves Taxpayers
Last week, while everyone was enraptured by the trio of Obama administration scandals, Congress was hard at work fleecing American taxpayers.
This time, they’re doing it with a multi-billion dollar bill to subsidize farmers. The bill is a maze of agribusiness subsidies, welfare payments and “green” crony capitalism spending. Programs in the farm bill include: income support for farmers, price controls on select crops, government guaranteed loans and special subsidized crop insurance for farmers.
The problem is not agriculture per se. It’s that once the money flows, it becomes impossible to turn off the gushing payment spigot to demanding recipients.
You see, the current farm payment programs all got started in the 1930′s. During the Great Depression, times were tough… but today’s farming is a whole other thing, mostly controlled by large, successful agribusiness. Present-day farms are bringing in record-high incomes. Technology has done away with numerous risks that used to bedevil agriculture.
Nowadays, the never-ending giveaway of billions of dollars to agribusiness is a needless expense that inevitably falls to taxpayers.
Big Agriculture is a Big Business
When you listen to congressmen talk about the farm bill, you might think the bill helps small, family farms. But in actuality, the victors are giant agribusiness.
About 75% of big farms collect subsidies compared to only 24% of the smaller, family farms. According to the government’s own data, farms with gross sales of $1 million or more received 23% of all commodity-related cash, significantly more than the 15% share received by smaller farms in the $100,000 to $249,999 sales range.
Subsidy payments given to large enterprises make it very difficult for small farms to compete and stay in business. The stream of tax dollars into big farms increases demand for farmland, which raises the price of property above the reach of smaller players. If the government wanted to enact effective change, Congress should cut payments to farms raking in over $250,000 per year.
And Now For Some Corruption
If saddling taxpayers with unwanted bills isn’t bad enough, there’s this: Members of Congress and their families are eligible for these farm subsidies.
You see, many of the members assigned to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are farmers themselves, and the public can’t see how much these same members and their families profit from crop insurance payments.
In essence, they get to reach into the farm bill honeypot and grab however much money they want.
And as for corruption, that’s only the start. The farm bill wouldn’t pass with the support of farmers alone. It needs the support of big city politicians, too, which is why Congress tied the Food Stamp program to the farm bill. Urban members of Congress exchange their support of the bill for millions in welfare benefits for their constituents.
And of course the idea of decoupling welfare from the farm bill faces stiff resistance. It makes good politics to mix the two. As Sen. Thad Cochran of the Senate Agriculture Committee candidly admitted to the North American Agricultural Journalists meeting that food stamps must be included in the farm bill “purely from a political perspective. It helps get the farm bill passed.”
I say America would be better off if we just cashiered the whole bill, but Capitol Hill doesn’t listen to common sense. Congressmen only listen to the special interests that pour money into their re-election campaigns.
“This article originally appeared at CapitolHillDaily.com and is reprinted here with permission.
Photo credit: iluvcocacola (Creative Commons)
Obama: Serial Liar
Will Rogers, the great humorist, once said, “If you ever injected truth into politics, you would have no politics.” If you injected truth into the teleprompter during one of Obama’s speeches, there would be nothing left but an empty chair.
Fourteen days after the September 11, 2012 attacks, Obama appeared at the United Nations to deliver a eulogy for the man he had not troubled to save and to declare that the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.
That lopsided injustice appeared to have been the plan all along. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had told Charles Woods, the father of murdered Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, that the administration was going to arrest and prosecute the man who made the video.
It was the only promise that Obama and Clinton made about Benghazi which they faithfully kept. Everything else was a lie. Doubletalk had become an administration habit. Obama would say one thing and do another. Or he would loudly tell a lie and quietly speak some version of the truth in order to hedge his bets.
Read full story here
Photo: Standard Compliant
Beck Blasts “Birthers” Again
May 20, 2013 TPATH- Everyone who watches Glenn Beck on his internet show knows, he begins each broadcast by announcing, “Welcome to the Glenn Beck Show, the network you are building. Glenn may have been correct in that statement since TPATH and many others have not only linked to his TV Show, his radio show and his many publications and events, but also, thousands of us have called cable and satellite companies in an effort to get them to take Glenn Beck TV.
This past week, Mr. Beck, who has been called the “Conspiracy King”, and his two fawning boot lickers on the radio, decided to alienate 75% of those “building his network”. Beck, for some reason, only known to him, felt it necessary, once again, to take on the so called Birthers. The condescending, flippant sarcasm, the bunching together of those who have spent years reading and understanding the facts about Obama’s ineligibility and then relegating them into a gaggle of fools and idiots, would have made Saul Alinsky and Kieth Obermann proud. (by the way, where is Kiethy Boy theses days?)
