The American Spectator

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Tobacco farmers subsidize the American government, not the other way around. As a tobacco farmer I make about $1 net for every pound of tobacco I harvest, the U.S. Government then rakes in over $16.50 in taxes. This has been going on since we were a British colony. If the government gave us the taxes they collect from one years sales, all of us would park our tobacco setters in our barns and burn them to the ground. They are offering me $8.

The quota system was devised after the tobacco companies starved tobacco farms in the first decade of the 20th century. Starting in 1904 Big Tobacco bought at any price all the tobacco produced and drove production and prices through the roof. After 4 years they stopped buying, their warehouses were stocked for years. Farmers starved. The US Government stepped in and started the tobacco quota system to provide price stability and stop the depredations of Big Tobacco. This same thing is happening now with pig and beef farming. The consolidation of the packing industry will again make it impossible for farmers to earn a living.

If you like to eat maybe you should learn a little about this industry before you shoot your mouth off. Our entire civilization rests upon 6 inches of topsoil.

p>Thank you, br> — M. Andreasen /p>

As a conservative who supports the President in the war on terror, I am increasingly disappointed in his big-spending ways. The name of the game is elect economic libertarians, and that means we need to smarten up and play the game to win. Complaining doesn’t get us anywhere, finding small government Republicans to support does.

Then we need to do what it takes to get ‘em elected.

p>The president was never a small government conservative. His record in Texas was not one of government rollback. We should not be surprised that he is not acting like one now. Ronald Reagan he ain’t. Let’s go find the next Reagan in time for 2008. br> — Nicky Billou br> Toronto, Ontario