Farm Subsidies Abolition Bill

[12th Doctor]

How much wood could a food chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood.

Heh, there, the debate is still open. 

[The Duke]

Will the ethanol tax credit be kept under this bill?  Just wondering.

[12th Doctor]

Will the ethanol tax credit be kept under this bill?  Just wondering.

Al and I are currently working on revisions to the bill.  If there is anything that you would like us to include in the revisions, then please PM me.

[Ebowed]

What effects would all of these planned revisions have?

[12th Doctor]

In the interests of honesty and full disclosure, this is the PM I sent to Senator Al, regarding the subject

First off, I think we are going to need to play for a stratigic victory here, even if we have to accept some tactical losses.  We don't have enough votes lined up to get what we want, I think however, we can turn the tide and get something here.

First, we need to lesses the overall costs.  We can do this by getting rid of all the big coorperate money, but we might need to find another avenue to get rid of more money, because I doubt they are going to accept any plan that does not cut small farm aid.  I'll ask around and see what certain Senators will support.

Second, we need a definition of what is a small farm vs a coorperate farm, and it needs to be iron clad.  We can't have coorperations breaking up their farms the way interests groups broke up into different small groups all under national head in campaign financing.  Perhaps we can go with "public" and "not public".

Third, we need a plan to assure the gentic and geographic variation of the food supply.

Fourth, we need to invest some fo the money from this into Thrid World agricultural renewal.

[Q]

In the interests of honesty and full disclosure, this is the PM I sent to Senator Al, regarding the subject.

Honestly, the strident back-and-forth in these subsequent pages became very tiresome to me, so I skipped ahead.  So could you please tell me: what exactly is it that you want, Mr. Secretary?

[12th Doctor]

In the interests of honesty and full disclosure, this is the PM I sent to Senator Al, regarding the subject.

Honestly, the strident back-and-forth in these subsequent pages became very tiresome to me, so I skipped ahead.  So could you please tell me: what exactly is it that you want, Mr. Secretary?

It is pretty well summed up in those pages.  I want to eliminate funding that goes to "mega-farms" while preserving the funding that goes to small family farms.  In so doing, we could cut about 75% (at least) of the ttal funding.

I think we can also take a small portion of the money and use it to educate Third World farmers in better farming techniques and, in so doing, we could eliminate thier dependencey on us and help out their economies.

[Q]

In the interests of honesty and full disclosure, this is the PM I sent to Senator Al, regarding the subject.

Honestly, the strident back-and-forth in these subsequent pages became very tiresome to me, so I skipped ahead.  So could you please tell me: what exactly is it that you want, Mr. Secretary?

It is pretty well summed up in those pages.  I want to eliminate funding that goes to "mega-farms" while preserving the funding that goes to small family farms.  In so doing, we could cut about 75% (at least) of the ttal funding.

I think we can also take a small portion of the money and use it to educate Third World farmers in better farming techniques and, in so doing, we could eliminate thier dependencey on us and help out their economies.

I see no reason why I shouldn't support this.

Propose something along these lines and I'll introduce an amendment, or Senator Al can if he wishes to.

[12th Doctor]

In the interests of honesty and full disclosure, this is the PM I sent to Senator Al, regarding the subject.

Honestly, the strident back-and-forth in these subsequent pages became very tiresome to me, so I skipped ahead.  So could you please tell me: what exactly is it that you want, Mr. Secretary?

It is pretty well summed up in those pages.  I want to eliminate funding that goes to "mega-farms" while preserving the funding that goes to small family farms.  In so doing, we could cut about 75% (at least) of the ttal funding.

I think we can also take a small portion of the money and use it to educate Third World farmers in better farming techniques and, in so doing, we could eliminate thier dependencey on us and help out their economies.

I see no reason why I shouldn't support this.

Propose something along these lines and I'll introduce an amendment, or Senator Al can if he wishes to.

Thank you, Senator.  We are working on it.

[Siege40]

I believe the elimination of all sugar subsidies is a good idea, for the record, I am less certain on the other farming subsidies.

Siege

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sugar subsidies are certainly the worst ones, agreed

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sorry to keep you all waiting; there's been some problems with the definition of a small farm. That seems to have been dealt with now. Shouldn't be all that long now.

[CheeseWhiz]

I’d really rather abolition all farm subsidies, but if we have to keep it for the small farms in order for this to pass, at least it’s still a vast improvement.

[DanielX]

I’d really rather abolition all farm subsidies, but if we have to keep it for the small farms in order for this to pass, at least it’s still a vast improvement.

Quite true. If possible, small-farm subsidies should be capped at a lower level then my original $15 billion cap.

