By FITSNews || South Carolina farmers have received a total of $1.62 billion in government subsidies over the last fifteen years – although the vast majority of Palmetto state farmers aren’t on the government dole.
In fact, seventy percent of S.C. farmers receive absolutely no taxpayer-funded assistance whatsoever, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, the top ten percent of farmers received $1.17 billion – or 72 percent of the handout total.
Nationally, $245.2 billion has been spent on subsidies over the last fifteen years – and the disparity between large farms and small farms is only growing more pronounced. According to data from the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), between 1990 and 2001 payments to large farms have nearly tripled, while payments to small farms have remained steady.
Obviously, the government likes to portray farm subsidies as helping alleviate farmer poverty, but the reality is that they are helping fund takeovers of family farms by large agribusiness concerns.
“Lawmakers would be hard-pressed to enact a set of policies that are more destructive to farmers, taxpayers, and consumers than the current farm policies,” wrote Heritage Foundation budget expert Brian Riedl in a 2007 report. “Farm subsidies are intended to help struggling family farmers. Instead, they harm them by excluding them from most subsidies, financing the consolidation of family farms, and raising land values to levels that prevent young people from entering farming.”
We oppose any and all government subsidies for farmers.
More locally, we also support the elimination of the S.C. Department of Agriculture – which on top of its totally unnecessary mission wastes millions of dollars each year on ridiculous public relations stunts that pump tax dollars into the pockets of liberal PR firms, not farmers.
As we have editorialized in the past, we also support the elimination of Clemson University’s Public Service Activities (PSA) agency, which spends $62.8 million each year – most of it on agricultural support programs.
Farmers are competing in a marketplace just like the rest of us – they don’t need handouts nor do they need multiple government agencies to “support” their work.
Government has no business paying for farm subsidies under any circumstances, but the fact that the money is clearly hurting small farmers should serve as added impetus for Congress to eliminate this ongoing multi-billion dollar boondoggle.
WEB EXTRA
S.C. Farm Subsidies (Farm Subsidy Database)
How Farm Subsidies Harm Taxpayers, Consumers and Farmers, Too (Heritage Foundation)
By CNSYD July 24, 2010 at 12:13 pm
FITS do you even read your own site? You have been continually told that Clemson’s PSA activities are the direct result of Federal laws. You have heard of laws haven’t you? So if you want to stop PSA, start in Washington. Lotsa luck with that. IRT farming subsidies, if you are calling loans a subsidy then you are off base. If there is one industry that we need to ensure keeps working it is farming. Care to give up eating? Didn’t think so.
By Step to the Right July 24, 2010 at 12:30 pm
As usual, follow the money. These so called “subsidies” are nothing more than payouts for campaign contributions from all the boys down on the farm back to Bubba in Congress, or Bubba in the State House or Bubba on County Council, etc. Our “large” centralized government is now totally corrupt from top to bottom. Everybody hates Congress AND everybody wants special treatment for his or her vote. The farmers are no different from the teacher’s unions, the AARP crowd or any of the other thousands of groups who have their hand out and see it as “their right” to demand money from the government regardless of need. If family farmers are struggling, cut thier taxes, eliminate the death tax, eliminate all property tax on legitimate small farmers for starters and read The Road to Serfdom.
By thesushi July 24, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Includes Rand Paul’s father-in-law, apparently.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072304608.html
wake up, people. it’s going to take more than paid political ads to fix this.
By Soft Sigh from Hell July 24, 2010 at 6:02 pm
A several-times-over millionaire father of a friend of mine brags every year how he pays no federal income tax at all. I’m certain he receives big subsidies though.
For an amusing old take on this matter, one that every fully literate person with any interest at all in the subject should read, see “The Husbandman” by HL Mencken. It’s only a dozen and a half pages. A portion is easily found by googling (below), and maybe all of it with a bit more looking.
http://www.bizbag.com/mencken/menkfarm.htm
By Soft Sigh from Hell July 24, 2010 at 6:05 pm
A several-times-over millionaire (BIG FARMER, ~6000 ACRES) father of a friend of mine
By CNSYD July 24, 2010 at 6:05 pm
thesushi, Paul is just like Sanfraud. Stop all government “waste” except what I get.
