Wed, 26 Mar 2003

Make My Day

Angry tobacco farmer erupts in court [CNN US]

Gotta love the opening line of the last paragraph in this story:

Watson's cause is unclear. A government official told CNN Watson appeared upset by the settlement of the lawsuit between tobacco companies and several states and by federal policies on tobacco subsidies.

All of which will combine to erase his family farm. You don't have to be a tobacco farmer or even a smoker to understand the impact of wildly varying government policies that seem to shift depending on which way the wind blows. The subsidies assist the big farmer, the payout from the tobacco companies rolls down to all farmers. If the so called "fat lawsuits" ever get anywhere (and I've a sinking feeling that they will) then all of us who still till the soil will feel the impact.

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