Farm bill debacle, Mark Souder is a big government Republican

Our agricultural policy has been a disaster for a long time. The government has inserted itself into our farming industry and we are spending tens of billions of dollars on farm aid. The government should get out of the practice of subsidizing farmers, it is absurd.

The Democratic House approved another big farm bill that will take a lot of money from taxpayers and funnel it to farmers. Most of this money goes to large, successful agricultural businesses and does not go to small farms.

Basically the Democratic House decided to keep following the disastrous farm policy that this country has pursued for decades. The government will keep involving itself into something that the free market could handle much more efficiently.

Only 19 Republicans voted in favor of this farm bill. Mark Souder, my Congressman, was one of them. Mark Souder once again has proved that he is a big government Republican. Mark Souder once again voted with Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party.

The Democrats made one minor improvement to our agricultural policy in this bill. They inserted a provision that would disallow farm subsidies to anyone making more then $1,000,000 per year. Believe it or not in the past there was no ceiling. There are a large number of billionaires who have received farm subsidies for years.

President Bush wants to limit farm aid to those who make under $200,000 per year and I think this would be a good first step to getting the government out of the agricultural business entirely.

It gets worse for Mark Souder.

In this Agricultural bill the Democrats also inserted a provision that would force Indiana to cancel a 1.16 billion dollar contract to partially privatize Indiana's welfare programs.

First of all this has nothing to do with the Farm bill and the Democrats should be ashamed of themselves. I remember when they promised to be "the most ethical Congress in history." They are no longer making those claims. They are doing exactly what both old Parties have done in Washington DC for decades.

Second of all the Federal Government should stop forcing itself into State and local government.

Mark Souder should be ashamed of himself.

Mark Souder is a big government Republican.

Mark Souder is not a conservative and I wish people would quit saying he is.

Mike Sylvester