It is important to point out that Beck does some good work, in fact some great work. Most of which has been ridiculed by the very same people he now appears to be aligning himself with. The big question here is…Why?
Its quite interesting that Glenn would choose this time, when Comrade Obama and his cadre of leftist crooks, fabricators and liars are being exposed for not only what they are, but for what they have been, to attack those who are concerned that we have an illegal President. Also, relating to this, Beck has been bedside himself when the mainstream media either ignored or labeled him a conspiracy nut as he was putting together evidence concerning the Saudi terrorist the State Department secreted out of the country after the Marathon bombing.
Hey Glenn, welcome to the club, Buddy.
Over the years Glenn’s prognostications have been, while not always spot on, very close to what we are seeing today, throughout the world. For that work he needs to be complimented and praised. But at the same time, all of these many “theories” that he has investigated, organized into cute little charts on the blackboard, can’t hold a candle to the reams of information, proven facts, hidden and forged documents relating the mystery man occupying our White House. Again, the question screams…..Why?
Before I speculate on what could be behind Glenn’s seemingly intentional ignorance, purposeful antagonism and frankly, completely flabbergasting position he has taken on the eligibility and forgeries of Obama, the following list of Obama Issues, most of which have been thoroughly investigated by some very capable people and ignored by Beck, should make one wonder why someone so into conspiracies would chose to not only evade and disdain but belittle those who are most likely to support him.
- Obama’s father was never an American citizen.
- Article II of our Constitution requires the President to be “Natural born”. Obama is not.
- Obama stated many times and wrote about his being Kenyan.
- Anyone who can dial a phone could put a birth announcement in the paper in Hawaii.
- No one, except a progressive Obama minion in Hawaii, has seen Obama’s original birth certificate. Not one person!
- Obama’s passport has been hidden because it may show he was listed as Kenyan during his trips to Pakistan during a time that American citizens were forbidden to travel there.
- Federal records, in the form of microfiche, which track every person coming into or leaving the country have been altered and the two week period that would show if Obama’s mother left the country with an infant are the only records missing over a forty year period.
- The visitor’s log book from the hospital where Obama was supposed to be born, has been concealed and removed from public view because it probably shows no visitors to Obama’s momma before, during or after the supposed birth. That would be pretty much impossible unless, she wasn’t there.
- Not any of the two Hawaiian hospitals where Obama claims he was born in will go on record as saying he was in fact, born there.
- Obama’s mother’s passport has been found for the period of her trips to Kenya around the time Obama was supposed to be born. If a guardian (parent) takes an infant out of the country, that infant’s picture and information would have to be, by Federal Law, added to the guardian’s passport. His mother’s passport did not have that information on it. Clearly, this indicates she left before Obama was born.
- The birth certificate the Divider N Chief posted on the internet is a forgery. There is no doubt about that. Even if one would overlook a President lying to the American people, forging legal documents is a crime.
- Obama has used several Social Security numbers including one issued in a state where he never lived.
- There is no evidence that Obama ever legally changed his name, but everyone knows he was called by several names and enrolled in schools both in Africa and America under names not “Obama”.
- Obama filled out election documents and stated that he was never known by or did he ever use another name except Obama. This is a crime.
- The Selective Service required “citizens” to sign up with them at the age of 18. Obama clearly never did that. Most likely he didn’t have to, since he was not a citizen. When a political career became apparent, a Selective Service card for Obama was fabricated. This is also a crime.
There is more. Much more. But considering the penchant for conspiracies awash in Beck’s DNA, one must wonder why these things do not warrant just a bit of cogitation.
Of course, if like some others, Glenn has decided not to pursue any of this because he believes the politicians, the judicial system and the country have become so corrupt, these issues will never go anywhere and there are other more viable things that need attention, he could be forgiven for that. But he has spent hours trashing those who believe every aspect of our Constitution should be protected. This does not make sense.
Some of us who watch the information highway closely, have seen bitter rivalries arise between between radio talk show hosts and internet hosts. One of the most unpleasant of these engagements has been festering between Beck and Alex Jones of Info Wars. Alex Jones, an aggressive and ever vigilant watchdog of our runaway government has long accused Beck of purloining data and research from his website and not giving credit to him.
