Joni Ernst, translated: one Iowan girl wearing bread bags for boots is kind of sad

[pnwmom]

but a whole bus full of Reagan-era kids wearing bread bags instead of boots is a triumph of the American spirit. The more "poor" kids, the better.

[TheBlackAdder]

1. It would kind of make them want to besome SOCIALISTS and enlist in the taxpayer-funded MILITARY. nt

[procon]

2. The whole story reeks

Her family owned a hog farm. How many galoshes could have been bought from selling just one hog to take better care of their kids? Maybe this speaks more to her "me first" philosophy and sketchy family values. By telling us that she was raised in a home where her selfish parents put profits ahead of their own children's welfare, it offers a clear insight into her views toward those less fortunate.

[Fred Sanders]

3. White folks being poor is sad, brown folks being poor is God's plan.

[Botany]

6. Good point

Last edited Wed Jan 21, 2015, 07:06 PM - Edit history (1)

I had a good friend who grew up on a hog farm in Indiana and I asked him if he ever
felt bad about the hogs be loaded onto a truck so they could live on as bacon and he
said that his dad told him that he was looking @ $44.00 for each pig. If young Jodi
needed shoes her folks could have sold a pig and get her some boots or shoes.

Her story to me strikes me as pure hog crap.

[Munificence]

11. Well

"If young Jodi
needed shoes her folks could have sold a pig and get her some boots or shoes".

Let's see, the average cost for feed is 60-70% of the price, so your friend had $28.60 in feed alone. So they have $15.40 to work with.

Toss in vet bills, shots, infrastructure, tractors and labor (which is usually not paid on a family farm) and your friends family probably made enough to replace the hog for next year ($10 or so) and this is used in most cases to fund the next pig as a replacement. If a vet had to show up then I am sure that $15.00 that was there for the family to use to buy anything was taken away.

The amount of folks that do not understand basic economics is mind boggling. A farm or business can in essence do $20 million dollars a year in revenue and not make a profit and actually be poor, but then again it can make a profit also. You do not know the circumstances and yet it seems so easy for you to provide a solution.

Speechless over folks who have no clue how things work besides for how they think they work. Oh it's so easy to simply "sell a pig" and all of your dreams come true...I mean that's a ton of money $44.00 is HUGE!

Pigs today will get you maybe up to $500 price, but they cost damn near that to get to market. Lots of dirt poor farmers around me and yet you must think they are wealthy because they financed a farm purchase, financed tractors, pig purchases etc....if it all was so easy as you think then we'd all be rich. But I think you are confused when you drive through the country, see a few acres and a tractor and think to yourself "man that guy must be rich".

It strikes you as pure "hog crap" because you are ignorant to small farmers and their economic models, heck I think you are ignorant to business and economics in general.

I have yet to see a small farmer that makes much over min wage for their time and effort, usually less than that.... especially pig farmers as even they are viewed as being the poorest of the farmers by other farmers.

I am thankful that farmers are not as short-sided as you are.

[Botany]

15. I have my own business and at one time a tree (shade) farm

Please tell me something I don't know. BTW lots of hog producers grow
some of their own feed. From what I understand her family and her in laws
family's farm have been around for generations so they must have turned
some kind of profit. Jodi also talked about how she had worked on her family's
farm doing labor and plowing fields so it is ludicrous to think she did that
barefoot and did not have some work boots. Especially a hog farm.

[Munificence]

16. Um

if you read what she said never once did she mention being poor or doing it barefoot. Please educate yourself on what she said.

Should we be against her - abso-fucking-lutely, however what are we trying to attack here? Even you have spun it now to her being barefooted which she never remotely hinted at it. Makes us look foolish.

Base your argument on facts, not something you made up in your mind as even I will call you out on it.

Oh and yes, some folks grow their own feed.....I guess you think that's free?

If you can provide me a link or facts that show that she stated that she did all that barefooted I will apologize to you. Please go read what she said.

[LeftOfWest]

22. Pig farmers can still bake their own bread.

Your knowledge of farm life is lacking on this subject.

[Rex]

25. They are proving they know nothing about being poor, no doubt.

That poster told me a dollar a day for bread is nothing to a poor person. Obviously they know nothing about being poor.

[LeftOfWest]

27. I read that Rex

Made me sick. You were classy in your replies....I better log off of this one...they are REALLY upset we are taking the repub to task and I am not as classy or polite as you have been. That they asked if you were Republican.....ugh. They might think about holding up a hand mirror to their face and say that to themselves.

A dollar could be a like million bucks to someone poor. One dollar can be VERY VERY VERY hard to come by.

