Farm Subsidies

This one comes under the category of "even though he's an aw shucks South Georgia boy griftdrift would never be elected by his own people".

I don't care for farm subsidies. Even though I have profited from them in the past, I know they are wrong.

Interestingly, according to the AJC, some South Georgia farmers agree. Even as they take the entitlement.

"Shoot, we're on welfare," said Houston, the Miller County cotton farmer. "We're no different than people driving up to the welfare center and getting food stamps."

It's not simple issue. Subsidies do create artifically low market prices. So even if on principle you disagree with subsisdies, are you prepraed to pay $8 for a jar of peanut butter?

This promises to be an interesting series. Good for the AJC in reporting on one of the country's dirty little secrets.

Disclosure: I do own land where both cotton and peanuts are grown. I do not farm it myself but rent it out. So, I don't benefit directly from subsidies but I would have to say I do benefit indirectly.

UPDATE: I expected this to cause rumbles from my "south Georgia mafia. Via email:

according to these guys:
http://www.reason.com/0602/fe.dg.six.shtmlhttp://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=policy_Peanut_Subsidies

We're paying twice as much for peanut butter, sugar, etc. now than we would if the subsidies were removed