[12th Doctor]

I’d really rather abolition all farm subsidies, but if we have to keep it for the small farms in order for this to pass, at least it’s still a vast improvement.

Quite true. If possible, small-farm subsidies should be capped at a lower level then my original $15 billion cap.

$15 billion?  That was the total for all farm subsidies in 2003.  How much do you guys acctually know about this issue?  Anyway, the bill that Al and I are pushing calls for about $5 billion.

[A18]

Do you have the votes to pass an outright repeal, or do you have to go with "compromise" nonsense?

[Ebowed]

Do you have the votes to pass an outright repeal, or do you have to go with "compromise" nonsense?

I believe I would have enough votes to pass an outright repeal, but if anyone proposes compromise amendments, they would probably pass too.

[Q]

Do you have the votes to pass an outright repeal, or do you have to go with "compromise" nonsense?

I don't know that it would necessarily be a compromise.  Some believe that eliminating corporate subsidies but keeping some basic support for individual and family farms might actually be the best way to go.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Part I

Section I

The total amount of funds appropriated for Federal Farm Subsidies will be cut a total of 65%, from $16.5 billion annually to $6 billion starting the next fiscal year.

a) An additional $500 million will be set aside, each year, for the next 5 years to aid in the creation of the Third World Agricultural Independence Agency. (See Section IV)

b) The remaining $6 billion will be appropriated specifically towards agricultural operations meeting the guidelines set forth in Section II.

c) $200 million (of the remaining $6 billion) will be set aside in a permanent account, each fiscal year, to aid in emergency relief for high risk crops (i.e. wheat, grain, citrus).

Section II

a) The amount of money to be spent on state aid to farms is to be capped at $6 billion annually, except in times of agricultural crisis (which must be declared as such by the Senate).

b) Farms will recieve payments based on how low the farm in question scores on the following variables;

i) Total value of farm output
ii) Size of profit made by farm (in % terms)
iii) Ratio of agricultural labourers per acre
iv) Total value of the farm, including farm buildings and equipment

These scores will be recalculated annually

c) Money is to be shared out, according to the score, between the bottom 80% (according to the scores) of farms eligable for state aid. The lower a farms score, the higher it's % subsidies will be.

Section III

Sugar subsidies are hereby abolished as of the next fiscal year.

Part II

Section IV

The Third World Agricultural Independency Agency (TWAIA) will be established with an operating budget of $500 million per year over the next 5 years. 

a) The mission of the organization will be primarily to send personnel trained in the usage of agricultural technologies and methods to Third World nations in order to teach them to self sufficient and productive in the field of agriculture.

b) The Senate will have full oversight over this organization which will be placed under the Department of the Treasury.

c) At the end of the designated 5 year period, the Senate will review the activities of the organization and the progress that has been made in Third World nations.

1) If it is determined that proper progress has not been made, the Senate is authorized to fire all standing leaders of the Agency, but must continue funding for an additional 3 years.

2) If it is determined that the agency has reached its goals, then the Senate may vote to terminate funding.

Section V

The federal government will be authorized to establish guidelines to assure the genetic diversity of domestic agriculture.

a) All seed production facilities will be required by the FDA to preserve at least 40 separate seed lines of any flora that is produced. 

b) All companies involved in the in the large scale breeding of domesticated animals used in the production of food products will be required to preserve no fewer than 20 separate and distinct genetic lines for each species of animal breed.

[12th Doctor]

Well this is the proposal that Al and I have crafted.  Any comments?

[CheeseWhiz]

Well this is the proposal that Al and I have crafted.  Any comments?

Yeah, can’t we just get rid of it all?

P.S. This is a joke, this is only a joke.  In the event of a real statement from me, you will be advised to PANIC!!!

[MasterJedi]

A comment? Ok I have one for you.............I'll be voting for it.

[CheeseWhiz]

A comment? Ok I have one for you.............I'll be voting for it.

NOOO!!!  Vote to get rid of all Farm subsidies!

Okay, I understand if you want to keep some, (not that I’m happy about it, but I do understand.)

[Q]

Any comments?

Yes: How would the "Third World Agricultural Independency Agency" help Atlasia?

[12th Doctor]

Any comments?

Yes: How would the "Third World Agricultural Independency Agency" help Atlasia?

I would say that global famine would be to the detriment of our country.

Perhaps I should expand on this.  Right now, crops from first world countries have flooded Third World markets, leading to a decline in agricultural porduction.  If we are to decrease our production by lowering Subsidies, then we had better do something to help out Third World countires to become more productive in this area.  It will help our economy, in the end, when these countries acctually have some reasources to trade with us, and it will prevent the unwanted effects of mass starvation that would insue were we to simply cut these other nations off.