Thanks Rex. You get it.

[marym625]

48. This particular member

Long time I might add, is all over the Ernst threads defending her. I hate post counting but I am going to go there. With under 250 posts since 2002 and many just in the last couple days just defending Ernst, I have to wonder what the objective is for being on DU.

Yeah, I agree about Rex's response. Much more polite than I would have been.

[Rex]

62. Thanks, I taught students in HS that would go home to dirt floors

in a shack built for storage. A dollar a day just to spend on anything, is a luxury none of them could afford. Getting free meals at school was important to the parents that otherwise would have their children go to bed full, while they went to bed starving. Small things save families that are poor that most people take for granted every day.

I get pissed off to no end hearing people wave around a dollar like it is nothing, they really have no idea imo.

When I was 7, we were so poor that we had lawn furniture in our house that we used in place of real furniture. My parents were embarrassed to invite people over. Even at that level, a HUGE amount of poor people would consider me lucky.

[Munificence]

33. Ok

show me 1 time where I said that?

Exactly you can't, just flailing on I see.

Edit to add the quote in what they allege I said:



"That poster told me a dollar a day for bread is nothing to a poor person."

It's put up or shut up time. I know I am ready to apologize if I ever said that...are you ready if I didn't?

[Munificence]

40. Make

sure you tell that to my chickens, pigs, and goats. and my 1/4 acre personal garden. I also farm crops.

What do you do?

[Botany]

28. If she worked on a farm she had boots

They sell boots. The idea she worked on a farm and did not have boots is laughable.

[Munificence]

36. The idea

that she said nothing as such is laughable.

Again, please post some facts, it should be easy for you to post a link where she even she said anything about not having boots.

Oh that's right, all she ever said was:

"We were raised to live simply, not to waste. It was a lesson my mother taught me every rainy morning. You see, growing up, I had only one good pair of shoes. So on rainy school days, my mom would slip plastic bread bags over them to keep them dry."


I am missing the part about boots, could you help me here?

I can not believe the level we has stooped to in coming up with out-right lies. I mentioned before, if this is all we have then we are in trouble. Not only will we get laughed but we've essentially got nothing.

hell I know nothing of the lady, first time I ever heard of her was today. But what I do know is that there are a lot of lies being passed around and I will defend anyone that is not present and being lied about.

[Botany]

44. "I will defend anyone that is not present and being lied about."

You keep on fighting that good fight for the honor of Ms. Earnst.

[Munificence]

47. And you

keep pushing the lies and if I see it I will correct you.

[Botany]

58. And you keep right on fighting that good fight you plucky little scamp

[Munificence]

65. Yep

and you keep pushing these lies:

"The idea she worked on a farm and did not have boots is laughable."

The idea that she said anything even remotely close to "boots" and their availability is laughable. Remember, it's all about comprehension and you just made up a narrative to be cute and yet someone is calling you out. It's folks just like you that are making a joke of the liberal agenda.

But you keep on going, I won't resort to calling you names, I don't play that teenage game.

[Botany]

66. do you like pizza?

It's folks just like you that are making a joke of the liberal agenda.

No liberal or progressive uses the term "liberal agenda." Go back to Free Republic
or Red State.

[Nye Bevan]

70. FYI- 4-3 to leave....

On Thu Jan 22, 2015, 10:36 AM an alert was sent on the following post:

Yep
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6121354

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

"liberal agenda" =right wing talking point

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Thu Jan 22, 2015, 10:55 AM, and the Jury voted 3-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Troll
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Thank you Munificence for fighting the good fight here. DU is totally embarrassing itself with this nonsense about Joni Ernst's upbringing.
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Good grief. This is an almost cordial response to troll accusations. Are we trying to ban phrases now? Alerter, shame on you.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[2naSalit]

87. !!!

You go Botany!!!

[JustAnotherGen]

45. She's a public figure

But what I do know is that there are a lot of lies being passed around and I will defend anyone that is not present and being lied about.

She's fair game.

[Munificence]

46. Yep

but when it comes to out right lies, I don't care if it's Reagan himself, if you said something that was false/a lie then I'd defend him. let's fight positions, not lies.

It's so easy to make up lies and act like it's pretty cool, like a 15 year old. Part of the problem, not the cure and we look like idiots when it is done.

[JustAnotherGen]

49. I don't see where anyone here is lying

Seriously - after she basically flipped the bird at Obama by being a little snot (my opinion that's no lie) . . . by saying the following:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/read-excerpts-gop-response-obama-sotu-article-1.2086060

"Tonight though, rather than respond to a speech, I'd like to talk about your priorities. I'd like to have a conversation about the new Republican Congress you just elected, and how we plan to make Washington focus on your concerns again.

