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Personally I don't care of they cut aid to farmers AND snap/food stamp programs. Red states like WV, MS, AL, LA would get whammied on both ends, as they have a high Ag sector and disproportionate number of SNAP recipients.
Let them cut away.
The #1 crop in WV is hay. I don't think you purchase that with food stamps.
"In addition to the more widely discussed direct payments to farmers, the program set aside $1.2 billion for direct food purchases through a USDA program"
"Tractor trailers loaded with $10 million worth of apples, beans, cheese, potatoes, milk and pork — lots and lots of pork — will begin heading to Virginia food banks next month."
West Virginia Department of Agriculture statistics show the state has 22,100 primarily family-owned and operated farms totaling 3.62 million acres with an average of 164 acres per farm. These farms generated more than $560 million worth of crops and livestock. Although the state is ranked 37th in population and 41st in geographical size, in 2012 it ranked eighth in apple production, 17th in peach production, 13th in turkey production, and 17th in broiler chicken production.
In terms of dollar value, the commercial broiler (meat chicken) industry is the leading agriculture sector in the state, accounting for about half the value of the state’s agriculture industries. Cattle and calves follow at about a quarter of all agricultural receipts. Various crops round out the mix.
So let them suffer. I don't care. Cut USDA to the bone. No more aid, no more low interest direct loans from the Farm Service Agency, no more 'rural development' initiative BS..
Let them suffer. Cut food stamps, farmer welfare- just do it and see how those states react. I'd LOVE IT.
So let them suffer. I don't care. Cut USDA to the bone. No more aid, no more low interest direct loans from the Farm Service Agency, no more 'rural development' initiative BS..
Let them suffer. Cut food stamps, farmer welfare- just do it and see how those states react. I'd LOVE IT.
20% of the population of West Virginia is on Food Stamps.
He IS negotiating. Tariffs and negotiations are not mutually exclusive. We have attempted simply negotiating in the past without success. The tariffs set the table for negotiations by establishing a pain level that can be allieved through an agreement. The pain is present for both sides and serve as an incentive for both sides to actually reach an agreement rather than pay lip service to negotiating. Trump believes their pain is greater than our pain (even if our media doesn't tell us about theirs or they can hide theirs better). Did you know that last quarter China saw the slowest economic growth in 20 years? Without tariffs, a failure or delay in negotiations mean a continuance of the status quo, and the Chinese are content with the status quo.
NAFTA looks similar but some minor details can have a huge effect, namely the agreement on average labor rates on autos which takes away much of the incentive to use Mexico for cheap labor. Our auto plants were already paying $16/hr minimum average so there is nothing for us to do but their auto plants were paying under $8/hr. Changes to the sourcing of parts also reduce the ability to bypass import restrictions of one country by funneling it through another country.
You are right about China's slow down but we are all tied globally and our economy is expected to slow down as well with a possible recession in 2020. Our fed is predicting growth of only 2.4% for 2019. "Three big factors are tax cuts, trade wars and tariffs and the Federal Reserve's rate hiking policy." Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan are predicting the same 2% growth rate.
Rising mortgage rates hurt the economy, The tax break isn't helping because most people saw less of a return. Tariffs increase the price of goods, and there is less disposable income with a lower refund. .
When one large economy weakens, it has a ripple effect through out the worlds global economy. We've already seen the housing market slowing. There were 22% less applications for mortgages and refinancing than last year. Home builders saw it's steepest decline in two years last November. Is it all because of tariffs? Of course not, but bad decisions have a synergistic effect.
I'll give credit where credit is due and say that I think Trump did a good job renegotiating NAFTA, and yes, tariffs were involved, but also short lived. Will the tariffs help or hurt with China? That remains to be seen. I'm sure the farmers aren't happy.
Timing is important as well. If our economy is starting to weaken, and the tax cuts aren't helping, and tariffs increase the price of goods? It could be a bad thing. Trump could have very well sealed the fate for a recession in 2020. Time will tell I guess.
Rising mortgage rates hurt the economy, The tax break isn't helping because most people saw less of a return. Tariffs increase the price of goods, and there is less disposable income with a lower refund.
Good grief, you were discussing the issues too intelligently to be repeating this tripe. As discussed in detail in other threads, tax refund has little to do with tax owed. If anything, lower refunds indicate lower tax owed. The formulas for withholding changed so people's payroll deductions are more in line with expected tax owed. Over 80% of taxpayers saw a reduction in total tsax owed. Refunds may be lower but take-home was higher.
Good grief, you were discussing the issues too intelligently to be repeating this tripe. As discussed in detail in other threads, tax refund has little to do with tax owed. If anything, lower refunds indicate lower tax owed. The formulas for withholding changed so people's payroll deductions are more in line with expected tax owed. Over 80% of taxpayers saw a reduction in total tsax owed. Refunds may be lower but take-home was higher.
Fox news? Oh lordy. Yes I understand that the take home pay was higher, but are you assuming that people actually saved some of it, or did they spend every dime because a whole lot of American's are living pay check to pay check? Refunds are a form of savings for a lot of American's. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is. Wages have been low for a long time. My last job didn't give me a raise for the last 5 years I worked, and from what I'm hearing, the wages are below market and they're having a hard time hiring. It's hard to save when you're being squeezed. An extra hundred a month is nice, but it's inadequate when you're struggling. Here's an interesting article from the Business Insider: Here's exactly how much paychecks changed after tax reform for people at every income level from $20,000 to $269,000 a year.
When you have better minds than ours predicting that a recession is coming partly because of the new tax code, then you have to respect it. Here's an interesting article from Brookings: The middle class needs a tax cut: Trump didn't give it to them. Seriously, please expand your horizons beyond Fox news. You're missing a whole wealth of information. If you want sugar coated bad news in Trump world and beefed up Donnie did good, that's what you're getting from Fox, and yes I watch it too. I watch both sides, research, and form an opinion. Hence "You were discussing the issue too intelligently...." Thank you for that. I've totally enjoyed our debate. It's been a pleasure corresponding with someone who is not an emotional thinker. I look forward to seeing you again on the political forum.
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I've totally enjoyed our debate. It's been a pleasure corresponding with someone who is not an emotional thinker. 
