I am a fourth generation Kentucky Republican. My wife's family have been republicans since the Civil war. I've devoted myself to the cause of the Republican party over my entire life. But I'm about to tell them, enough is enough.
Congress is celebrating the upcoming vote in favor of the likely passage of the Farm Bill. Once again the GOP is bought and paid for by big business. Here's just one little straw they added to my back.
Congress‘ mammoth farm bill restores the imposition of an extra fee on home heating oil, hitting consumers in cold-weather states just as utility costs are spiking.
The fee — two-tenths of a cent on every gallon sold — was tacked on to the end of the 959-page bill, which is winding its way through Capitol Hill. The fee would last for nearly 20 years and would siphon the money to develop equipment that is cheaper, more efficient and safer, and to encourage consumers to update their equipment.
It’s just one of dozens of provisions tucked into the farm bill, which cleared the House on a bipartisan 251-166 vote last week and faces a key filibuster test in the Senate on Monday. It is expected to survive and face final passage Tuesday before heading to President Obama’s desk.
Taxpayer groups say the bill could increase spending over the previous version and that it’s crammed with favors for individual lawmakers, such as rules legalizing industrial hemp.
The heating oil fee was backed by Northeast lawmakers who said it would fund important research to benefit consumers. [Washington Times]
Forget the fancy hemp provisions that somehow have blinded the rest of my fellow Kentuckians into falling in line behind the farm bill. And put aside the slam to those of us who use heating oil. Do you know what the farm bill really is?
[T]he bill’s main budget attribute is that it ratifies the huge recent increase in food stamp spending. The House bill had proposed trimming a modest $39 billion (5 percent) from food stamps, but Republican leaders caved in and agreed to just a token 1 percent trim in the final bill.
The farm bill is far too costly. George W. Bush vetoed the 2008 farm bill because it “would needlessly expand the size and scope of government.” Unfortunately, Congress overrode his veto and enacted that bill, costing $640 billion over 10 years. Today, the House is considering a farm bill that would cost taxpayers $940 billion over 10 years — 47 percent more than the one that even big-spending President Bush couldn’t stomach.
Food stamp costs have exploded. About four-fifths of the cost of the farm bill is for food stamps.
Farm subsidies are reverse Robin Hood.Farm subsidies even go to millionaire farmland owners such as Mark Rockefeller and Ted Turner.
Subsidies are very concentrated. Although politicians love to discuss the plight of small farmers, the vast majority of farm subsidies go to the largest farms. In recent years, the biggest 10 percent of farm businesses have received three-quarters of farm subsidies, according to the Environmental Working Group.
Farm programs harm free trade.
Farm subsidies are scandal-prone. As in all federal subsidy programs, a substantial share of farm subsidies are wasted on fraudulent and improper payments. Subsidies also go to farmers who haven’t suffered substantial losses. [CATO]
Now back to the heating oil tax. I don't think that many of my republican elected officials have any sense whatsoever of the plight of millions of their countrymen. I know many people trying to live on less than $700 per month. That's TOTAL INCOME!
Out of that they have to pay rent, or a mortgage payment, utilities, taxes, insurance if they can afford it, food, gasoline, car repairs, medical expenses, pharmacy expenses, clothing and all of the other things needed to survive in this world today. They do it on less than $700 per month.
Do you Republicans have any sense whatsoever of how hard it is for those people to survive? They are your grandmothers, your disabled brother, your neighbor. They are human beings and they are struggling while the big businesses, like big agriculture, are getting billions in support.
Yes, the farm bill does indeed fund food stamps. And that is a help to some, but the next time you have a minute, go to Walmart, watch a family of illegals push two or three shopping carts piled to spilling over up to the checkout and pay for it with their food stamp card.
And then watch as the hard working guy with a paycheck struggles to pay for a few items in a nearly empty cart out of his earnings. Why is this wrong?
Because the money for food stamps isn't really helping all the poor. Not all of them qualify for food stamps. I know many people who own their homes who don't qualify but are trying to pay for everything else on a pittance. And now you want to tax their heating oil, in the middle of this cold winter, to fund research?
Bullship! That research money is going to go to some of the well connected who will spend it to conclude that we need to give the government control over thermostats, or that we need tighter emission controls on furnaces in order to force people to buy new furnaces, a ploy by the furnace makers, or some other cockamamie pop culture idea that will either result in fewer freedoms or be swept into a dust pan with all the other wasted money we spent researching how the government can make life better.
If any one of our Kentucky republicans votes for the farm bill with this level of spending and with this heating oil tax in it, you will disgrace our Commonwealth and our party.
Get over yourselves. What you do hurts real people. Forget the rich donors for once and be human again.
Switch Parties?
Why do that?
Both parties are identical.
Change the party.
Don't change parties.
It is ironic that you wish for the exodus of the very people that are demanding the party change in a manner that you are wishing.
God Bless.
Posted by: Mr. Scott Ryan | February 03, 2014 at 05:02 PM
You need not post this but I want to vent my anger as well.
Republicans will need to vote against all bills that bust any chance of spending reduction. Or they may not ever use the word conservative in a campaign again.
Most people agree congress people could care less about people who work hard and refuse handouts. The ego boost is all they serve. But hey, we all have a way to get our food stamps, cell phones and digital programming, so we can keep our "dignity."
Posted by: K Elaine | February 03, 2014 at 03:56 PM