NYT: The Farm Bill, Beyond the Farm- Shrink spending and focus on basics
Gretchen Hamel joins 7 others to debate the Farm Bill – as seen on New York Times’ Room for Debate
Shrink Spending and Focus on Basics
I grew up on a farm and ranch in Southwest Oklahoma, so it’s not surprising that my first foray into Congressional politics was a letter I wrote in high school to encourage my representative, J.C. Watts, to vote for the farm bill. Back in 1996 I had a different idea about how policy affects our lives. Now, having served on Capitol Hill and in the White House, I see that programs like these have allowed Washington to create an unbalanced system, one that protects special interests rather than taxpayers.
Huge federal spending allows large and small businesses, farmers and ranchers, and others to game the system for financial gain at the expense of taxpayers. This system encourages greed and deceit by the players — and we, the taxpayers, are the losers.
The farm bill is evidence of this. It has gone way past the original intent of the bill to ensure there was a steady and affordable food supply, and in doing so, now encourages many in agribusiness to play a game, instead of focusing on creating value. What this farm bill is missing are the basics — and basic fiscal responsibility. Because it is so bloated, today’s farm bill may come at the expense of any future farm bill because, in a few years when these programs are again up for reauthorization, the federal government may be too broke to play the game anymore.
Gretchen Hamel is the executive director of Public Notice.
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