Re: Farm Bureau

Beth Spaugh (bspaugh@cce.cornell.edu)
Tue, 12 Dec 1995 13:22:41 -0500 (EST)

Reread your original message, and feel I should emphasize that the basic
issues very likely have come up from the local level, even though it may
ba as broad as government spending or welfare reform (I work hard and
can't get anybody to work hard for me, but the government takes my taxes
and pays these lazy slobs to not work). The specifics of how to achieve
welfare reform may come down from staff who have had time and the
assignment to figure out ways to achieve the desired effect. Our local
folks are very into reforming school financing right now. I don't know
where they have picked up some of the ideas, such as transferring the
burden from property taxes to income taxes. They don't get much more
specific than that at the meetings, but they want to see a change (after
all, they do their books so income is low if it isn't already). There is
an incredible mindset against taxes and regulation up here.

I figure if I make a decent liveing, my taxes are a bargain (well,
almost). When I suggest they be happy to have made a profit that they can
pay taxes on, the think I am really loco. Some of them are really
shooting themselves in the foot, avoiding paying social security even, or
making a stupid purchase at the end of the year jsut so they don't have
taxable income. In all fairness though, a lot of my farmers are really
really struggling. They could do a lot with feed and machinery, but just
have trouble focusing, analyzing, and planning a change. All issues which
greatly impact their ability to change to adopt "sustainable" methods
which are generally more management and knowledge intensive. Since my
farmers ar edairy first, and crops as a necessary evil, their crop
management really has room for improvement, and where most of the
"sustainable" changes would come in, so that is a real challenge.

Have a good holiday.

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Beth Spaugh CENET: bspaugh
Cornell Cooperative Extension, INTERNET: bspaugh@cce.cornell.edu
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