Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 16, 1993 TAG: 9309040327
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
A Senate farm bill would save some $586 million. It would do so by adjusting programs that pay farmers to grow less corn and wheat, and by a number of other less desirable measures, such as reducing acreage in federal conservation programs.
Yet Washington still shrinks from going after big sums, such as could be found by reducing federal price supports on a variety of crops. Lowering ``target prices'' by just 3 percent a year, on such crops as wheat, corn, oats, cotton and rice, could save taxpayers more than $13 billion over the next five years, by one estimate.
That's real money. And is there any justification for handing out funds to beekeepers and sheep ranchers and goat herders? How about dairy subsidies?
An added benefit of reducing price-supports is that American consumers would have lower prices to pay for the products made with subsidized stuffs. What's more, the White House would be in a better position to bargain for reduction of agricultural subsidies among America's trading partners.
While it's at it, the Agriculture Department itself could use some serious streamlining - before its employees start outnumbering farmers. Several department functions could be consolidated, for example, with huge savings.
A lot of people know all this. It still needs to get done.
by CNB