Without being specific, I have noticed that Info Wars was in front on issues that later Glenn did talk about. Whether that constitutes theft of services or not, I make no contention here. But….. Since Alex Jones is and has been on the issue of Obama’s forgeries, crimes and ineligibility, the impetus for Beck’s attitude towards “Birthers” could very well stem from this, even to the point where Glenn is willing to disparage his own viewers and supporters.
There are a few more suppositions that can be made here. I’ll list them. You decide.
- Glenn does not want to go against his pal at FOX, Billy O’reilly.
- Glenn is looking to expand his network to cable outlets owned and controlled by the left.
- Glenn is stubborn and won’t admit that early on he was too hasty in attacking Birthers.
- Glenn may not want to see or be a part of removing the first black President.
- And last, but not least, aliens have invaded Glenn’s brain and are about to take over the world.
Having said all this, TPATH intends to continue to link to Beck’s network. He is a valuable partner in our war against Islam, Communists and World Order domination. I only hope that Glenn checks the overwhelming comments on the Blaze from his readers and viewers who feel betrayed by him, and then sticks to the issues he feels are important and leaves those who fear our Constitution, every part of it, needs defending, at all costs, alone.
The Ghost Of Thomas Dewey & The Neo-Communists
Voices from the past are ere haunting the halls of Congress, warning that we are about to suffer a fatal blow. None could be more vibrant, than the voice of Thomas Dewey, who ran for President during the New Deal.
Dewey blamed Roosevelt for the rise of communism in the United States. Dewey accused him of allowing the unions to seize control of the New Deal, and that their ultimate aim was to control the government of the United States.
It all makes perfect sense, if we consider how quickly the communist party formed a protective bubble around their favorite son. All this talk about job creation and rebuilding our infra-structure, would ultimately repeat the New Deal, and complete the communist plan. For Obama to deny the obvious, is quite a stretch.
For conspiracy buffs who think that 9/11 was a communist plot, they only have to know that the World Trade Center was a monument to Free Trade. Thomas Dewey was the Governor of New York, who approved the final plans to build it.
According to Dewey, “communism was a pagan philosophy which was sweeping through much of the world.” He also warned that a man named Earl Browder was one of the “highest bidders” for control of the Democratic Party. (New York Times Nov. 2, 1944)
Dewey declared “everyone knows that communism is for State ownership of all property, including your house, your farm and the factory, the shop, the office in which you work. It stands for absolute dictatorship, the abolition of civil rights and total political and economic bigotry.”
Browder’s communist upbringings started with his childhood in Kansas.
And we know who else came from Kansas, don’t we? Stanley Dunham was just an innocent furniture salesman, searching for a job. By the time he found work in Hawaii, he had formed a lot of close friendships with people who basically hated the United States.
After reading Dewey’s remarks, I realized that most of us were born into a secret war. I feel like my entire life has been a lie. I actually believed that the members of Congress had a sense of basic integrity. I volunteered my time and my money. I would actually like my money back. I don’t even know who is who. Everybody appears to be lying.
It’s just a little hard to swallow that people like Hillary and Bill, and Chuck Schumer, and Al Franken, and Drunk Uncle Joe, are complete hypocrites. If we think about what Dewey said, and compare it with what we already know, it’s not even safe to leave our homes.
If I had $375.00, I could file a Federal lawsuit for fraud. But then I would end up being beat up by communist courts, who would sabotage my efforts. And everybody knows its a complete waste of time to file a Federal lawsuit. Everybody is in on the joke, but you.
My only consolation is knowing that American communism is flawed. You can’t “inflict” communism on a Constitutional democracy. This is much different than overthrowing the Czar.
Communism belongs to Russia. It was a natural evolution of their own history. Of course, you can’t explain Russian communism to American communists. They’re all too busy driving their hybrids and loading up at Trader Joes.
I’ve known quite a few American communists. I barely gave them the time of day. If I compare them with their Russian counterparts, they look ignorant and weak. They’re an odd assortment of societies rejects, obese alcoholics, and pot heads, like Dennis Rodman, who scribbles on his body and drives hooks through his nose.
American communists want it both ways. They want the stuff that goes with democracy, but they’re not willing to work for it. They want your stuff, because they’re too stupid and lazy to figure out how to get it for themselves.
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THE WAR ON OUR VETERANS
With Memorial Day approaching Americans should be preparing to honor our veterans and military heroes currently fighting for us as well as remembering those we have lost. This honor should be especially due from our own government that has sent these brave men and women off to war. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. It is clear that the Federal government has declared war on our veterans and is intent on denying them the very Constitutional rights they fought to protect.
