Farm bill keeping subsidies is OKd in Senate

[flashl]

Taxpayer groups, environmentalists and doctors have all pledged to try to change the legislation, for different reasons. Bush has threatened a veto.

The Senate on Friday approved a farm bill that would continue to funnel billions of dollars in subsidies to wealthy landowners and farmers who are earning record-breaking prices for their crops, rebuffing a concerted campaign by some senators to shift money to conservation, nutrition and deficit reduction.

The bill has drawn a veto threat from President Bush, who has criticized the subsidy payments and the creation of a $5-billion permanent disaster fund.

...

other lawmakers pointed out that the bill did not significantly alter the subsidy system, which allows one resident of the Beverly Hills 90210 ZIP Code to receive $1 million in farm subsidy payments. "This farm bill fails to provide the fundamental reform we need in Washington," said Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.), who proposed a failed amendment that would have phased out subsidies and used the money for nutrition, conservation and free crop insurance for all growers.

...

The 1,360-page bill adds $4 billion more than the 2002 farm bill for conservation programs that include wetlands and grasslands, Harkin said.

The energy section of the bill would give farmers money to grow crops that can be used to make alternative fuels, and supports the construction of refineries to process biofuels.

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The biofuel subsidy increases the cost of food.

edit: add link to earlier post

The end of cheap food

the rise in prices is also the self-inflicted result of America's reckless ethanol subsidies. This year biofuels will take a third of America's (record) maize harvest. That affects food markets directly: fill up an SUV's fuel tank with ethanol and you have used enough maize to feed a person for a year. And it affects them indirectly, as farmers switch to maize from other crops. The 30m tonnes of extra maize going to ethanol this year amounts to half the fall in the world's overall grain stocks.

[glowing]

1. Its really disgusting how badly they do with legislation.. Its all crap.

But recognize Christmas.. that's important.

[flashl]

2. What's disappointing is the lack of attention to an important issue

food on the table.

[glowing]

3. Exactly.. and the type of food that is on that table.. Corn, soy, and wheat

aren't the only supplements the body needs.. We need more leafy greens and fruits.. Variety that is cheaper than a box of craft mac n' cheese is needed so desperately.. And we wonder about obeisity, heart disease, and diabetes... These fools are killing us by providing shitty farming legislation, and then killing us because we can't afford to go to the Doctors.