2012 Farm Bill.....maybe...
June 29, 2012 at 1:24 pm
(This post was last modified: June 29, 2012 at 1:44 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
The proposed 2012 farm bill has passed the Senate, but it still needs to pass in the House, which, apparently, has already expressed a complete lack of interest in passing the bill as is. Some highlights (for me anyway).
Passed:
SA 2445 Brown: Rural Development-provides mandatory rural development and beginning farmer and rancher programs. Unfortunately, the necessary increase for socially disadvantaged farmers (Section 2501) was removed from the amendment leaving only $25 million out of a proposed $150 million
(clever move assholes. Mandating increased rural development but leaving out the denizens of rural areas -socially disadvantaged farmers-. I'm sure whatever isn't earmarked for the peasants will end up in a deserving friends hands....lol)
SA 2438 Chambliss: Conservation Crop Insurance-applied highly erodible land conservation compliance to eligibility for crop insurance
(I actually like this one, if you want crop insurance -a sizable portion of the payouts are payed for by John Q btw- you have to show that you aren't a complete asshole essentially shitting on your production floor and then skulking over to the Fed looking for a handout. On the other hand, I bet we'll see lobbyists arguing for a tightening of the standards for "highly erodible land", before you know it cropland will be technically classified as 'indestructable')
SA 2439 Durbin-Coburn: Crop Insurance-Reduces the level of federal premium support for crop insurance by 15% for people with AGI above $750,000
(another good one, could get gamed pretty hard, but a good step.)
SA 2382 Merkley: Organic Crop Insurance-Directs USDA Risk Management Program to establish better indemnity prices for organic crops.
(I actually don't like this one, but let me explain why. Currently the indemnity price for any given crop is the same regardless of production methodology. Which is to say that as far as the insurance providers (and the FED) are concerned, a tomato is a tomato. This is how it should be. The purpose of indemnity (as it applies to government subsidized indemnity-private providers can come up with whatever scheme they like -and they do) is to stabilize the process and output of production. The fed subsidizes a portion of crop insurance payouts so that the crop insurance itself is affordable to farmers, and farmers avail themselves of crop insurance to prevent financial ruin at the hands of a particularly strong gust of wind. This has the effect of securing our access to food. The organic market is a niche market, and dare I say it, a luxury commodities market. Our government should not be in the business of ensuring the profitability of luxury markets which producers entered with full knowledge of both the potential profits and risks. Consider that due to food items being exempt from sales tax, a tomato that costs you 3 dollars and a tomato that costs you 1.29 brings exactly the same revenue to the administration that funds a portion of insurance payouts which, under the plan being bandied about, would actually have to pay more for the luxury tomato in those payouts. Really mull that over a second. Indemnity payouts really kick in with particularly bad yields, but this also increases the price you pay for any given food item at the grocery store (due to it's scarcity). This would allow niche/luxury producers to both charge more for what they do harvest, and collect more for what they didn't. I really can't help but stand in awe at the balls on the people who argue for this sort of thing.)
Denied:
SA 2310 Sanders: Genetically Engineered Food-Adding a consumer’s right to know. Adding labeling
(This one seems like a no-brainer to me. If the food is genetically engineered why shouldn't that be on the label...unless the proposed label is a fucking skull and crossbones. Looking over what has been passed and denied so far it's hard to imagine why the House has expressed reluctance)
SA 2180 Paul: Raw Milk-Was not brought up for debate but would have allowed for interstate travel of Raw Milk
(Thank the milk gods. I would really be disappointed if the raw milk crowd gained traction in a Farm Bill.)
SA 2220 Wynden: Allowed for states to grow hemp. Was not brought up for debate
(No surprise here, who the hell wants to touch this issue if they can avoid it?)
Passed:
SA 2445 Brown: Rural Development-provides mandatory rural development and beginning farmer and rancher programs. Unfortunately, the necessary increase for socially disadvantaged farmers (Section 2501) was removed from the amendment leaving only $25 million out of a proposed $150 million
(clever move assholes. Mandating increased rural development but leaving out the denizens of rural areas -socially disadvantaged farmers-. I'm sure whatever isn't earmarked for the peasants will end up in a deserving friends hands....lol)
SA 2438 Chambliss: Conservation Crop Insurance-applied highly erodible land conservation compliance to eligibility for crop insurance
(I actually like this one, if you want crop insurance -a sizable portion of the payouts are payed for by John Q btw- you have to show that you aren't a complete asshole essentially shitting on your production floor and then skulking over to the Fed looking for a handout. On the other hand, I bet we'll see lobbyists arguing for a tightening of the standards for "highly erodible land", before you know it cropland will be technically classified as 'indestructable')
SA 2439 Durbin-Coburn: Crop Insurance-Reduces the level of federal premium support for crop insurance by 15% for people with AGI above $750,000
(another good one, could get gamed pretty hard, but a good step.)
SA 2382 Merkley: Organic Crop Insurance-Directs USDA Risk Management Program to establish better indemnity prices for organic crops.
(I actually don't like this one, but let me explain why. Currently the indemnity price for any given crop is the same regardless of production methodology. Which is to say that as far as the insurance providers (and the FED) are concerned, a tomato is a tomato. This is how it should be. The purpose of indemnity (as it applies to government subsidized indemnity-private providers can come up with whatever scheme they like -and they do) is to stabilize the process and output of production. The fed subsidizes a portion of crop insurance payouts so that the crop insurance itself is affordable to farmers, and farmers avail themselves of crop insurance to prevent financial ruin at the hands of a particularly strong gust of wind. This has the effect of securing our access to food. The organic market is a niche market, and dare I say it, a luxury commodities market. Our government should not be in the business of ensuring the profitability of luxury markets which producers entered with full knowledge of both the potential profits and risks. Consider that due to food items being exempt from sales tax, a tomato that costs you 3 dollars and a tomato that costs you 1.29 brings exactly the same revenue to the administration that funds a portion of insurance payouts which, under the plan being bandied about, would actually have to pay more for the luxury tomato in those payouts. Really mull that over a second. Indemnity payouts really kick in with particularly bad yields, but this also increases the price you pay for any given food item at the grocery store (due to it's scarcity). This would allow niche/luxury producers to both charge more for what they do harvest, and collect more for what they didn't. I really can't help but stand in awe at the balls on the people who argue for this sort of thing.)
Denied:
SA 2310 Sanders: Genetically Engineered Food-Adding a consumer’s right to know. Adding labeling
(This one seems like a no-brainer to me. If the food is genetically engineered why shouldn't that be on the label...unless the proposed label is a fucking skull and crossbones. Looking over what has been passed and denied so far it's hard to imagine why the House has expressed reluctance)
SA 2180 Paul: Raw Milk-Was not brought up for debate but would have allowed for interstate travel of Raw Milk
(Thank the milk gods. I would really be disappointed if the raw milk crowd gained traction in a Farm Bill.)
SA 2220 Wynden: Allowed for states to grow hemp. Was not brought up for debate
(No surprise here, who the hell wants to touch this issue if they can avoid it?)
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