'Trump Money' Is Buying Silence as Unprecedented Payments Go to Farmers

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

“‘Trump money’ is what we call it,’ Missouri farmer Robert Henry told NPR of the taxpayer-funded subsidies sent to him and other farmers by the Department of Agriculture.

Farm subsidies have now hit a 14-year high after the USDA sent out payments of approximately $16 billion in aid in 2019 and $12 billion in 2018. The two-year total of $28 billion paid to American farmers tops the auto-industry bailout following the 2008 financial crisis by billions.

The other key differences between the auto bailout and the recent farm subsidies, NPR points out, are the lack of debate surrounding the payoffs and the fact that they were not authorized by Congress. Considering it can be argued this is a self-inflicted wound caused by the president, and at an enormous cost to taxpayers, one would think the subsidies would be more controversial. The unprecedented payments are mostly compensation for losses incurred from Trump’s tariff war with China, which has triggered crops to fall in value.

But Trump is paying off those affected by his decisions, effectively buying their silence. “The sector that is hurt the most, and which would normally complain, all of a sudden it’s assuaged by these payments. To me, that’s a problem,” the USDA’s former chief economist Joe Glauber told NPR.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-money-buying-silence-farmer-subsidies-933019/

[elleng]

1. No surprise, it's what he does.

[Kittycow]

2. It infuriates me .

[Maru Kitteh]

3. I would guess the number of electoral votes and "swing" status

have had an impact on how much and where the money goes as well.

[keithbvadu2]

4. It's not capitalism or free market... Socialism? Communism? Just plain corruption?

It's not capitalism or free market... Socialism? Communism? Just plain corruption?

[ooky]

10. It's another problem Trump created.

There isn't a way to fix it whereby the U.S. or our farmers come out ahead. It's a big loser, and he's just going to keep fleecing the taxpayers and lie about it.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2019/10/07/original-trump-goal-in-china-trade-talks-abandoned/

After 18 months, it may be good to remember the answer to a simple question: What was the initial goal of the Trump administration’s talks and actions with China? “The original Section 301 indictment the U.S. Trade Representative issued in March 2018 criticized China for intellectual property theft, forced technology transfers, and the buying up of U.S. technology companies,” said Daniel Griswold, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, in an interview. “The tariffs the administration started imposing in the summer of 2018 were supposed to bring China to the table to negotiate an agreement that would curb those practices.”

Some have suggested that the real purpose was to come up with a justification to impose tariffs. In any case, the result has been more tariffs and no change in China's practices.”

What is the Trump administration trying to accomplish in current trade talks with China? “It’s not clear what the Trump administration’s ultimate objective is with China,” said Griswold. “A grand deal to fix the problems described in the Section 301 report seems more remote than it was six months or a year ago.”

[Demovictory9]

5. k&r

[mr_lebowski]

6. Here I'da thunk them hardscrabble, bootstrapping Trump voters would want no part of that Socialist

'Inner City' Government Handout Nonsense!?!

I'm SHOCKED, shocked I tell you!

BTW, we getting any IOU's, like we did from the Auto Makers?



Yeah, didn't think so ...

[SCVDem]

7. tRump has NO MONEY!!

Farmer Bob!

Turn off fox bullshit and get educated, Bob!

It is OUR tax money, not his!

[Thekaspervote]

8. Nailed that one!!

[catrose]

9. Isn't Big Ag getting more than their share? Farmer Bob I wouldn't mind as much.

[spanone]

11. Twice the amount of President Obama's Auto baliout.

Trump's $28 billion trade war bailout is overpaying farmers

(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump’s $28 billion farm bailout may be paying many growers more than the trade war with China has cost them.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s calculations overshot the impact of the trade conflict on American soybean prices, according to six academic studies, a conclusion that is likely to add to criticism that the bailout has generated distortions and inequalities in the farm economy.

“It’s clear that the payment rates overstated the damage suffered by soybean growers,” said Joseph Glauber, the USDA’s former chief economist who published a review of the research in late November. “Based on what the studies show, the damages were about half that.”

The academic research has focused on soybeans in part because the crop has been the most visible target of Chinese retaliation and overall received the most trade aid. But the method the department used to calculate trade losses also likely overstates the conflict’s financial impact on most other farm products, though for a few commodities it may understate the true impact, Glauber, now a senior fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, said in an interview.

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/news/trumps-28-billion-trade-war-bailout-overpaying-farmers

[czarjak]

12. Don't you eventually run out of other people's money...

Ain't that what you rubes say about socialism?

[Midnight Writer]

13. Democrats have no motive to fight this bailout. Hell, we don't want to see American farms go under.

It's just a shame that it is Republican policies that are screwing these working folk, but wave a flag or read from the Bible or just show'em your nuts and they fall right in line.

[LudwigPastorius]

14. At first, Trump tried holding their payments until they promised they'd vote for him, but...

since the whole Ukraine thing, he's actually learned how bribery works.

[KPN]

15. It isn't fucking tRump money! It's my money, it.'s your money!

Something has to break. We are in the midst of a national emergency. Buying white rural votes and striking Baghdad in the news today. This is a nationwide Katrina! Something needs to happen!

[ancianita]

16. The USDA is right down the road from Chas Koch's residence. Pretty sure he's got something to do

with how our hush/tax money's spent. Congress? What's that?!

[aeromanKC]

17. Socialism is OKIYAR

[TheFourthMind]

18. This is the one where I say, that's it. I'm out. No more news. n/t