There's not one single redeeming quality she has.


That said - she IS A MASSIVE WELFARE QUEEN.

Did she cheat the system? I don't know.

Joni Ernst On Welfare? GOP Senator’s Family Took $460,000 In Taxpayer Handouts
http://www.inquisitr.com/1777070/joni-ernst-on-welfare-gop-senators-family-took-460000-in-taxpayer-handouts/

She will be redeemed when:

1. She owns her words (she could have refused to make those statements so no wiggle room by blaming it on someone higher ) and

2. She admits that she's part of this 'welfare' problem that those idiots are always ranting and raving and foaming at the mouth about. That's a LOT of money. A lot. I want a full accounting.

Personal opinion - she's a total fake - that's no 'lulumom ugg wife'. <--- Those in the North East part of the US in affluent communities will understand that reference. As much as they (The Republican Party Image Makers) want to 'make her over' into that - she comes off as a big phony.

And that's what you are 'reading' here. People understand she IS a phony - we just can't seem to nail to the wall the big bag of jello that went from shooting in t.v. commercials to a Crest Smile hairsprayed stepford.

[Munificence]

67. And I

actually will join you in your argument but the lie I reference is:

"The idea she worked on a farm and did not have boots is laughable."

Nowhere did she state or even suggest that and yet we have libs on the site hitting the ground and running with it? Looks pretty foolish and juvenile.

I don't post much (outside of today) and have been a member for awhile (dunno, 10 years or so +), love to read. But as of late, the childish stuff has really come to the forefront. Starting to resemble another site created by Skinner. I am pretty confident that the few children that are present here are likewise having a hey day over there, same shit, childish gibberish.

[JustAnotherGen]

69. Now that's not really a lie - it's an opinion

That's an opinion. This is why there is so much derision and dismissal. . .

"As a young girl, I plowed the fields of our family farm. I worked construction with my dad. To save for college, I worked the morning biscuit line at Hardees.

"We were raised to live simply, not to waste. It was a lesson my mother taught me every rainy morning.

"You see, growing up, I had only one good pair of shoes. So on rainy school days, my mom would slip plastic bread bags over them to keep them dry.

"But I was never embarrassed. Because the school bus would be filled with rows and rows of young Iowans with bread bags slipped over their feet

Regarding the behavior of members - I'll go back to my old stand by -

Take what you need and leave the rest. You don't HAVE to engage or read any of it.

[Munificence]

50. Absolutely

I agree 100% but when we are using lies then it's another problem, supposed to be better than that.

You attract a hell of a lot more bees with honey. But I guess you think it's perfectly acceptable the falsehoods that have been spewed here. If you have not looked around there are others here also that are calling this subject out as being BS.
We took an ass kicking in the mid-terms, and my comment to that is that it took most of us by surprise. Now with the continued "alienation" of folks going on it is pretty clear the message: We are gonna take the childish route.

If one is at the Poker table and do not know who the mark is, then it is them. This last election we were the "marks" and we can't believe how we ended up with those results. And yet we continue to travel down the same path of alienating folks and some even post childish pics like a 14 year old. And they are expected to be taken seriously?

This "bread bags" thing will blow up in our face. It's a non-issue and we look like idiots because we obviously have nothing of substance to go after her on. It shows me nothing but scared cowards that have to pick on how some looks, acts, says, etc vs basing it off of actions. When it comes to the subsidies and as noted in my other post it appears from the data that Iowa is a $1 Billion a year+ farm subsidies state and we want to try to use her immediate family getting $2000 a year on average in subsidies over 15 years when they were provided $18-20 billion in subsidies to farmers in Iowa during that time frame. Do you realize how insignificant that money her immediate family received was?

We as liberals are a very small minority, we are not gonna win shit, have never won shit and will only go down hill from here if the message is not changed. Damn it, we are supposed to be better and take the high road, instead we get right down in the mud and wallow like pigs while shouting childish names and outright lies.

[JustAnotherGen]

52. No we aren't supposed to be better

We lost the mid term.

And time is on our side.

And the reality is - there are highs and lows in life - in everything.

Sometimes you have to enter a valley of comeuppence. She's going to be targeted for being abrasive. She's in that valley. She's gotta suck it.

Don't get so emotional about a woman who would laugh at you if you were sick, homeless and in the street.

You do realize she thinks your too wet to step on and too low to kick - just because you are a 'liberal'. I mean - she was putting out commercials in the spring of her shooting a gun at 'targets'.

