“Log Rolling” the Farm Bill: More Incompetent and Deceptive Government

“I’ll vote for your legislation, if you’ll vote for mine.”

It is never said in public, but the act occurs constantly within our government. Regularly, our leadership requests a specific legislation, and our politicians agree to the request if the leadership includes his project.  Politicians trade votes for their respective benefit, which is seldom for the benefit of most Americans.

Political insiders call this “log rolling,”  and the expense to the American public is enormous. This blatant taking of property incrementally reduces everyone’s wealth, security and freedom.

“Log Rolling” the Farm Bill:  More Incompetent and Deceptive Government

Our Federal government oligarchs – Republican and Democrats – have “log rolled” the Farm Bill.  Farmers and ranchers exchanged politically poisoning subsidies for crop insurance and food stamps for millions of Americans.  Indirectly, our grocery industry benefits tremendously as well.  And… our big, deceptive, incompetent government bumbles along reducing every American’s wealth, security and freedom.

Obviously, a deal has been reached between Speaker of the House Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV).  Similar to the corruption and other deals that bought politicians’ votes for ObamaCare, our power elites have secured enough votes for the passage of the Farm Bill.  This macro ”log-rolling deal” is about the money traded for crop insurance and the money spent on food stamps.  For years, lobbyists representing rural America and big city America have given big political campaign contributions to rural-Republican politicians and big city Democrats.   So, after months of private negotiations, the lobbyists and political oligarchs have agreed to spending $1trillion over 10 years.

Americans will be taxed $1 trillion to pay for agriculture insurance and food stamps,  which indirectly subsidizes the grocery industry.  Additionally, in order to secure enough votes for its passage, Republican and Democrat leaders have made lots of small deals.  For example, to placate Republicans seeking major reforms to food stamps there will be state demonstration work projects.  Another deal keeps catfish inspections in the Agriculture Department, where the bureaucracy protects the catfish industry from foreign competition.  Alas, there is a deal for almost every politician at the expense of $1 trillion to the taxpayers.

To sell this to America, the Senate and House committee chairs offered these vacuous statements, claiming bipartisan created savings and job creation:

“Today’s bipartisan agreement puts us on the verge of enacting a five-year farm bill that saves taxpayers billions, eliminates unnecessary subsidies, creates a more effective farm safety-net and helps farmers and businesses create jobs,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

“We are putting in place sound policy that is good for farmers, ranchers, consumers, and those who have hit difficult times,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK)

Hoping not to awaken Americans to this “log rolling” deal, Speaker Boehner rushed the bill through the House, where he needed and received Democrat support.  Then, Sen. Harry Reid will manipulate the bill through the Senate.  Quickly, President Obama will sign the legislation into law.

Again, political insiders call this “log rolling,”  and the expense to the American public is enormous.  It is a blatant taking of property, which incrementally reduces everyone’s wealth, security and freedom.