Proposed fee on smelly cows, hogs angers farmers

I can see some benefit from legislating environmental standards that affect private landowners and other citizens affected by the pollution from cattle and hogs but that has more to do with erosion of top soil, silting of rivers and the disgusting nature of giant hog "farms". In effect some of these corporate farmers have a form of "takings" from the rest of us in degredation of freshwater ecosystems that feed into bigger systems such as the Chesapeake Bay.

If they want to get serious about pollution control they will go after the worst offenders such as coal burning power plants and the like. This nickel and diming the small business owner is assinine.

UPDATING...

I just saw an appearance by Rep. James Sensenbrenner discussing this on FNC, and I am guessing this is a preemptive move to inform the citizens that this Cow gas tax is still a possibility..

Most likely this would be rolled into the cap & trade deal that is going to run through congress this year....

No matter which side of the political fence you are on, it is VERY important to understand WHAT is being proposed, and WHAT the legislation will impact you on a personal level...

I won't tell you what to think, I only ask you to read and understand, then make your own decision.

here's a pdf from late last year for some background

www.nyfb.org...


And a couple of recent articles on the topic:

EPA Regulation Could Cost Farmers Millions
The Environmental Protection Agency is poised to use the federal Clean Air Act to implement a non-conclusive finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public health and welfare, according to the Missouri Farm Bureau.




MFB President Charles Kruse sent a letter to Missouri's Congressional delegation asking them to urge EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to extend the public comment period another 60 days beyond June 23.



The Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service, with the assistance of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, found that 28,000 Missouri farms could fall under this proposed new EPA regulation, costing the state's farmers and ranchers as much as $522 million annually.

522 million just from 1 state...

www.businessandmedia.org

...“However, methane gas is much more effective in keeping warmth in the atmosphere than CO2, but has a much shorter half-life,” Sensenbrenner explained. “To show you how ridiculous this is getting, the EPA has got the proposed regulation imposing a cow fart tax of $175 a year on every head of dairy cattle in the United States and $80 for beef cattle, $20 per head of hogs.”



The Wisconsin congressman didn’t have a technological solution for livestock greenhouse gas emissions.



“I don’t know if we’re supposed to develop the technology to strap a catalytic converter on the back of a cow,” Sensenbrenner quipped...

The side effect of hardcore vegetarian and vegan types being on crusades against the apocalypse of their religion. Forget the "pollution" removed; many of them would celebrate at succeeding in removing meat from the plates of the majority of Americans. And probably line their pockets with kickbacks from giant corporations that will fill the sudden void with vat grown meats or the like, as an added bonus.

Business as usual in the USA. Welcome to the nuthouse, the inmates are running the asylum.

Wow, these taxes that are trying to be implemented are crazy, a fart tax for cattle and pigs, a tax for how many miles you drive, our government is starting to look more and more like the british crown back in the 1700's. We revolted back then, and this might be the road that leads to another somewhere down the line, otherwise we might be taxed into submission

[edit on 9-6-2009 by Echotebarknwhale]

It would require farms or ranches with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs to pay an annual fee of about $175 for each dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 for each hog.

The executive vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Ken Hamilton, estimated the fee would cost owners of a modest-sized cattle ranch $30,000 to $40,000 a year. He said he has talked to a number of livestock owners about the proposals, and "all have said if the fees were carried out, it would bankrupt them."

Hell, I sold a few a couple of months ago and didn't get but about $200/head. They can kiss my a$$.

reply to post by Britguy


To the average Joe this might seem ridiculous, but factory farms are what's ridiculous. 30k cows packed into such a small area, the meat it contaminated with poo often since the cows basically live in it. If you charged, there would be less incentive to have these awful factory farms that focus on quantity of food rather than quality .

Another thing, I saw a documentary of factory farms in Michigan and the crap from these cows they throw on their fields. It rains, raw crap goes right into near by creeks and rivers. There are hardly any restrictions on factory farms, this family had lived at their current location for decades and a farm decides to set up right next to them. The smell never goes away, and one of the family members had their eyes burned (went blind) from the hydrogen sulfide that comes from cow manure. On top of that, the whole community suffered from a large number of diseases much above average. Could you imagine a smell so bad that it burns your eyes?

Maybe instead of "going out of business" they could do it back like in the old days where you only had a small amount of cows in your farm. The small farms all have gone out of business since to do things in "bulk" makes it cheaper, so now they'll know how it feels to get their way of doing things wiped off the map.

[edit on 9-6-2009 by ghaleon12]

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
UPDATING...

“I don’t know if we’re supposed to develop the technology to strap a catalytic converter on the back of a cow,” Sensenbrenner quipped...

As I was reading the posts this updated post hit the nail on the head.

Organic Cap & Trade to make farmers go under.

If gov't was really concerned they'd use stimulus money to hire ACORN workers to install those cute white face masks onto cows in the front... and buttplugs into the rear.

Or perhaps they could stuff congress's & EPA's heads in lieu of buttplugs.

Just a thought on getting the best bang for the butt buck.

A solution is already available:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/de61d223e36e.jpg[/atsimg]

...We can build more of them, we have the technology.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!!!

the government is gone nuts since Obama was elected. How can they tax a farmer for a cow burping. Did they stop to listen to how absurd it sound just to say that before they went through with it. I mean what is next, taxing you to breath the air. Taxing you per breath. The more you run and work out you use more oxygen, so you have to pay the government an extra 20. I mean you have to pay the government for water to you home, you pay taxes on your land, taxes on your sewage, tax on the electric bill, tax on the gas bill and the price of auto fuel is going up. They have a substantial tax on that, plus anything you want to enjoy... IE tobacco and alcohol. Where does it stop with the taxing. Where do we draw the line in the sand and say enough is enough. My god we are going to be taxed to death soon.

Originally posted by bigvig316
I mean what is next, taxing you to breath the air. Taxing you per breath.

Breathing won't be taxed - the Co2 you exhale will be though.

Filters which turn blue after being saturated with C02 will be placed in masks that you will be obligated to wear in public.

They have a roughly twelve hour life span and being caught in public with a blued filter will result in fines and possibly six months in jail depending on whether or not you are a repeat offender.

*Obviously there will be nose plugs to prevent cheating (which will be a felony anyways)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/81ac63d9dbca.jpg[/atsimg]

I used to think I was joking about this sort of thing...




[edit on 10-6-2009 by Exuberant1]

Okay, i thought we had more serious issues that our politicians should be discussing like the state of ECONOMY..!!!!!

reply to post by tristar


Economy - Ha!

Don't you care about the environment?

How can you just stand by while mother earth gets raped?

Humans are horrible dirty evil things and must be made to pay for their parasitic existence.

If we weren't such blood-thirsty beasts who lusted for carbon-producing, fart-making animal flesh, this fee wouldn't be necessary.

Haven't you read the guilt-propaganda?




I joke.

cows dont 'fart' they belch, horses fart though, seems all english speaking nations are producing more lunatics than anything else! and, voting for lunatics as well!

Originally posted by Exuberant1
reply to post by tristar

 

Economy - Ha!

Don't you care about the environment?

How can you just stand by while mother earth gets raped?

Humans are horrible dirty evil things and must be made to pay for their parasitic existence.

If we weren't such blood-thirsty beasts who lusted for carbon-producing, fart-making animal flesh, this fee wouldn't be necessary.

Haven't you read the guilt-propaganda?

I joke.

I must say, you had me going there for a minute...but thanks for laughs you provoked...