Be careful who you are defending here - because she'd just as soon you didn't exist at all in 'Her Country'.

That's what that type means when they talk about taking it back - removing you and me.

[marym625]

53. First time you ever heard of her was today?

That's really interesting. Because yesterday, on my post, you said, "We tried to use this in her senate campaign and it went nowhere...if this is all we have then we really have nothing, as if we had something we would have exposed it." Or were you not actually part of the "we"? http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1002&pid=6117061


I suggest you edit one of your posts because it is a lie.

What exactly is your agenda? You are all over the Ernst posts defending her. You are not polite about it. You call us idiots and explain things as if the poster you are replying to is ignorant. You use some new math that claims her family only received $2000 a year in subsidies. You actually state, "we look like idiots because we obviously have nothing of substance to go after her on."

She a family member of yours?

[JustAnotherGen]

57. I wondered that too

But this person has been a member since 2002.

Sometimes there are just certain things that people will a 'hill to die on' and this is most likely one for this poster.

I'm willing to 'hear him/her' out - but that doesn't mean I can relate to them. I'm also always cautious when people defend people who would laugh at their misery.

That makes no sense to me. I'm not a 'good god damned Christian' type and I'm not going to turn the other cheek or be some kind of Mary Poppins goody goody two shoes because some woman in Iowa might get her feelings hurt.

She ran for the Senate and has a history of using violent imagery and words to make her point.

Let's not pretend the 'babe in the woods' act is anything more than that at this point.

[marym625]

60. I have heard her out

And read more than a few posts about this. Since she says we have nothing of substance to go after Ernst on, has multiple posts about Ernst and fewer than 250 posts since 2002, I find the agenda suspect. Done hearing her out.

[Rex]

59. Look at his/her profile...that should tell you everything you need to know.

Sleeper accounts suck and usually get spotted and TSd pretty quick. Dunno about this one, but you just caught them in a lie so it should be interesting to see if they totally ignore you now.

[marym625]

61. I'm waiting.

Responds or not, what this poster is about is pretty clear to me.

[Rex]

63. Me too.

You have a great day marym625! It's cold and wet here, so I am trying to stay inside as much as possible.

[JustAnotherGen]

64. It doesn't make sense to me

That 'the first' someone heard of someone was yesterday or today - yet they seem to have some inside track information on this woman is and how she has conducted herself . . .

[marym625]

71. and defending a tea party Republican with vigor

While calling DUers lairs and idiots.

[marym625]

68. You as well

Though I have some wonder bread so I may venture out

[Rex]

75. LOL!

[Munificence]

73. I don't have to answer shit but:

"We tried to use this in her senate campaign and it went nowhere"

Time frame:

I had never heard of her so when this blew up yesterday, I went searching. I mean what I was reading here was outlandish and really to good to be true.

In my searching I found out that in the political race we tried to use the "contracts" issue.,..and it failed nothing was there. So here we are again (yesterday), same argument and we think it is going to work today?

I was actually pretty amazed that we tried the "father got a contract" spiel during the political race and to see that we are once again recycling that today.

So by my "other math" you so oddly speak of I read that about her yesterday. Google is your friend and I can learn about what we tried "yesterday" which a day has passed and yesterday it would be "today" when I said it.

And the other fuzzy math:

$2000 was the average amount her immediate family received/yr in subsidies over 15 years. In that same 15 years Iowa passed out anywhere between $17 billion to maybe $20 billion in farm subsidies (Their average is over $1 billion a year). There little average of $2K a year is minuscule in grand scheme of things. Another poster said that "You have to admit the family is benefiting from her." And by the math her immediate family got very little of that #20 billion that was passed out among their peers. ...$1 Billion or more goes to Iowa farmers and yet her immediate family got a measly $2000 a year on average? Yeah there is a big scandal there! The "average" for monies going to farms in Iowa equates out to be around $13500 a year in subsidies provided to each farm....they got $2K a year. Now I could see one raising hell if her immediate family got more than that $13500 a year, but to try a find scandal over $2K a year in farm subsidies is probably not a fight we want to make when every farm averages around $13500 a year in subsidies, they are well below the average as a matter of fact, her immediate family got about 15% of the subsidies as the "typical" farm did.

Math it's pretty cool no? Hope I have helped.

Oh, and it's not defending the Chachi girlfriend, it's instead trying to explaining farming and subsidies to folks who have no clue.

I'd bet that most did not even know that Iowa passes out over $1 billion a year in subsidies...they do now.

