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Dead "farmers" and corporations getting billions of our tax dollars from phony Farm Subsidy Act
June 7, 2010, 6:51 am By Kevin "Coach" Collins
A recent study discovered 234 dead people were collecting farm subsidy money just in South Florida alone. These deceased "farmers" received $9.5 million during recent years, but they weren't the only beneficiaries of government largesse. Another study found, between 2003 and 2007, 2702 people worth at least $2.5 million, including a part owner of a sports franchise, were collecting checks as were supposedly ineligible United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia residents. Records indicate $49 million went to millionaires.
Army of lobbyists
Grabbing farm subsidy money is big business. There are 1200 lobbyists, making $133 million, knocking on doors on Capitol Hill. Their job is to keep the money flowing and they do it very well. As usual when the government starts out on a well intentioned give away program, this one has gone terribly wrong. The Heritage Foundation has found that 10% of beneficiaries are getting 75% of the money. What stated as a 1930's way to help small farmers has morphed into a giant sinkhole of payments to corporations and individuals in favored states.
Worst still is that since 1996 the government has paid people and corporations NOT to farm their land. This "temporary" measure was supposed to expire but it has grown instead.
The biggest face in this trough is Kent Conrad's.
In 2008 Conrad wrote a Farm Subsidy bill that was supposed to reduce the federal dollars being stolen through this program. Instead he added $300 billion to it and created an "emergency" fund to aid farmers in times of disaster. Is there any wonder that since the bill went into law his state North Dakota has wrung out more money than any state save for Texas which is nearly 39 times larger in population?
Conrad not the only pig
Arkansas Democrat Senator Blanche Lincoln's family has been paid $700,000 not to grow certain crops while Republican millionaire and self declared budget hawk, Charles Grassley, Senator from Iowa, has pulled down $238,000 of our money for not farming.
In this crucial mid term election year cutting farm subsidies is not going to happen. The Democrats in Congress won't touch the issue, but we have to see to it that at least the dead farmers and the fat cats overseas have their subsidies ended.
To see who is collecting farm subsidies in your state go to the Environmental Working Group's state-by-state database farm.ewg.org/farm
To read more about this story go to this Collins Report sources:
http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/phony-farmers-exposed/article179127.html
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/06/how-farm-subsidies-harm-taxpayers-consumers-and-farmers-too
