Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the House on May 31, 2012, to authorize a low-interest loan program for agricultural growers, processors, and some retail establishments, to alleviate crop damage attributable to a natural disaster. Up to $15 million is spending on subsidies would be authorized. This is intended to aid fruit growers and producers who suffered extensive crop damage in 2012 due to an extended March warm spell followed by a hard freeze

The vote was 104 in favor, 5 opposed and 1 not voting

(House Roll Call 369 at House Journal 0)

Click here to view bill details.

The agricultural business is inherently tied to weather.  The citizens of Michigan should not be subsidizing the risk of private businesses.  If that business is concerned about weather risk, it can buy private insurance against weather-related losses. 

Pretend it is another business -- a ski resort.  If we have unseasonable warm winters with little snow, should we pay subsidies to Mt. Brighton?  No, this is their business.   Do we tax them more if we have tons of daily fresh snow?  Of course not. 

Get government the hell out of everyone's business.  Last year we had a bumper crop of cherries, but the cherry law quota required growers to dump cherries on the road to keep prices high.  This year bad weather crippled the crop, and now we are supposed to subsidize the loss?  If government would actually allow a capital market, both problems would go away.  Adam Smith knew and wrote about it in 1776.  How long will it take for us to actually learn and do what works.