New York's 11th Congressional District Representative, Major Owens, has decided to bash the American Farmer while misrepresenting the facts about the current Farm Bill.

In his comments, he attacks the Blue Dogs of Congress for supporting the American Farmer. Owens claims the Blue Dogs "combine a steady drumbeat against higher taxes and government waste with their loud bugle call to rich farmers to come to get the green gravy. Their clients who enjoy the mega-buck free lunches constitute less than two per cent of the population. To make the treasury safer for the farmers, the favorite sacrificing victims of the Blue Dogs are the welfare mothers who have no claws and no fangs and can't fight back."

Rep. Owens obviously doesn't realize over 66% of the Farm Bill goes to Social Programs like food stamps, WIC, and school lunches. He obviously doesn't understand why Congress has provisions to help the nation’s farmers when crop prices unexpectedly drop to severe levels due to factors beyond the control of farmers. He also doesn't know Americans spend 9% of their disposable income on food, while foreign countries spend over 20% of their disposable income on food. He forgets the 2% he is criticizing feeds this country!

Including government payments, the average return on assets seldom exceeds 4 percent, and return on equity invested typically averages 6-7 percent -- levels that don’t attract a rush of investors anxious to invest in agriculture. If farm program payments were making people rich, there would likely be more people waiting in line to farm. PLEASE visit the link above and let Rep. Owens hear how important the Farm Bill is not only to farmers, but all of the country. Without American Farmers, who will feed our country?