<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Trying to restructure the House Agriculture Committee might not be worth it]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Tom Laskawy http://www.grist.org/article/Farm-policy-reform-where-to-start/ Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:26:37 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/Farm-policy-reform-where-to-start/1 remaking the House Ag committee

This is a really good point, and one that I haven't heard elsewhere.  I also think that one of Pollan's other suggestions, to delink food stamps from agriculture, is a HORRIBLE idea.  Talk about an invitation to kill one of the only effective anti-poverty policies we have left...Not that the program couldn't be improved by making it something more than a repository for surplus ag commodities -- I remember with loathing those 10-gal tubs of crunchy peanut butter and 5-lb blocks of white cheese that we got at my summer day camp as part of the subsidized food program!  But it's hard to imagine food stamp funding faring better in the long term under HELP than it does under Ag.

]]> remaking the House Ag committee

This is a really good point, and one that I haven't heard elsewhere.  I also think that one of Pollan's other suggestions, to delink food stamps from agriculture, is a HORRIBLE idea.  Talk about an invitation to kill one of the only effective anti-poverty policies we have left...Not that the program couldn't be improved by making it something more than a repository for surplus ag commodities -- I remember with loathing those 10-gal tubs of crunchy peanut butter and 5-lb blocks of white cheese that we got at my summer day camp as part of the subsidized food program!  But it's hard to imagine food stamp funding faring better in the long term under HELP than it does under Ag.

]]> Comment #2 by PhillyProf http://www.grist.org/article/Farm-policy-reform-where-to-start/ Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:33:56 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/Farm-policy-reform-where-to-start/2 remaking the House Ag committee

(The above comment, reproduced below, was in fact by PhillyProf, a political scientist who happens to be married to Tom Laskawy of Beyond Green, and who mistakenly posted while he was logged in.  Oops!)

This is a really good point, and one that I haven't heard elsewhere.  I also think that one of Pollan's other suggestions, to delink food stamps from agriculture, is a HORRIBLE idea.  Talk about an invitation to kill one of the only effective anti-poverty policies we have left...Not that the program couldn't be improved by making it something more than a repository for surplus ag commodities -- I remember with loathing those 10-gal tubs of crunchy peanut butter and 5-lb blocks of white cheese that we got at my summer day camp as part of the subsidized food program!  But it's hard to imagine food stamp funding faring better in the long term under HELP than it does under Ag.

]]> remaking the House Ag committee

(The above comment, reproduced below, was in fact by PhillyProf, a political scientist who happens to be married to Tom Laskawy of Beyond Green, and who mistakenly posted while he was logged in.  Oops!)

This is a really good point, and one that I haven't heard elsewhere.  I also think that one of Pollan's other suggestions, to delink food stamps from agriculture, is a HORRIBLE idea.  Talk about an invitation to kill one of the only effective anti-poverty policies we have left...Not that the program couldn't be improved by making it something more than a repository for surplus ag commodities -- I remember with loathing those 10-gal tubs of crunchy peanut butter and 5-lb blocks of white cheese that we got at my summer day camp as part of the subsidized food program!  But it's hard to imagine food stamp funding faring better in the long term under HELP than it does under Ag.

]]> Comment #3 by sidenote http://www.grist.org/article/Farm-policy-reform-where-to-start/ Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:38:38 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/Farm-policy-reform-where-to-start/3 remaking the House Ag committee

Tom, thanks for tackling this question - after blogging the Pollan interview, one of my key questions was just how a committee becomes exclusive.  After looking around just a little bit, I pretty much threw my hands up - this post is very informative!  

As for PhillyProf, I disagree - this is how I see the situation, as I wrote in my blog response - "It's difficult to imagine a world where a Democratic Congress in a time of severe economic recession would cut funding to food stamps and other aid programs that feed people, so why would proponents of those programs need to bundle them with the Farm Bill to get them passed?  They wouldn't."  

It seems like political suicide for either party to cut funding to this program - it is already highly regulated, supported by a well organized caucus, and feeds impoverished children, not to mention there is a President assuming office that comes from an urban background working with lower income citizens and has children of his own.  I just don't see how this program doesn't find strong support.  

]]> remaking the House Ag committee

Tom, thanks for tackling this question - after blogging the Pollan interview, one of my key questions was just how a committee becomes exclusive.  After looking around just a little bit, I pretty much threw my hands up - this post is very informative!  

As for PhillyProf, I disagree - this is how I see the situation, as I wrote in my blog response - "It's difficult to imagine a world where a Democratic Congress in a time of severe economic recession would cut funding to food stamps and other aid programs that feed people, so why would proponents of those programs need to bundle them with the Farm Bill to get them passed?  They wouldn't."  

It seems like political suicide for either party to cut funding to this program - it is already highly regulated, supported by a well organized caucus, and feeds impoverished children, not to mention there is a President assuming office that comes from an urban background working with lower income citizens and has children of his own.  I just don't see how this program doesn't find strong support.  

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