Thursday, May 19, 2011

Farm subsidy cuts 'only thing that appears to be on the board right now,' Republican senator says

Here's the latest sign that farm subsidies will be cut: a story from Dave Helling in the Kansas City Star, which begins, "Liberals and conservatives aiming to close trillion-dollar federal budget gaps may soon reach a rare consensus on a common target for spending cuts: the American farmer."

Helling notes, "Farm advocates argue that while agriculture is ready to do its part to reduce the deficit, farm programs — cobbled together over many decades since the Great Depression — protect a system that delivers high-quality, safe food at a relatively low cost."

He quotes Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.: “I don’t think all of the cuts need to come from rural communities and farm families. And that’s the only thing that appears to be on the board right now.” (Read more)

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