(RestoreAmericanGlory.com) – While the progressive left and liberal right don’t tend to share a lot of ideologies and beliefs, they have now partnered up against the “checkoff programs.”
In March, the bipartisan Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act was introduced by five lawmakers who are looking for reforms. The bill was created by five lawmakers and led by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah). The bill is attempting to target the “checkoff programs,” which many groups, including Farm Action, Heritage Foundation, FreedomWorks, and ThinkProgress, believe are proof of the corruption that is currently running American farming.
However, while both sides can agree that they are against the programs, their goals regarding the future of farming appear to be significantly different. While the left is looking for government-supported green farmsteads to be established, the right is calling for more deregulation. However, the one thing that both can agree on is that the U.S. government’s subsidization has led to thousands of farmers being pushed out of their lands in favor of larger corporations.
The checkoff programs were first introduced in the 1930s, and they provided farmers with the option to check off a box and receive a small voluntary fee in exchange. This small sum was given to the farmers every time a purchase of the commodity was made. However, in 1988, producers voted for the fees to become mandatory, which allowed for the creation of large marketing funds controlled by elected bodies such as the Beef Board and Dairy Board.
The way the checkoff programs have developed, they have essentially become a tax for farmers, which lawmakers on both sides have argued is forcing people out of business.
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