The understanding of subsidies around here is lacking. Just maybe if I explain them and show how much money is dumped into just Iowa (Texas gets more)then this should raise the question of "WTF are we doing" and folks will seek out to educate themselves. Most think the monies to her immediate family were somewhat in excess but I am hoping that most realize that in the grand scheme of things they did not receive crap when compared to their peers, actually far far less.

[marym625]

74. nope, you don't have to answer "shit."

But one would hope if you do answer, the answer would be clear, true and concise. Oh well. One can always hope.

Let's see. $460,000. / 15 = $30,666.67. Yep. That's $2000.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/sen-joni-ernsts-family-actually-received-more-than-460000-in-federal-subsidies/
http://www.inquisitr.com/1777070/joni-ernst-on-welfare-gop-senators-family-took-460000-in-taxpayer-handouts/

http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/01/21/media-ignore-the-government-subsidies-helping-j/202221

I could go on about her trying to negate federal law, her horrible stance against any program that assists those that need it (except those that help her family.) The fact her father's construction company didn't receive federal grants until she started as county auditor. But I won't.

Call it what you want, you are doing nothing but defending her, belittling DUers and twisting facts

Your claim that you want to educate would go further if that was what you were doing and you were doing it without trying to be condescending and patronizing. But that is not the case.

Your claim would go further if you didn't refer to DUers as liars and idiots as you have in most of your posts.

Your claim would go further if you said anything against this woman that counts instead of saying that we have nothing of substance against her.

No need to reply. I'm sure it would be rife with excuses, nastiest and probably lies.

Good day

[Munificence]

77. Notice

every time I said "her immediate family". And notice I said "subsidies". Try the math again.

And for the record, her immediate family would be her mom, dad, and siblings, not her uncles farm down the road.

Edit:

Did you notice the "conservation pay" they received also? This is different. This is the gov saying "Please do not farm your land, let it go back to nature for a period and we will pay you to leave it lay fallow". This is a very liberal program and it has preserving the local wildlife in mind, it provides sanctuaries where they have been lost. So we pay them to let the land lay fallow for some period as this would def be a hardship and loss of income on the family.

Now most of your "conservation" still requires effort from farmers. My neighbor was made an offer and asked to let his land (130 acres) lay fallow vs planting a crop. Even though he had to let it lay fallow he still had to plant 10% of the land in food plots for wildlife each year. ( He put in 12 " 1 acre plots" with Egyptian wheat, corn, turnips, sunflowers).

[marym625]

78. Notice

I and others you reply to said family. That includes the uncle down the road.

Ok, let's break down just daddy. Between 1995 and 1998 he received $23,960. / 4 = $5990 per year.

Between 2006 - 2009 $14,705 / 4 = $3676.25. But nothing actually in 2008. So 2006 - 2007 = $7097 / 2 = $3548 and 2009 $7608 so that's $7608 per year

The other years he didn't need any subsidies.

Yep. Ignore everything else.

[Munificence]

80. They looked at 15 year period in the article and how much he had received over time.

$23,960/15 = $1597/yr on average as a subsidy.

That was fun now wasn't it.

[marym625]

81. You left off about 15k

But that's ok. Didn't expect anything less.

And I looked up the detail. See how that works?

Again, ignore the rest. Smh.

[Munificence]

82. Maybe you

are confusing "subsidies" with "conservation" Now it was pretty simple, I asked for the amount of subsidies. And if you read my other post then you will see that I mention "conservation".

You do know the difference in the two right?

[marym625]

83. Yes. I do

And it's a moot point. The total amount is what is counted.

What exactly is your point anyway? What is your fascination with this site and Joni Ernst? Why do you continue to defend? Why go nuts posting about how wrong, what idiots we are and how there's nothing "substantive" to go after her on?

There is so much wrong with this chick, her actions, political views, etc that we could spend days in it. But you seem determine to defend. Why?

[Munificence]

85. My point:

Wafing through all the bogus bullshit one would like to get rid of the things that are false. They's like to see how much did her family really get, what the average was per farm in the state, how much the state gave away.

One takes these facts and then starts formulating an opinion. And when you start doing that, searching for the real numbers for comparison you are automatically labeled as a defender and all the fuck I wanted was some numbers.

After I found the numbers I truthfully was like "Damn they did not receive shit compared to the norms maybe we should drop this little fiasco and look for something that will stick instead.

This is no different from the "birthers". Of which I even said "WTF" let me look into this. Now I looked into and said "Jesus Christ, the repugs have nothing and are playing this for all it is worth and looking like idiots. And one likes to think that we would take the high road and not resort to some of their tactics, maybe even police ourselves a bit. And damn it don't you know there are some pushing this "bread bag" and Subsidies agenda and maybe they should think about it.

