A person named S. Richard Tolman, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association, complains that farmer-bashing is now the rage among pundits, talk show hosts and editorial writers. Would that it were so. Let's listen to Tolman:

       ... in 2001, farmers earned their lowest real net cash income since the Great Depression.

He goes on to decry other things:

       only 3.5% of the total federal budget is devoted to the Department of Agriculture;

       while Americans pay 11% of their income for food, Germans pay 17%, Mexicans 25% and Indians 51%

There are several problems with Tolman's article. One, of course, is his silly attempt to use civil-rights language in defense of farmers, one of government's most favored classes. "Farmer-bashing" no less. Maybe if he had said "Gay immigrant farmer-bashing" a point could be made but have you heard anyone - anyone at all - "bash" farmers? (If not, read on, you're about to hear one.)

As to the percentage of income spent on food, consider this. Mexicans earn far less income than Americans. Is it any wonder they spend a greater percentage of their income on food? Tolman's is an apples and oranges comparison used solely to make a statistical argument. Figures don't lie is what he writes: but liars figure is how it reads.

Why the government spends 3.5% of its total budget on agriculture is beyond any logic. Does it spend 3.5% on, say, automobile makers? computer makers? Anybody? And for what? To not produce and to artificially raise prices to consumers. Farmers always point out they are the last of the great rugged individualists, depositories of the American family and people of character.

Baloney.

Farmers are cry-babies; always complaining and then always begging their fellow citizens for another handout. Farmers are welfare recipients; they do suck at the public trough. You want to be a farmer? Great; go farm. Why should any taxpayer pay you to run your business, to improve your net worth and bail you out if it rains too much or too little? Nuts to the family farm. What about the family restaurant; the family dress business; the family, well, you get the idea. Give one good reason, just one, as to why the business of a family farm should be subsidized over any other family business.

Returning to Tolman's original statement that 2001 was the worst year for farmers since the Great Depression, why then have farmers kept farming for these last 70 years? Are they stupid? Nope; they've got a great deal; a can't lose deal. That's the why they keep on farming; they're no fools. We are.

P.S. Sucker

Go to www.ncga.com, the National corn growers Asssociation web site. Look at their Farm Bill Calculator. It tells those leeches called farmers how to calculate their welfare payments for the federal, state and county welfare departments. Ah, the rugged farmer, that individualist of the prarie. They are no different from the Wall Street thieves.