NTF Issue Paper: legwatch23.doc.  12-04. 

NEBRASKA TAXPAYERS FOR FREEDOM ISSUE PAPER:
HOGS AT THE TROUGH: STATE SENATORS RECEIVING AGRI-SUBSIDIES. 

BACKGROUND.  A great storm of controversy swirls over how to revise national agricultural and farm policies promulgated by our elected officials in Washington, D.C.  One point of controversy is the great numbers of taxpayer dollars paid to farmers as subsidies for their crops or paid them to not plant crops.  An organization named Ecological Working Group, based in D.C., periodically assembles a database on its web site, detailing how many subsidy dollars each farmer or farm partnership received in each U.S. county. NTF cross checked this database against the list of current state senators and found 13 of 49 who have accepted subsidies.  Perhaps other state senators accepted subsidies that we could not discover, because the entities accepting the dollars were not listed under senator name or appeared in names of other family members or relatives.  Now that Gov. Johanns has accepted the position as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, we hope that he will use his post to restore free market principles to the NE agricultural sector.  

TAX SUBSIDY RECIPIENTS. 

State Sen. Tom Baker

Trenton

District 44

1995-2003

51% share of interest: $18,910 conservation subsidies; $61,312 disaster subsidies; $553,265 commodities subsidies.

State Sen. Curt Bromm

Wahoo

District 23

1995-2003

$248 commodities subsidies

State Sen. Carroll Burling

Kenesaw

District

33

1995-2003

$8,500 disaster subsidy

State Sen. Matt Connealy

Decatur

District 16

1995-2003

33% share of partnership: $375,535 commodities subsidies.

State Sen. Carol Hudkins

(husband Larry)

Malcolm

District 21

1995-2003

$333,082 conservation subsidies; $30,629 disaster

subsidies; $146,074 commodities subsidies.

State Sen. Bob Kremer

Aurora

District 34

1995-2003

$65,100 commodities subsidies

State Sen. LeRoy Louden

Ellsworth

District 49

1995-2003

$17,517 disaster subsidies

State Sen. Ron Raikes

Ashland

District 25

1995-2003

$10,716 commodities subsidies

State Sen. Ed Schrock

Elm Creek

District 38

1995-2003

9.5% share of interest: $58,674 conservation subsidies; $56,104 commodities subsidies

State Sen. Elaine Stuhr

Bradshaw

District 24

1995-2003

$713 disaster subsidy; $79,710 commodities subsidies.

State Sen. Arnie Stuthman

Platte Center

District 22

1995-2003

$2,319 conservation subsidy; $33,160 disaster subsidies;

$439,948 commodities subsidies.

State Sen. Floyd Vrtiska

Table Rock

District 1

1995-2003

$514 commodities subsidies.

State Sen. Roger Wehrbein

Plattsmouth

District 2

1995-2003

25% share of interest:  $3,189 conservation subsidies; $6,039 disaster subsidies; $124,917 commodities subsidies.

TAKE ACTION NOW.  All of the above state senators earn very low scores on our annual NTF voting records that track votes on fiscal matters such as taxes and spending.  Therefore, no surprise that they generously gorge themselves on taxpayer dollars at the federal level.  Senators in even-numbered districts face re-election in 2006 unless booted by term limits.  We urge NTF members actively to seek out fiscally conservative challengers to replace these liberal Big Spenders/High Taxers in the Legislature!

                                                                        

Research and documentation for this issue paper done by Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, with express prior permission granted for its use by Taxwatchers, Inc., Citizens for Local Control, Cherry County Taxpayers, Dawes County Taxpayers, and other groups in the Tax Freedom Network.  12-04   C.