Now as soon as the "You're a repub, you're a troll" shit stops then just maybe we can move on to actually finding something with content to go after her about. Several posters have done this. Hell I have support from other members. But you know what is odd about the support? They won't come forward as they do not want the "trounce" party to descend on them.

So hey, I'll speak my mind, live within the rules and maybe ask a question and get an honest answer vs having "accusations" tossed around as some type of fact.

And you know what, in the end, her family is not crap in the subsidies department. It seems one of the other good senators got $3.4 million in the same time frame...that is to obvious to pass up and maybe the fight could start there with these subsidies vs with her immediate family that got around $40K or so total. If we start the fight there then maybe we can take it right to her front doorstep. I mean we are gonna get a hell of a lot more support wondering why a Senator got $3.4 million in farm subsidies, people from more walks of life than just DU may just look and say "Man that does not sound right" and we may gain some supporters. But to go off half-cocked makes one look goofy. Identify where you start this argument not where you finish it.

My fascination with Joni Ernst is nil. Just trying to figure out how much money her immediate family got in subsidies, if there is any foul play going on there and where to start exposing it. It's really not that hard. Not once have i defended Joni as a person or a politician....but once I pointed out that the money was really not that much (92000+ farms in her state and $1 billion a year in subsidies) compared to a typical farmer.

Now along this search you get the screamers (really melodramatic bunch) that now want to say things such as "Any little girl that age is not sensible if she puts bags over her shoes" and I think: Just wait a minute here, I have 2 girls that have done that and this to this person can't fathom the thought of a girl doing that so it must be a lie. At that point I get defensive as I have two girls. Now the short-sideness of that even coming out of ones mouth shows that there is not a lot of diversity around here when it comes to farmers.

Next: Farm subsidies are treated as "welfare" around here. There are many reasons farmers get subsidies. I'd like to see them end myself but boy oh boy the masses would not. Farmers are subsidized because the government has way to much influence on the prices of crops. So the government is in essence saying "hey we are really gonna fuck with the price of some of this shit, so we know it will hurt you so we are gonna reimburse you when we fuck up shit so bad that you lose your ass this year."

Now, let us remove those subsidies and your old dirt farmer can then make a lot more money, hell he might even be able to compete. Now the consumer would get hammered. So do you want the consumer to get hammered for a $5 loaf of bread or do you want to subsidize the farmers in order to keep prices low?

How many screaming folks would you have that are either poor or on a fixed income that walk into walmart to pick up a $1.00 loaf of bread and it's now $5.00?

Crop insurance, subsidies, etc It's pretty much a given that they need to be there to actually let the farmer stand a chance. Take your typical guy trying to grow corn on 300 acres end up in a drought situation and he's going right into bankruptcy and there goes that small farm getting chopped up into little pieces and a development goes up. Or the mega farmers (who are subsidized the most) roll in and buy the place for pennies on the dollar and the poor old dirt farmer that barely eked out a living is now greeting people at Walmart or on government assistance themselves. The amount of money we are paying the small farmers in subsidies is a hell of a lot less than what it would cost us to house, feed, and cloth them and their families. But make no mistake about it, the big guys are the problem as the little guys barely survive.

[marym625]

86. Your diatribe

Belies the fact you have stated that 'we have nothing substantive against her" and your continued championing of contracts awarded to her father. Whether or not the letter of the law was followed, impropriety abounds. In politics, that means something.

Subsidies are also given based on farm size, what's grown, etc etc. So saying "this much per year" means nothing. Saying, "this much compared to the whole" means nothing. The fact is she us against welfare for anyone but her family. I don't care if they only received a dime. For her to spout the bullshit she does about the people working hard and living in poverty and them needing assistance is despicable and disgusting. It should be called out everywhere, loud, long and clear.

So stop with your bullshit and either act like a Democrat or liberal or stfu.

[Munificence]

88. Oh

Sounds like you need a hug. Will you be my friend?

One last question and I will leave you alone (ignore):

Did you remember to put those plastic bags over your hands earlier for the edit? One can never be too careful in not getting shit all over their hands while editing that to V2.0.

It was the right thing to do however, you should not feel bad and I am actually pretty proud of you in doing so lil' buddy.

That's the way to take one for the team! (How was that for my acting? Convincing? Help me out with some pointers). And what is this "STFU" you speak of? An acronym for a contract or subsidy or the brand of bread maybe? Nah, can't be. Must be a friendly message so I can only hope that you do the same my friend.

