When Rich "Conservatives" Takes Government Subsidies at a Time of War

By: Lowell
Published On: 10/4/2007 11:45:59 AM

When rich "conservatives" take large government subsidies -- $300,000 worth! -- at a time of war, what are they called?  Hypocrites, for one thing.  "Gary Baise," for another. This is truly incredible:

Gary H. Baise, the Republican candidate for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors chairman, who tells audiences that he stands for "lower taxes, limited government and less spending," collected nearly $300,000 in federal subsidies for his southern Illinois farm between 1995 and 2005, U.S. Department of Agriculture records show.

Baise, a Falls Church trial lawyer who charges private-sector clients $525 an hour, said yesterday that wealthy individuals such as himself should not be eligible for the payments. He acknowledged that his 700-acre corn and soybean operation in Morgan, Ill., about 30 miles west of Springfield, would have been "immensely" profitable last year even without subsidies, principally because of booming corn sales to ethanol producers.

And he did all this because, as he says, "I pay so much in taxes, it's some way of getting it back."  Very nice. at a time of war no less.  What a guy!

Comments



And how is the Baise farm (bluecolinbell - 10/4/2007 1:23:05 PM)
different from the one down the road?

I doubt that Baise got a brown envelope delivered to Falls Church. Didn't the subsidies go to his farm? A farm is just like any other business, it will never say no to free money.

How is this scandalous apart from the fact that subsidies are?



You used the word "scandalous", not me (Lowell - 10/4/2007 1:25:30 PM)
What I said was that it's hypocritical for a supposed "conservative" to take government handouts (corporate welfare), especially at a time of war.  Do you dispute that?


I can't believe this isn't getting more attention... (LAS - 10/4/2007 1:25:28 PM)
and I just went on NLS to say so. I'm glad to see, Lowell, that you are giving it some attention, at least.

Come on, this is great stuff! Wealthy people like me shouldn't get government handouts BUT I deserve them because I have to pay so much in taxes! Practically in the same sentence!

The mind reels.



As a colleague of mine once said (Lowell - 10/4/2007 1:26:28 PM)
the Republicans are the "I've got mine so f*** you" party.  Baise epitomizes that.


I can't believe this isn't getting more attention (changeagent - 10/4/2007 5:08:57 PM)
It is getting just about as much attention as Connolly raking in tens of thousands of dollars from developers.  We could blog a book about these Connolly actions.


hypocrisy or scandal - bleh (bluecolinbell - 10/4/2007 3:33:46 PM)
I'm not defending Baise, but he and his partners are running a business and it will take what is handed to it.

Farm subsidies are evil that's where it starts and ends.