First there is the ever widening scandal involving the systematic denial of veterans Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms and their rights to due process under the provisions of the Fifth Amendment. This is being orchestrated by the VA which sends out letters to veterans telling them that because of physical or mental disabilities the VA is going to declare them incompetent to handle their own financial affairs and appoint a fiduciary to represent them.
Then in the same letter the veterans are told that “A determination of incompetency will prohibit you from purchasing, possessing, receiving, or transporting a firearm or ammunition. If you knowingly violate any of these prohibitions, you may be fined, imprisoned, or both pursuant to the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, Pub.L.No. 103-159, as implemented at 18, United States Code 924(a)(2).”
An estimated 150,000 veterans are now on the NICS background check list and cannot legally purchase firearms. I believe that the vast majority of them do not belong on the list and many of the veterans don’t know why they are there or even that they have been placed on the list. The only legitimate reasons for veterans to lose Second Amendment Rights is if they have been convicted of a felony, are known drug addicts, or been found to be mentally ill to a point where they are a danger to themselves or others.
The veterans that are being represented by the United States Justice Foundation (USJF) are reporting to us that they are being declared incompetent for having minor depression, PTSD, or simply because they let their spouses pay the family bills. Some veterans are reporting that if they try to fight the VA determination of incompetence the VA either threatens to withhold their payments or actually has done so. This is extortion since many veterans rely on their VA payments to feed themselves and their families.
The VA has refused to respond to several requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for information about the criteria being used to declare veterans incompetent and deny them their Second Amendment rights. The USJF has filed a suit to force the VA to turn over this information and will soon be filing a class action suit on behalf of veterans to stop the whole process.
This suit is the last chance these veterans may have since the bill introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R.NC) to protect the gun rights of veterans was recently defeated by the Democrats in the Senate.
There are at least three other attacks taking place on our veterans. The first has been the subject of a series of reports by the Fox News and ABC affiliates in Dallas, Texas which last fall reported that veterans going to the VA hospital were either having to wait for months to get treatment for serious illnesses or in some cases being denied effective treatment entirely. Two veterans were found to have committed suicide, one on the hospital grounds, because they were not being properly treated for their severe problems.
The second problem for our wounded warriors has been exposed in a series of reports by the Colorado Springs Gazette. According to the paper an extraordinary number of veterans who have received traumatic wounds, been treated and latter returned to their units, have ultimately received less than honorable discharges from the military for alleged misconduct. Once that happens, the soldiers can no longer receive treatment from the VA for their wounds or illnesses and they can’t receive any other benefits.
Reporter Dave Philipps stated in his article that: “It doesn’t take serious misconduct to be discharged and lose a lifetime of benefits. The Gazette found troops cut loose for small offenses that the Army acknowledges can be symptoms of TBI and PTSD. Some soldiers missed formation a handful of times or smoked marijuana once. Some were discharged for showing up late or missing appointments. Some tested positive once for drugs, then were deployed to combat zones because the Army needed the troops, only to be discharged for the drug offense when they returned.”
In other words, wounded soldiers who have problems because of their injuries are rewarded for their combat service by getting kicked out of the military so the government will not have to fulfill its obligation to treat them.
Last, but certainly not least is the horrendous treatment the 32 members of the army who were wounded in the terrorist attack at Fort Hood, Texas on November 5, 2009. Since the Pentagon was ordered to be politically correct and label the attack by jihadist Nidal Milak Hasan as workplace violence instead of the obvious terrorist attack it was the soldiers who survived have been denied the Purple Heart medal for the wounds they received and denied the financial benefits that come with it.
According to a report on the NBC affiliate in Dallas some soldiers can barely afford to feed their families, yet Hasan has received his regular military pay since he was arrested and awaiting trial. The total pay so far is $268,000. His family has access to this money so our government is taking good care of the family of an Islamic terrorist and ignoring the families of our wounded soldiers. By the way, I join with the families of the 13 soldiers who died in the attack in asking why this man has not yet been tried for his crimes.
I am outraged by these actions of our government that dishonor our veterans and the debt we owe to them. This is developing into an additional scandal for the Obama administration yet many people are unaware that this is even happening. Please help me spread the word.
To my fellow veterans on this Memorial Day I can only say thank you for your service and I believe the American people will not let you be forgotten.
Michael Connelly
mrobertc@hotmail.com
Michael Connelly blog
www.usjf.net
Photo credit: terrellaftermath