American Enterprise Institute: 'Why Crop Insurance Costs Too Much'

Source:AEI- Could be a scene from the great Alfred Hitchcock movie North by Northwest. I guess you would have to be a classic movie fan, or at least an Alfred Hitchcock fan to get that reference. LOL

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From AEI

If you want to know what Federal Government waste looks like and is, just look at any of the Federal farm bills that are passed where wealthy and corporate farmers get subsidized essentially just for doing their jobs, producing food. This is another form of welfare, but instead of helping low-income and low-skilled people, what Welfare Insurance has traditionally been for. 

This is corporate welfare subsidizing business's for making a lot of money. I don't have a problem with Welfare Insurance for low-skilled and low-income people who need assistance to become self-sufficient in life, including temporary financial assistance. But these are the people it should be for, not for people who are already doing very well which is great. But they don't need assistance especially assistance thats funded by taxpayers. Especially since we have a Federal budget deficit of 1.6T$ and debt of 14T$ in an economy of 14T$. And Federal Agriculture Insurance represents around 40B$ a year in pork barrel Spending. (Pun intended) 

If we are going to fund Agriculture Insurance in the Federal Government, then it should be self-financed and a self-sufficient program. That doesn't have to be funded out of general revenue that the Federal Government would even have to manage. That would be non-profit or run by the states that farmers would have the option to pay into or not but wouldn't be eligible for agriculture assistance from the Federal Government unless they pay for it. 

This would save the Federal Government 40B$ a year, as well as the operating costs of running the program. Savings that could be used to help pay down the Federal deficit and debt. It wouldn't get our deficit and debt under control on its own but would represent a big piece of a deficit reduction package on its own. 

Again Welfare Insurance should be for the people who need it: low-skilled and low-income people can't survive without it. To help them get on their feet and become self-sufficient. Welfare Insurance should not be for people who are already doing very well and survive very comfortably on their own.

FOX News: Special Report With Brett Baer- Speaker John Boehner: 'Where is the President's Plan?'

Source:Speaker John Boehner- talking to FOX News's Brett Baier, about President Obama and the debt negotiations.

"Speaker Boehner spoke with Fox News' Bret Baier tonight after a meeting at the White House to discuss President Obama's request for an increase in the debt limit. Boehner said "it's time for the president to put his plan on the table," and noted that Republicans are serious about seizing this moment to make "the biggest spending cuts possible" and implement reforms -- like a Balanced Budget Amendment -- to address our long-term debt crisis without raising taxes on job creators." 

From John Boehner

Actually, I have news for Speaker Boehner: the President has a plan that he's basically written in the negotiations with the Congressional leadership in both parties and chambers. And the House GOP Leadership has gotten much of what they wanted in the plan. Practically everything by cutting the overall size of the Federal Government and reforming the entitlement programs. 

But these are called negotiations for a reason, because multiple parties are involved. Both sides get what they want and both sides have to give into something that they don't want. For President Obama to sign on to a debt ceiling deal, he's going to have to get things in return, in exchange for what he's already given up. And what he's already given up so far in 2011 which is plenty. 

And for there to be any deal, the House GOP Leadership is going to have to accept tax increases on high- earners, both millionaires and billionaires. As well as strategic defense cuts in areas of defense that we don't need to be currently spending on or as much. Members of the House Tea Party Caucus have already agreed to the defense cuts and the Senate, both parties would go along for defense cuts as well. 

And there's a bipartisan deal in the Senate thats ready to go along for tax hikes on high-earners. But what's holding this potential deal back right now, is the House Tea Party Caucus, that Speaker Boehner and Leader Eric Cantor would have to sell a final deal to. As well as the so-called House Progressive Caucus, that  Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi would have to sell the deal too. 

I don't believe the President, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Harry Reid will sign off on a final deal, that a majority of their caucus's would vote no on. That would cause huge problems for President Obama for the rest of 2011 and 2012 as he runs for reelection. 

I believe the final deal is there, the question is can the Congressional leadership in both parties and in both chambers sell the deal to enough of its members to make the deal seem okay and can the President sell the deal to the House and Senate Democratic caucus's. 

The final deal is already there and President Obama, Speaker Boehner and Leader Reid just aren't ready to announce it, because Senate Minority Leader McConnell and House Minority Pelosi aren't behind it yet. Because the two minority leaders don't like the deal and none of the leaders believe they can sell the final debt ceiling package to their respective caucus's yet.