Why taxing raisins is necessary

[Colonâ„¢]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/11/CA-Farmer-Faces-Bankruptcy-Gov-t-Wrath-for-Refusing-to-Contribute-to-National-Raisin-Reserve

[The Mad Monk]

I don't see where that shows it to be necessary.

[Colonâ„¢]

To maintain raisin reserves.

[giblets]

I wonder if Oncle Boris thinks this is a good idea...? He supported milk quotas

[ZEE]

This thrade has altered the very faBric of the universe

[Dinner]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Governm...Raisin-Reserve

Breit Bart.

That guy is just a whiny little *****. He happily took the government's subsidies and he willingly signed the contracts but now he doesn't want to live up to the obligations he has under the contract he signed. This program was designed in the 1930's as a way to alleviate over production and low prices by taking a portion of everyone's crop in that commodity and essentially taking it off the market (decreasing supply and hopefully increasing prices farmers get for the remainder of their crop; if draught caused production to drop sharply then the government would release the reserves onto the market thus maintaining price stability). No one forced him to sign the contract and all he has to do is stop taking Uncle Sugar's handouts and he'll be free to do what he wants but as long as he takes the money then he has to live up to his contractual obligations and his whining is just sour grapes.

"I want the free money but I don't want to have to do what I said I would do to get it!"

[Felch]

I don't see anything in the Post article about this guy signing a contract or being given money. It does say, "Justice Elena Kagan wondered whether it might be 'just the world’s most outdated law.'" So either Elena Kagan and the Washington Post are right wing stooges, or Oerdin is wrong again. Anybody want to place bets?

[Wezil]

Are the options mutually exclusive?

[OneFootInTheGrave]

It is probably more effective than taxing foxes.

[Dinner]

I don't see anything in the Post article about this guy signing a contract or being given money. It does say, "Justice Elena Kagan wondered whether it might be 'just the world’s most outdated law.'" So either Elena Kagan and the Washington Post are right wing stooges, or Oerdin is wrong again. Anybody want to place bets?

Bull, there are indeed federal crop subsidies on grapes and where Uncle Sugar's money flows contracts are signed to maintain accountability of public funds.

[Felch]

Not according to the Environmental Working Group or the NY Times. Cash subsidies overwhelmingly go to commodities like cotton and rice. Fruit and vegetable farmers get "marketing assistance" which in this case is paid for by seizing part of their crop.

In any given year, only about 10 percent of California’s farmers receive direct subsidies. This money is then concentrated disproportionately in the hands of a very small number of producers of five subsidized commodities – cotton, rice, wheat, livestock and corn – with the vast majority going to cotton and rice growers. Fruit, vegetable and nut producers, the so-called specialty crop growers who account for about half of the $36 billion value of the state’s agricultural economy, get almost no direct support.

Ms. Lundquist and most other farmers here in the nation's leading agriculture state who grow fruits, nuts and vegetables - nearly half of all American crops - generally get little or nothing from the government, because they have been viewed as self-sustaining.

Do you have any evidence to support your assertion that Marvin Horne signed a contract or took federal money? Or is this just knee jerk slander?

[Dinner]

"Grape surplus as growers chase subsidies": http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/reposi...07p4-71394.pdf

"
Georgia: Grape Farmers Ailing Despite Subsidies" http://iwpr.net/report-news/georgia-...pite-subsidies

Congress funds grape growers: http://www.winesandvines.com/templat...&content=56626

There are all kinds of subsidies for grapes and other fruits. Direct cash subsidies based upon production, cash subsidies to help pay for new plantings, drip irrigation systems, and even terracing. Indirect subsidies like crop insurance and price supports (the program in the OP is one of the price support programs) and god knows what else. Farmers seem to be experts on sucking up welfare for doing what they would have done anyway and the sooner they all get off of uncle sugar's tits the better.

[Dinner]

We know that fat ****er took those subsidies because EVERYONE in the industry takes the subsidies but then they act with surprise when they find out the "free money" isn't actually free and instead comes with strings like requiring them to take part in price support programs. I'm 100% certain this ****bag took the cash and now just doesn't want to live up to his side of the bargain. Most of these welfare queen farmers are some of the most arrogant, self entitled, and pig headed people on Earth. They all love to rant about what's "mine, mine, mine" and how everyone else owes them.

[Felch]

"Grape surplus as growers chase subsidies": http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/reposi...07p4-71394.pdf

That's from 64 years ago. It literally predates the Marketing Order 989 that we're talking about

"
Georgia: Grape Farmers Ailing Despite Subsidies" http://iwpr.net/report-news/georgia-...pite-subsidies

That one mentions Russian blockades and Tblisi. I don't think it's the same Georgia that Imran lives in.

Congress funds grape growers: http://www.winesandvines.com/templat...&content=56626

It mentions block grants to states, and some disaster relief money, but doesn't mention direct cash subsidies. Also the bill it described was new as of 2008, while Horne began his civil disobedience in 2002.

Do you want to try again?

[Felch]

We know that fat ****er took those subsidies because EVERYONE in the industry takes the subsidies but then they act with surprise when they find out the "free money" isn't actually free and instead comes with strings like requiring them to take part in price support programs. I'm 100% certain this ****bag took the cash and now just doesn't want to live up to his side of the bargain. Most of these welfare queen farmers are some of the most arrogant, self entitled, and pig headed people on Earth. They all love to rant about what's "mine, mine, mine" and how everyone else owes them.

Again, that's commodity farmers, and large politically connected corporate farms. Small farmers, especially fruit and vegetable farmers, get virtually none of the direct subsidies. Please read the sources I provided, unless you want to pretend that the WaPo, NYT, and EWG are all part of the vast right wing conspiracy.