Farm Subsidies: Welfare for the Wealthy

Farm Subsidies

At a recent party, I listened to a group of well-to-do friends carry on at great length about lazy, unproductive Americans who are receiving some form of public assistance from the government. I presumed they were talking about the unemployed, the homeless, single working mothers with children, the elderly who lost their health insurance, and a whole litany of fellow citizens who are down and out.


There were several ironies in play at this party. Many of those complaining were "well-to-do," not because of their hard work or superior intelligence, but because of good luck or hefty inheritances.


A second and greater irony is that, as I learned later, they themselves are receiving government assistance, quite in excess of the young working mother who is raising three children. An environmentalist friend directed me to the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website which among other things lists the farm subsidies provided to farmers and  agricultural corporations.  I learned that in Ohio, the federal government doled out 6.43 billion dollars between 1995 and 2009, and 10% of  the largest farmers/corporations received 70% of the 6.43 billion. In Lucas County one incorporated farm received $1,028,591; in Wood County another incorporated farm received $1,423,388 in subsidies in that period of time.


This, in it's simplest form, is government welfare for the wealthy.


And now, following the 5-4 Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, these corporations can anonymously donate as much money as they choose to re-elect politicians who will see to it that they continue to receive their government hand-outs while they continue to complain about the money spent on food stamps and Medicaid.