President Trump is always making big changes. He changed the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. He paved the Rose Garden and is adding a huge Ballroom to the White House. He wants to eliminate the Dept. of Education. This week he switched the DOD back to its original name, Department of War.
While he’s in a changin’ mood, I have another suggestion. The USDA, formed in 1862, has outlived its service to farmers. Yes, it’s shameful. Less than 20 percent of the USDA budget goes to support farmers and ranchers. Since the other 80 percent is for SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) the Department of Agriculture needs to be renamed. From now on it’s the U. S. Dept. of Free Food.
Now, Secretary Rollins is an agriculture person. But even she will admit that very little of her budget is to provide relief for the farmer. Four-fifths goes to SNAP, providing free food to over 40,000,000 people. And the part of the budget for soil conservation (which you’ll remember originated 90 years ago because of the Dust Bowl), is down to $100 million. That’s a pittance of the total USDA budget of $230 Billion.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a direct line to President Trump. Maybe I can get Senator Markwayne Mullin to suggest the change. He’s part Cherokee and is from Will Rogers country in Oklahoma. New York Senator Chuck Schumer is another possibility. He represents a lot more SNAP recipients than he does farmers so he should favor the change to USDFF.
In Chicago… have you ever heard of anyone as proud of their criminals as Governor Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson? And thousands of people joined them in protesting against any federal assistance in reducing crime. But the protesters were smart; they gathered in a safe part of the city, several blocks from where 60 people were shot last weekend. Mayor Johnson is complaining that the Legislature won’t give him an extra $1.6 Billion. Not for more police, but to reward the teacher’s union for their support.
Chicago politicians are determined to retain their reputation from a hundred years ago. John Dillinger robbed banks, and when jailed, a crooked judge and two guards helped him escape. Al Capone made millions on bootleg liquor and killed rivals, including the St. Valentine’s Day massacre in 1929. (See the quotes)
Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
(Radio broadcast from Chicago) “… broadcasting from a sound-proof studio, barricaded in the Wrigley Building. Now I will try to describe what is going on down on the street. The Bugs Moran gang are holding down the east side of Michigan Boulevard and the Capones are entrenched on the other side… There must be a thousand racketeers; there is not an empty gun in the place… Now, folks, you are not going to get me coming out here telling any jokes about these racketeers and gangsters. It is all right to scatter good humor at the expense of the Senate, for they are harmless. But these boys carry a gun.” Radio, June 22, 1930
“America’s favorite ‘prodigal son,’ Scarface Al Capone, has returned to us and in his honor, we killed two fatted gangsters… Capone goes free to take up his useful life’s work.” DT #1137, March 18, 1930
“See where they convicted Al Capone on five counts [evasion of federal income taxes]. Now comes the out-on-bail, new trial, change of venue, habus corpus, stay of execution and twenty-one other things that the law has invented to hinder justice. This case is a great boost for (Treasury Secretary) Mr. Mellon and his deficit, for if bootleggers and robbers are liable for an income tax, why our treasury will be richer than France.” DT #1634, Oct 18, 1931