There's a Song I Really Like

Bicycling In a Border Town by Brian Burns, and it has a line in it that goes through my head a lot anymore: "I love mankind, man, it's people I hate."

I just read a letter to the editor in the Grand Island paper from someone that obviously doesn't have much of a clue. It was about privatizing crop insurance and eliminating direct payments as it would level the playing field for the "next generation." To quote Ed from the Barenaked Ladies: "Lady! You're an idiot!"

I am assuming that I am part of this "next generation." Guess what? I got paid on a crop insurance claim this year, and it was just about enough to cover my tractor payment. That allowed me to actually put some cash in savings. But you think if crop insurance is privatized, which would likely mean more expensive, it will help me "get [my] foot in the door."

I have no problem getting rid of direct payments, but crop insurance? I don't think consumers realize it isn't meant to make farmers rich - it's there to make sure the people that supply your food stay in business. Do you think we want to collect on crop insurance? Do you pay your car insurance premium hoping to total the son of a bitch?

If you want to propose a cap to crop insurance, whether it's based on a bushels per acre cap (instead of using proven yields, have a set number for everyone, maybe 100bu/acre) or guaranteed income per acre based on that year's production costs, I'll listen, as that actually might help the "next generation" out some, but don't tell me that you have a better answer when I seriously doubt that you have any skin in the game.

I can think of a better place to put my foot, but your head is in the way.

http://www.theindependent.com/opinion/letters/wants-no-new-subsidies-for-farmers/article_0c696e24-43ee-11e2-9a94-001a4bcf887a.html