Hippies Smelt, Tulsa (2/26/2009 12:15:31 PM)

Welfare queens.

Non-BUBBA, Tulsa (2/26/2009 12:28:40 PM)

ConAgra and the like have been getting welfare for too long.

Non-BUBBA, Tulsa (2/26/2009 12:31:24 PM)

Farmers work no more hours than teachers do, my dad was a farmer. Winters are spent playing dominoes waiting for spring. Besides, most farms these days are corporate owned, and they take advantage of the system by getting huge subsidies from the govt.

out here in the middle, Sand Springs (2/26/2009 12:34:18 PM)

You misspelled Rep Lucas' name on the headline.

Echos, Tulsa (2/26/2009 12:38:59 PM)

What are you talking about Non bubba, Everyone recieving welfare has been getting payments for to long.

Ice&Mag, (2/26/2009 12:44:31 PM)

Not all farms are owned by corporations. My grandfather owns his own farm where they produce soybeans, pecans and beef. A real farmer is in the fields working cattle and his crop from dawn til dusk. It doesn't matter what season it is.If your dad was really a farmer "non-bubba" you would know how hard it really is for a farmer and a farmers children.

ARJ, (2/26/2009 12:45:17 PM)

Non-Bubba, you spend a week on my family's farm and you will have a different opinion. Sunup to sundown, every day we work. Now that the kids are grown, my parents do it all themselves and they scrape to make the money last. There is no 'taking advantage' on my family's farm. I agree large corporate farms are getting more than they deserve, but the small operations desperately need that assistance.

Have that, America (2/26/2009 12:55:53 PM)

this isn't shocking...look at the parts of the country that voted for obama and the parts that voted mccain...

the ag areas of the country and of nearly every state voted for mccain...

its the bigger city's that won obama the election and he knows this. so if he screws the farmer to make him look like he is saving money and getting rid of wasted spending to the inner city folks then of course he is going to do it.

I know how hard farming is...grew up around it and spent harvest seasons helping my grandpa every year.

anyone that thinks its an easy gig really doesn't have a clue as to what it takes to manage a successful farm.

Bluebell, (2/26/2009 1:48:06 PM)

So if you voted for obummer you get a check & if you didn't you're screwed.What else is new ? When the money runs out, what's he going to do for votes?

Loophole, (2/26/2009 2:01:48 PM)

I believe I recall Obama's remarks being directed toward corporate farms, the mega producers who don't need subsidies. I heard nothing about the family farmer in that remark.

Maybelle 57, (2/26/2009 2:37:22 PM)

I would ask non-bubba to work on the real farm Ours is before sun-up and after dark not 8-3 wonder where he thinks his milk comes from. Oh I know the store-Please do not compare the two I am more than grateful for teachers but the dominoes must be somewhere else maybe he just dream that what takes place.LOL

golfwife, (2/26/2009 2:46:12 PM)

It is about time we have someone in Washington that will try and do something about the greed of the big corporate farmers.

Talk about rural family farmers and you will usually be talking about the most wealthly families in the community. Oh yes, they will wear the key overalls and drive the dented up pickup, but look at momma's big town car or cadillac parked in the garage. I like right in the middle of rural farmers and I know of what I speak.

Cut out the handouts. Welfare at the biggest level.

Just a Mom, East Tulsa (2/26/2009 3:37:28 PM)

It seems that our country is divided up into Blue and Red pie slices. It depends on who is in the White House as to which slices of the pie gets the most cream. Red takes from the Blue and Blue takes from the Red. Over and over again, there is no surprises here.

Lawrence, Tulsa (2/26/2009 3:57:29 PM)

Obama doesn't understand farming, that's a given

Have that, America (2/26/2009 4:09:26 PM)

golfwife I really hope you aren't being serious...

because you cannot possibly believe that farmers are the most wealthy people in the community.

golfwife, (2/26/2009 4:32:36 PM)

Have that, I am serious. Now I am speaking of RURAL community. My parents were farmers and I learned a lot of the government benefits from them. The rural farmer is an educated farmer, maybe no book educated, but government hand outs educated.

And, sure the corporate lobbyiest get most of the dollar benefits written into law but the little rural guy gets the gravy also.

The system needs to change, I am tired of these large corporations as well as so many of these rural farmers taken advantage of the american worker. And, that is exactally what they are doing.

Zippo, TULSA (2/26/2009 4:39:20 PM)

Saving the family farm or preventing another dust bowl are just two of the arguments used by supporters to keep subsidies going. You can slice it anyway you want to, but it is still welfare. The unfortunate thing is that subsidies are a form of addiction. Once you partake of the government's poppy, no matter how deserved you are, you are hooked for life and will fight to keep it. I wish our fine President a lot of luck because the subsidy lobby is powerful, clever, and determined. Make no mistake, ALL subsidies need to be eliminated but farm subsidies are just one of many thousands of taxpayer-funded sacred cows. We all dream of getting our so-called rightful piece of the government pie no matter if we are a private citizen, a corporation, a city, a county, or a state. In the end we are just stealing from ourselves.

Islander, Tulsa (2/26/2009 4:52:41 PM)

Subsidy is something on top of or in addition to and/or for a limited time. Too often that is the total income for the entitlement program recepients. What ever happened to "earning" a living? My definition: Earn = to receive a just and reasonable payment for effort made.

Ignatz, Broken Bow (2/26/2009 5:06:27 PM)

I remember taking the deposition of the then Chairman or somesuch of the Oklahoma Republican Party about twenty-five years ago or so out in western Oklahoma and was stunned to learn he received two million a year from the taxpayers not to grow something or other. This idiocy has to stop.

Ignatz, Broken Bow (2/26/2009 5:10:11 PM)

Story is incorrect.Lucas is ranking "minority" member. Just another whining Republican upset that his rich buddies' checks might end. No reason for the President or anyone else to pay any attention to that hack.

jimdad, (2/26/2009 6:32:18 PM)

These farm subsidies are a racket! Farming is no different than running the corner hardware store. Sure, there is the risk of weather, but that is a known risk which is readily accepted by the farmer when he buys a farm, except that most today have never bought a farm, they have been inherited!! So, I say if you don't like the risk, get out of farming, no one makes you do it. I'm tired of subsidizing you. Get a real job.

Legal Citizen, (2/26/2009 6:38:43 PM)

Liberals are funny. They're all for ending "welfare" given to people who at least produce something, but don't you dare touch the welfare that's given to people who sit on their butts at the casino, not producing anything but cigarette smoke.

Don't subsidize the farmers, but subsidize the arts.

Don't subsidize the farmers, but subsidize mass transit.

Don't subsidize the farmers, but subsidize Amtrak.

I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't subsidize anything.

akup, (2/26/2009 7:08:10 PM)

What does Senator Coburn think about this proposal? Why do big farms require subsidies? Isn't their "bigness" supposed to provide efficiencies that the family farm can't match? How much are they making on ethanol?

ajohnb, Jenks (2/26/2009 7:09:02 PM)

Phil said:

"However just like any business, it needs to be treated as such. So let them fail without our taxes."

Does the same go for the automakers that oBUMa bailed out and the banks AND all these businesses that will benefit from the "stimulus" package that is really a spending bill?

Using your theory, the Dimocrook party would have to cease to exist.

ajohnb, Jenks (2/26/2009 7:12:34 PM)

Just like the Liberals to bite the hands that feed them.