Fare Thee Well Miss Carousel Fare The Well.

[marym625]

89. .

Last edited Fri Jan 23, 2015, 09:26 AM - Edit history (1)

Didn't expect anything more.

When and if you actually say anything against what this woman stands for, I will believe you have any intention other than defending her, which is all you have done. You can use you're "we're better than that" and "these things don't matter" all you want. You have still defended her relentlessly, said "were have nothing if substance against her," have not responded to questions about the latter and have said nothing about her politics.

[oldlib2]

56. If she lived on a farm

she wore boots. She would not wear them to school and the plastic bread bag story is absurd. Farm wives bake bread and no sensible girl would wear bags over their shoes. I am sure that she was asked to show humanity in her SOFTU speech and they came up with this story

[Munificence]

76. .....

"No sensible girl would wear bags over their shoes"

Seriously? Are you that high on your horse? I guess the folks in the "other thread" that said they had done as much are not sensible to you?

I mean that statement leaves very little room for wiggle on your part.

Of which there is the problem with this entire thing, you think that no sensible girl would ever be wearing bags over her feet and yet there are many who have done it. So you have turned this into a "sensible girls don't wear bags over their shoes" argument. Then you get fellow DU members that are farmers or have put bags over their feet and you saying that even they are not "sensible"

You know some of us were not raised up with much, if you had a good pair of shoes (I only had one "good pair" then I had another pair for all things else which would be my "good shoes" from the previous year). If you have on your good shoes and you get them dirty then you'd have to answer to mom, putting bags over shoes is pretty common when you live on a muddy ass pig shit farm and you have good shoes on. The mud is literally at your door step. But I'd not expect many to understand the "farming life" like yourself, but they should not say that any of my daughters are "not sensible" since to this day they will cover their feet when they have good shoes and and have to walk through the mud... My oldest insists on wearing her old shoes until she gets out of the mud, then she puts the good ones on. So I do not appreciate you questioning one of my daughters "sensibility" when you know not of what you speak in "sensibility".

Some of us live out in the country, I am sure that most of the city folk here will not have a clue because they have never experienced a "farming life", just like I may not have a clue about common odd "City" practices and when I do not understand something I STFU as I can't really add anything and I simply do not post.

The jokes about "castration, slopping, etc" are posed in a manner where they belittle the folks that actually have to do that. I know that most think that this is well below them or can not believe that this still goes on today. But just like the "bags" most assume that a "sensible" young gal would never help castrate a hog. Is it from your perspective these "insensible little girls" should be all dolled up? Is that what you are accustomed to?

If there are any female farmers here that raised pigs I am sure that they have helped castrate, slaughter, slop, and perform animal husbandry on a pig. But yet some see these things as "not being sensible" and they are disconnected from the reality in their "dooo dooo dooo goooder" little world.

Glad to know how you feel about girls that cover their shoes, it speaks volumes.


We wade in shit and mud here on the farm just so you do not have to get your pretty little shoes dirty.

[oldlib2]

84. I can out poor

you! I was raised on a 5 acre farm in the Northwest after my dad lost the wheat farm, during the Great Depression, in North Dakota. Boots were a necessity, and never worn into town. My mother baked bread, and I was always envious of the neat, thin sandwiches that the town kids ate, as opposed to the thick sandwiches that I ate. I would get a new pair of shoes, when school started and they would have to last until the next September.

Chopping wood, milking cows, slopping pigs and collecting eggs was a daily routine. Castrating pigs was not something that I did. My father would slaughter cows and pigs when needed and I would stay away until he had killed the beast and then my duties were to sledge the remains into the woods for the wolves and foxes to eat.

With my background I never witnessed, or heard of anyone, wearing plastic bread covers over their shoes. Being poor did not obscure dignity and we always tried to present ourselves as nicely as we could.

[TeamPooka]

79. Ignored forever. Are you at the right website? Discissionist is over there.

[notadmblnd]

37. I don't know about pigs, but the last beef I bought

was 2000lbs standing. I paid 600.00. It cost me 15 dollars to transport to slaughter and a 50.00 kill fee. Processing was in the 350.00 range and I got about 1000 lbs of meat cut to my specifications. My final cost was just over a dollar a pound. The farmer who sold him to me did not live in a shot gun house with a tin roof.

[Munificence]

39. The last

one I purchased was in April. Was a steer at 16 months and it weighed 870lbs live weight (not hanging weight). My half for the steer was $400. My processing fee was about like your $145 (only paid for a half), and the kill fee was $50 of which I paid half. So for less than $600 I ended up with right at 150 lbs of meet of grass-fed only beef - not one kernel of corn touched its lips, no antibiotics, no hormones, no nothing.

