Comments for Bright Ag Ideas http://www.brightagideas.com Agriculture Matters Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:18:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on Override of Farm Bill veto possible soon by Scott G http://www.brightagideas.com/?p=25#comment-112 Scott G Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:12:03 +0000 http://www.brightagideas.com/?p=25#comment-112 Forgive me as a mere beneficiary of the wonderful farm bounty of America, but why do direct farm subsidies make sense for our country? I'm not aware of any other industry that expects its business owners to receive direct payment from the U.S. taxpayer for simply existing. Okay, the defense industry essentially exists due to the U.S. Federal Government, but at least the government gets stuff from these businesses in exchange for their humongous payments. Let me suggest that the government needs to exit the subsidy business and let people decide how they want to spend their dollars. Inserting government bureaucracies into any part of the economy in not a good use of money. The former Soviet Union proved that centrally-planned economies cannot compete with millions of well-informed and motivated individuals in market economies, the foundation of America. Farm subsidies now average about $2500 per farm employee (http://www.supportingevidence.com/Government/farm_subsidies_per_farm_empl.html). The USDA budget is near $16,000 per farm employee and growing (http://www.supportingevidence.com/Government/USDA_budget_per_farm_empl.html). Let's leave these dollars in consumers' wallets and let them pay farmers directly for the best farm products in the world. More interesting visuals on government, health, and education at: www.SupportingEvidence.com 'worth a thousand words' Forgive me as a mere beneficiary of the wonderful farm bounty of America, but why do direct farm subsidies make sense for our country? I’m not aware of any other industry that expects its business owners to receive direct payment from the U.S. taxpayer for simply existing. Okay, the defense industry essentially exists due to the U.S. Federal Government, but at least the government gets stuff from these businesses in exchange for their humongous payments.

Let me suggest that the government needs to exit the subsidy business and let people decide how they want to spend their dollars. Inserting government bureaucracies into any part of the economy in not a good use of money. The former Soviet Union proved that centrally-planned economies cannot compete with millions of well-informed and motivated individuals in market economies, the foundation of America.

Farm subsidies now average about $2500 per farm employee (http://www.supportingevidence.com/Government/farm_subsidies_per_farm_empl.html). The USDA budget is near $16,000 per farm employee and growing (http://www.supportingevidence.com/Government/USDA_budget_per_farm_empl.html). Let’s leave these dollars in consumers’ wallets and let them pay farmers directly for the best farm products in the world.

More interesting visuals on government, health, and education at:

http://www.SupportingEvidence.com
‘worth a thousand words’

]]> Comment on In case you missed it: FDAC’s “Farm to Fuel” grants by Wm. Paul Webb http://www.brightagideas.com/?p=20#comment-4 Wm. Paul Webb Wed, 21 May 2008 15:06:04 +0000 http://www.brightagideas.com/?p=20#comment-4 With the cost of fuel oil increasing as it seems every day, I am a proponent of the development of both alternate sources of fuel and ways to increase domestic production. However, we need to stop and think about the impact these biofuels have on the rest of our agricultural industry and the citizens of both our nation and the world. The use of crops such as corn and soybeans for production of biofuels takes much of the supply out of the market for use in both animal and human comsumption. In addition to lowering the availability of the crop for food use it inevitably causes a rise in the cost of any food or by product made with these crops to the comsumer (and this includes meat). Instead of spending dollars and time to research and develop these crops for biofuels why are we not looking to other sources of biofuels from waste products such as the mast from sugar production, stalks after production and other waste sources that can be converted to fuel. With the cost of fuel oil increasing as it seems every day, I am a proponent of the development of both alternate sources of fuel and ways to increase domestic production. However, we need to stop and think about the impact these biofuels have on the rest of our agricultural industry and the citizens of both our nation and the world. The use of crops such as corn and soybeans for production of biofuels takes much of the supply out of the market for use in both animal and human comsumption. In addition to lowering the availability of the crop for food use it inevitably causes a rise in the cost of any food or by product made with these crops to the comsumer (and this includes meat). Instead of spending dollars and time to research and develop these crops for biofuels why are we not looking to other sources of biofuels from waste products such as the mast from sugar production, stalks after production and other waste sources that can be converted to fuel.

]]> Comment on UF President Denies Anti-Agriculture Quote by jnkboyer http://www.brightagideas.com/?p=10#comment-2 jnkboyer Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:19:08 +0000 http://www.brightagideas.com/?p=10#comment-2 It is unfortunate that most of the public doesn't realize what is happening at UF. There is an upper part of administration that doesn't think IFAS is an important part of the univerisity, and the IFAS administration isn't able to defend itself. IFAS will be crippled if all of the cuts go through. It is unfortunate that most of the public doesn’t realize what is happening at UF. There is an upper part of administration that doesn’t think IFAS is an important part of the univerisity, and the IFAS administration isn’t able to defend itself. IFAS will be crippled if all of the cuts go through.

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