Editor, Times-Union: Mr. Stutzman is reported to have said “farm bill has to wait” because of food stamp entitlement programs that have almost tripled in size since 2002. Mr. Stutzman’s cynical remark ignores the fact that poverty has increased dramatically since the big recession.
Over one-third of all children in the United States live in poverty, yet Mr. Stutzman wants to deny them adequate food while pushing for more tax cuts for the very wealthy.
What about the “entitlement programs for farmers”? As a farmer, I know that I have received many more dollars from USDA farm programs over the last 10 years than I have paid in federal income tax. I strongly suspect that this is true for all farmers.
Mr. Stutzman is reported to have said, “We can’t allow urban areas to leverage farmers.” I believe that urban areas are where the federal tax dollars came from for the USDA farm programs.
I am grateful for the urban area’s cooperation in this area and would hope that leaders from rural areas would do the same. It is time for leaders to put all Americans first instead of dividing and vilifying groups. Mr. Stutzman does not deserve to be re-elected.
