According to a recent report by the Government Accountability Office, the United States Department of Agriculture provided 1.1 billion taxpayer dollars to subsidize 172,801 dead farmers from 1999 through 2005. While I have always thought that the bulk of subsidies went to those politically connected I never thought more than 170,000 dead farmers would be receiving government handouts to farm from the grave.

The government stupidity does not end with paying deceased farmers to farm. According to a 2006 article in the Washington Post, 1.3 billion taxpayer dollars intended for farm subsidies went to individuals who did not even farm. Some of your tax money was spent to help millionaires who owned farm land, but did not actually use the land to farm. From the Washington Post article, "Mary Anna Hudson, 87, from the River Oaks neighborhood in Houston, has received $191,000 over the past decade. For Houston surgeon Jimmy Frank Howell, the total was $490,709." (Washington Post, July 2, 2006; Page A01) If paying dead farmers wasn't bad enough the government is actually giving farm subsidies to people that do not even farm!

Subsidies often work to promote big business destroy their competition. In fact, an article titled, America's richest reap crop subsidies, by Alan Bjergac of Bloomberg News reported that Microsoft Corporation co-found Paul Allen and Texas oil investor Lee Bass were both receiving agriculture subsidies. According to the article, both of these men are billionaires. Government handouts to billionaires could kill small farming businesses by allowing the big business to buy the family farm or lower their prices. Similarly, when the government institutes minimum wage laws and other regulations big business find it easy to implement, but small business cannot compete. Where do the subsidies to farmers actually go? According to a 2002 report by the Heritage Foundation, "the top 10 percent of recipients--most of whom earn over $250,000 annually--received 73 percent of all farm subsidies in 2001." Their report can be viewed here: http://www.heritage.org/Research/Agriculture/BG1542.cfm
Subsidies often work to promote big business over their competition.

Farm subsidies are going to dead farmers, people that do not even farm, and large farming corporations.

Sources:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Agriculture/BG1542.cfm

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071137t.pdf

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070723/BUS...