The farmer that sold it to you done it at close to cost for you and likewise did the one I deal with. He just wanted to make enough to be able to start the process again.

[Cracklin Charlie]

4. That was exactly my take on that goofy comment.

Why was it a good thing that all those poor little children have to wear bags on their feet at all? Which, by the way, was a made-up story anyway. She is just not old enough to have grown up during a time when ALL the kids wore bread bags on their feet.

Ernst is such a phony. All the Republicans are, and they know it. But instead of doing the smart thing and being genuine, they just keep going phonier, and phonier. Eventually, they all crumble under the layers of bullshit.

[underpants]

5. Wonder woman

[alterfurz]

7. "Senator Ernst described herself, her friends and family as the type of people...

...Republicans didn't applaud for when the President spoke of addressing their needs." -- FB comment

[Populist_Prole]

8. Remember that Bush comment?

When some woman said to him that she was working 3 jobs just to get by, he was practically sneering as he chirpily quipped "How uniquely American" ( Sounded more like 'Murkin )

[okaawhatever]

19. You have to forgive him. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth. LOL Thank you Ann nt

[Vinca]

9. Just heard a discussion about bread bags on the radio.

Apparently school teachers who have to help little kids on and off with their rubber boots REQUEST the kids wear bread bags to make the boots easier to slide on and off. In any case, the Ernst family could have taken some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in farm subsidy money and bought her just about whatever she wanted.

[pnwmom]

10. Right. But those bags go on the inside, not the outside, of the boots.

Maybe she got her story mixed up. Or her speechwriter did.

[CTyankee]

12. If she said outside when she meant inside, it makes no sense...

how does having an easier time getting boots off have anything to do with poverty?

[Munificence]

17. Hey

"the Ernst family could have taken some of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in farm subsidy money".

I really need a link for these numbers as all I can find that her immediate family got was less than $40K over a 15 year period and this is even stated in the article.

[FSogol]

21. Here you go

https://www.districtsentinel.com/despite-campaigning-pork-cutting-family-living-within-means-sen-ernsts-kin-took-460000-farm-subsidies/

[LeftOfWest]

24. Well done FSogol.

GREAT link.

[Munificence]

30. No

teh link is not a great link. I can see what folks with a last name of "Ernst" received but can only see less than $40K that her immediate family received.

Let's be intellectually honest here.

[FSogol]

34. Pretty dishonest to pretend her relatives are not benefiting from her. n/t

[Rex]

51. Well I don't think that poster cares much about

honesty. You gave them a direct link to show the numbers and the poster balked and now is pretending not to understand.

[FSogol]

54. True. n/t

[Munificence]

29. Wait

I asked a specific question and you provide some link that does not even answer it.

[FSogol]

35. In bizarro world.

Gee we have an Ernst apologist in our midst.

[Rex]

26. You got a link but no follow up comment? Cat got your tongue?

Seriously, your act is lame and you should just go back into hiding.

[Munificence]

31. I am still waiting on

a link to answer what I asked.

And it's no "act"

It's lame, this reading comprehension thing, it really was a simple question.

[FSogol]

32. Deleting this. You called it Rex. My apologies. n/t

[11 Bravo]

13. They needed those bags in case they stepped in some "trickle down".

[MohRokTah]

14. .

[onethatcares]

18. when I was growing up we were

so poor I only got to wear one bread bag on my shoes at a time, and I had to walk 4 miles up hill both ways to the bus stop.

You might think that's funny, but you try to put two feet into one bread bag and walk 4 miles up hill both ways to the bus stop.

Trust me, you won't be laughing for very long.

[pnwmom]

20. The hardest part is having to walk up hill both ways.

I know, because I always had to do that, too.

[onethatcares]

23. remember

the bread bag foot races we used to have?

[marym625]

41. You had hills?

We had to walk over hot lava mountains.

Some people don't understand how hard it really was to get those bread bags to stay on in hot lava.

[pnwmom]

42. Wow. That really would be a challenge.

I'm glad you lived through it.

[marym625]

43. Thanks.

It was difficult to see all the kids at school with bread bags permanently melted into their shoes

[notadmblnd]

38. Well we didn't have the luxury of bread bags, my mother baked our bread

but we didn't get our shoes wet either. We walked those two miles uphill, in the snow- barefoot.

[onethatcares]

72. you are a much better person for it

now all you have to do is run for office in Ernsts district.

With stories like this,we could take over the House in no time.

[moondust]

55. We lived in a van down by the river.

Next door to this guy: