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	<title>The Washington Independent &#187; wealthy farmers</title>
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	<link>http://washingtonindependent.com</link>
	<description>National News in Context</description>
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		<title>Obama Targets Abuse in Farm Bill That He Supported</title>
		<link>http://washingtonindependent.com/20172/obama-targets-abuse-in-farm-bill-that-he-supported</link>
		<comments>http://washingtonindependent.com/20172/obama-targets-abuse-in-farm-bill-that-he-supported#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:24:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Lillis</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blog (deprecated)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy/Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barack obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm bill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farm subsidies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government accountability office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wealthy farmers]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[<p>Yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/20111/obama-calls-for-sacrifice">went after</a> subsidies to wealthy farmers as &#8220;a prime example&#8221; of the abusive federal spending he hopes to rein in from his perch in the White House. He forgot to mention that, as a senator, he endorsed the bill in May, even as <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/1329/press-beats-farm-bill-to-a-pulp">critics</a> <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/20172/obama-targets-abuse-in-farm-bill-that-he-supported" class="read_more">More...</a></p>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/20111/obama-calls-for-sacrifice">went after</a> subsidies to wealthy farmers as &#8220;a prime example&#8221; of the abusive federal spending he hopes to rein in from his perch in the White House. He forgot to mention that, as a senator, he endorsed the bill in May, even as <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/1329/press-beats-farm-bill-to-a-pulp">critics pointed out</a> that the eligibility rules allow millionaires to be subsidized with taxpayer dollars.</p>
<p>Though Obama didn&#8217;t vote for it because he was on the campaign trail &#8212; and he maintained that the bill was &#8220;far from perfect&#8221; &#8212; he issued <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/2008/05/15/obama_statement_on_passage_of.php">a statement</a> expressing his support and accusing opponents of &#8220;saying no to America&#8217;s farmers and ranchers.&#8221;<span id="more-20172"></span></p>
<p>Under <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/1335/big-ag-holds-big-sway-in-farm-bill">the bill</a>, individuals earning up to $750,000 in farm income and $500,000 in non-farm income are eligible for federal &#8220;help.&#8221; That means that a farming couple could make as much as $2.5 million in a year and still receive taxpayer subsidies.</p>
<p>One distinction to be made: Obama&#8217;s criticism of the program &#8212; as <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/56401.html">reported</a> by the Government Accountability Office this week &#8212; stems from abuses under the bill, not the bill itself. That is, the GAO found that folks earning higher than the income threshold were still receiving payments. It&#8217;s an easy thing to criticize. The question is, how far would a President Obama go to change that income threshold altogether?</p>
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