By thesushi July 24, 2010 at 8:48 pm
I’d support candidates if they were real people, not a bunch of affiliate marketers who think your rights are for sale.
Problem is, Paul’s the so-called alternative. Once again, a cycle ruined by children and liars.
By tinker July 24, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Billionaires Warren Buffet and Bill Gates have proclaimed repeatedly that they don’t pay enough taxes.
Not unlike farm subsidies, the filthy rich form “foundations” through which they funnel funds to reward their loyal allies and family members–instead of paying taxes like the rest of Middle America.
Imagine how many billions of dollars of revenue annually could be raised if the dubious “foundation” loophole was closed.
By lando July 24, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Even multi-multi millionaire (through marriage of rich women x 2) Sen. Kerry of Massachusetts docks his yacht in Rhode Island and not Massachusetts to evade taxes.
Do as I say…not as I do!
The elitists don’t mind raising taxes as long as YOU pay for them!
By Old Bike Dude July 24, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Put Nimrata Haley in the statehouse and our cotton farmers will be singing O Calcutta as they stand in the welfare line..
By Butterbean July 24, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Will,
This story looks suspiciously like one the S.C. Policy Council ran on its Nerve website Friday.
http://www.thenerve.org/Comments/10-07-23/Ten_Percent_of_S_C_Farms_Get_87_Percent_of_Subsidies.aspx?searchid=f4f08c52-4f44-4a7f-a348-76f241b2c243&nocomments=true
I realize some of your info is different and you’ve pulled in data from other sources, but you’d gain more respect with a little attribution here and there.
By SubZeroIQ July 25, 2010 at 8:42 am
FITS: You can’t throw the baby with the bath water.
Research is essential for the progress of agriculture. And only a university can do it.
That’s why it is a univeristy. It gathers specialties.
Whether science should be subsidized or not, is a question for a different thread, if you and your readers are serious enough for it.
But CNSYD is correct about asking: “Care to stop eating?”
The problem is that you are working to destroy the last bastion of national security: agricultural security.
A country unable or unwilling to produce its own food is very vulnerable indeed.
How are you destroying agriculture?
By advocating the mistreatment of the only class willing to do the hard and necessary agricultural work: the able-bodied immigrants.
Fine! Threaten them with arrests for looking Hispanic or Native American (and most immigrant farm workers from the rest of the Americas ARE Native Americans: Mayans, Aztecs, etc.) and see who will be willing to work in our farms.
I have a better idea than allowing police to arrest people who “look” like immigrants.
Draft the useless, lazy, and corrupt police to work on the farms instead of the immigrants.
That should solve three problems in one: police corruption, government overbloating, and shortage of farm labor which is filled by immigrants.
By fastmouth July 25, 2010 at 9:13 am
Glad to see you report on this Sic. The ones that don’t need it (the subsidies) are the very ones that are getting it.
By snodgrass July 25, 2010 at 10:03 am
“We oppose any and all government subsidies for farmers.”
That’s a pretty broad statement, FITS. Subsidies aren’t evil things and farmers aren’t evil people. Isn’t it possible that mismanagement and corruption are the real culprits here?
Agriculture is pretty important business. With the world population approaching seven billion people, you could arguably place agriculture in the domain of national security. We see all sorts of mischief and abuse at the Department of Defense, but I don’t hear anyone calling for the elimination of it.
It seems as though every single issue, candidate, policy and party is now characterized as inherently good or inherently bad. Is life really that simplistic?
We all need to stop allowing group-think to so easily influence the positions we take.
By Florida Watching July 25, 2010 at 11:22 am
Ok FITS – Investigations and Nookie Nikki…..what is the latest????
