Why does the government not help what might be in there best intrests?

Question

like farming. the farming community is slowly dissappearing because farmers are tired of the little pay, long hours, and high cost of production. it isn't fair to them. how come the government doesn't help them? i want to be a dairy farmer when i grow up, but that might not happen because of the high costs. trust me, i've done the research, there is a problem, so why doesn't the government help?

Answer 1

The government does help. There are dairy price support programs, ethanol gets a big tax break on the pretense that ethanol is good for the environment, farmers are paid not to grow certain crops in certain areas. If you really look into this, you will see the government is spending billions on farm subsidies.

The most unfair thing, though, is estate tax breaks for family farms going to sons and daughters. That makes it almost impossible for anyone who does not inherit a farm to start one. Hereditary privilege I would call it.

Edit for john h: I am a retired farmer. I have lived in farming communities most of my life. I do know what I'm talking about.

(Unless the question was originally about Canada and not the U.S. which I now suspect it may have been because ot the added info-if that's the case, I don't know what I'm talking about)

Answer 2

Honey, the problem is the govt.   go into dairy if you never want a day off.    not sure what kind of research you did, but you had better do it again.   Inheritance taxes are the big problem.

    do go into agriculture in some way, it is a great way of life.

Answer 3

Farming is actually one of the most subsidized industries in this country.  Farmers get a ridiculous amount of money from the government, and some even get money for NOT growing certain crops.

Answer 4

Dairy Princess, I feel your pain. I just don't know the answer to the problem. I'm afraid that the Government is part of the problem, and I wouldn't count on them for a lot of help. As for the first answerer, I am afraid that you may get a lot of answers like that from people who don't have the slightest idea what they are talking about. There are a lot of people who are blaming the farmers for the high cost of food now. Just try to hang in there, don't give up of  wanting to be a dairy farmer. People are always going to need to eat, maybe someday they will learn to appreciate the farmer for his worth.

Answer 5

forget dairy...The cattle and sheep are on the verge of being wiped out due to a genetic bomb. It is a well known fact that they will trigger the nuclear war.

dairy food is garbage to begin with. there is no proof that it has nutritional benefits

Answer 6

To say that the governments interests are divided and diverse would be an understatement. Here in the US where I am, and the same said for many countries, government is managed by elected representation of the people. Those representatives are elected by their constituents because of their views and policies. They represent more than just farmers and their concerns are more than the cost of food. There is a lot of in-fighting among the individual officials and a lot more in-fighting between the different sides of congress, manipulated more often than not by lobbiests and special interest groups. Their money gets officials elected and keeps them in office. Don't ever be fooled into thinking that your vote is what does that. It is the money poured into these people and their campaigns that get them their seats. The voters are fed information like so much creamed baby food and that all determines election outcome. Sorry if that sounds cynical but it is what it is. At least here in the US we don't have so much corruption that one must cast a ballot while having a gun barrel pointed at one's head. It's more sinister as we feel the wallets in our pocket loose weight as we pencil in our choices at the ballot. When legislation is enacted, all to frequently money and law in regards to agriculture will help the farmer if those that represent their interests knuckle under to other unrelated legislation riding on the "coat tails" of the interests of agriculture. In other words it is a matter of "If you want your fellow congress to vote in favor of this and that for farmers, then we want you to vote in favor of, lets say, this fuel tax or this firearm law, or this health care budget. And if you don't vote in favor of our concern, we won't vote in favor of your concern." In industrial regions farmers are poorly represented even with the specter of high food prices, but even in the huge farming belts with high representation of farmers, that is still just a small concern when one considers how many other things that the government needs to address. With such huge populations now, laws and budget are not directly voted on by every person at every instance. We are at the beck and call of those we elect and the big money that bought them and sold them to us. They want to be government officials and they earn their money and keep their jobs with daily fear of loosing the balance of the favor of ALL their people. They don't want to go back to growing peanuts for a living!

Answer 7

The government is a big part, if not the biggest, of the problem.  Once they get their fingers in the pie they keep changing the recipe.   And if you don't like their way, they will do whatever they can to either get you in line or to make an example of you (out of business).  Government is in the back pocket, the front pocket and, any other pocket big business has.  If you aren't corporate, you don't count.