Texas farmers who'd go bust without government largesse express disdain for Obama and govt. largesse

(Bloomberg) John Loepky’s story is one of Texan self-reliance. Starting out in the mid-1980s with less than $100 in his pocket, Loepky first found work on farms and by the mid- 1990s owned his own land. Today he coaxes cotton, peanuts and wheat out of 3,300 acres of parched soil in Gaines County, getting as much as $2.4 million in revenue on a good year.

In bad years -- like 2011 -- he can rely on the government for help. Record-low rainfall triggered record-high crop insurance payouts of $125 million last year to local farmers, with taxpayers subsidizing $30.8 million of the $46.9 million of the premiums paid in the county that year. Loepky received about $1 million, which paid half of his loans for the year.

Landowners such as Loepky who rely on the federal safety net are less fond of the man who heads the government offering it. Gaines voters backed John McCain -- who voted against reauthorizing farm payments in 2008 -- over subsidy-supporting Barack Obama by 83 percent to 16 percent, the most lopsided margin among the top 10 aid-receiving counties in the U.S.

“Republicans understand business better than Democrats,” says Loepky, 47. “We need strong banks, low taxes. We need a safety net for farmers, but we need other things too.” ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-05/texas-sized-safety-net-supports-county-voting-83-against-obama.html