Wat up with crash mayor and reckless salesman?
Wat up with Nikki’s road to the White House?
By Soft Sigh from Hell July 25, 2010 at 11:52 am
Domestic agriculture is a strategic need and needs protection. Reduced land taxes on real agricultural land, government facilitated (if necessary) crop insurance for the occasional loss, and extension and experiment station help in solving problems (these latter opposed by conservatives it now appears) are most of what is needed.
Instead we got support for tobacco and for such basic practices as terracing, fallowing, wells, ponds, etc. What next, for plowing? Welfare for well-off white people.
Even in the main needs, though, the connected good ol’ boy cheats will misuse it. One cow per 100 acres will keep taxes low on speculative property for an eventual shopping center or whole residential development, and a swamp will be bulldozed to produce “cropland” that will fail in two years out of three for the insurance.
By Emile DeFelice July 25, 2010 at 1:39 pm
Right on Will.
By Quiet Voice of Reason July 25, 2010 at 9:04 pm
Ahhh Will…. Do you even know what Clemson’s PSA departments do? Do you realize that they train people across the state on issues of food safety, safe food and processes for our children? Did you know that they help individuals, not large corporations, manage the ropes of public service programs as well as agriculture? What about 4-H? What about all of the free information provided by the extension agents across the state to anyone and everyone who calls or can look it up on the internet?
Of course there are wasteful subsidies. But please try to remember in all of your Haley anti-government lovefest that there is such a thing as a public good. Some of us dedicate ourselves to it.
By disgruntledtiger July 25, 2010 at 9:22 pm
One of the many stories about our VP John Kelly – one of our more reknowned Booze Hounds, etc. A special place in Mr. Barker’s heart no doubt. Old John was caught – pleasantly drunk, had his mug shot in the paper and TV – driving a Clemson/State owned vehicle – 3AM – and heading home from a very good party – booked – mug shot, for those that did’t see it, was a doozy – couldn’t very well lie his way out of his old South impersonation of Ms. Lohan. Should be some heavy discipline, right??? NOOOOO!! No one has heard anything since. It was interesting that right after the incident Mr. Barker saw fit to give Mr. Kelly a raise – very close – to equal to the totally out of reasoning that he delivered to his Provost. And, they say academia isn’t rewarding.
Mr Barker has allowed the Administration and their closest cohorts to run amuck for years – John Kelly is a prime example of what Parents should warn their kids about.
By Slim July 25, 2010 at 9:43 pm
http://farm.ewg.org/top_recips.php?fips=45075&progcode=total®ionname=OrangeburgCounty,SouthCarolina
I personally know six of the farmers on the list found at the above web page. They are among the biggest poor-mouthers I know but they and their children all live in beautiful homes and all drive cars way nicer than mine. But let them hear somebody bad mouth their precious subsidies and here comes the ol’ “You must hate food and the hard-working people that put it on your plate” mantra. They play it like the race card or the lady on The Simpsons who always exclaims, “But what about the children?!”
By CNSYD July 25, 2010 at 10:46 pm
Quiet Voice, please don’t try to confuse FITS with facts. All he needs to know is that PSA is at Clemson so it must be evil.
By Toyota Kawaski July 26, 2010 at 8:28 am
Fits i hope Willie Nelson and John Cougar come and break a bong off in your ass.
By Florida Watching July 26, 2010 at 9:09 am
Who knows……maybe long dong John Holmes will come and break a………
By T4 December 10, 2010 at 6:02 am
Not sure about this one. The Heritage Foundation’s report is misdirected. Findings are extrapolated to hide market volatility of the commodity markets.
Commodities are vulnerable to shifty global markets. Many claim that American farms are inefficient and cannot adapt to global competitors, but fail to consider global factors such as tariffs, capitalization, as well as brokerage fees that accompany purchase of futures contracts to hedge against increase production costs. Notwithstanding, the current U.S. tax on imports-among the lowest in the world-shows that farmers face a market unlike any other.