Administration gives billion$ to ranchers who don't know why.

[wskin44]

On a clear, cold morning in February 2003, Nico de Boer heard what sounded like a clap of thunder and stepped outside his hillside home for a look. High above the tree line, the 40-year-old dairy farmer saw a trail of smoke curling across the sky -- all that remained of the space shuttle Columbia.

Weeks later, de Boer was startled to learn that he was one of hundreds of East Texas ranchers entitled to up to $40,000 in disaster compensation from the federal government, even though the nearest debris landed 10 to 20 miles from his cattle.




Shortly before the 2002 congressional elections, the Bush administration faced growing pressure from ranchers and politicians in a handful of Western states that were hit hard by drought. Of special political concern to the White House, sources said, was South Dakota, where Republican Rep. John Thune was close to unseating Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson.

The USDA responded with a plan to give ranchers cash payments based on how much livestock they owned. A beef cow would count for $18; a dairy cow, $31.50. Lesser payments would be awarded for buffalo and sheep. The maximum an individual rancher could get was $40,000.





http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/17/AR2006071701237.html

[Skinsfan1311]

....that does suck...but if they're going to piss away money, then I'd rather AMERICANS get it, then all those foreign countries who hate us....

[fight_on_til_you_have_won]

Hasn't stuff like this been going on for decades? :whoknows:

[chomerics]

a free unasked for $40,000 gift to your core supporters? Hell, I wonder why there was not outcry for everyone spending this money like they were for the people who really needed it in New Orleans?

I bet we will never hear about THIS on Fox News or the right wing media.

[dreamingwolf]

seems like whenever this happens its only the other party doing it, its no wonder it never gets fixed. stupid bureaucracy emboldend by partisian politics.

[wskin44]

seems like whenever this happens its only the other party doing it, its no wonder it never gets fixed. stupid bureaucracy emboldend by partisian politics.

It's true that both parties do this stuff but $20 Billion last year to ranchers that didn't even need the money? It just seems that with the biggest deficit ever and a war that is spinning out of control, this sort of govt. give away shouldn't be taken as lightly as it is.

On the other hand, we own six horses so maybe the government will give us some money too! :doh:

[Destino]

a free unasked for $40,000 gift to your core supporters? Hell, I wonder why there was not outcry for everyone spending this money like they were for the people who really needed it in New Orleans?

I bet we will never hear about THIS on Fox News or the right wing media.
Exactly what I was thinking. Giving money away to disaster survivors and they all go crazy - give large sums of money away for no damn reason at all... not a peep. Compassionate conservatism at it's finest.

[Zguy28]

a free unasked for $40,000 gift to your core supporters? Hell, I wonder why there was not outcry for everyone spending this money like they were for the people who really needed it in New Orleans?

I bet we will never hear about THIS on Fox News or the right wing media.


Exactly what I was thinking. Giving money away to disaster survivors and they all go crazy - give large sums of money away for no damn reason at all... not a peep. Compassionate conservatism at it's finest.Woe there! Before this turns into a conservative bash session, lets read the whole article.

Like this little tittle from the end:

The expansion was pushed by a bipartisan group of senators from Western states and House members from the Southeast. House-Senate negotiators then added the legislation to a huge annual spending bill that was not subject to amendments on the floor.

Also the article does state that the plan initially was sound until Congress got their greedy hands on it and loosened the restrictions.:2cents:

[Destino]

Woe there! Before this turns into a conservative bash session, lets read the whole article.
My comment was about the reaction to it, not the people responsible.

[dreamingwolf]

My comment was about the reaction to it, not the people responsible.

ya, but you reacted just like I said people would.