As it turns out, your taxpayer dollars subsidize the farming thats being done by a host of mega-rich superstars from the Forbes 400 list, none of whom youd immediately associate with the sort of hardscrabble agri-artisan whos in need of a leg up from the federal government. But their numbers are legion. According to the Environmental Working Group, at least 50 billionaires or farm businesses in which they had a financial interest benefited from $11.3 million in traditional farm subsidies between 1995 and 2012. And the farm bill currently being considered contains changes that will likely increase the subsidies these billionaires take away. It would also affect several members of Congress. As we reported back in June, theres a $237,921 kitty of farm subsidies currently going to fifteen lawmakers or their spouses. That includes people like Reps. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.) and Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), who are apparently budding ironists in the world of government handouts: huffingtonpost/2013/11/11/farm-bill-billionaires_n_4256365.html
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 16:03:32 +0000
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