Politics-What's on your mind?

[A. Spectre]

DeSantis tells Biden: Keep your IRA money
President Joe Biden is offering one of his White House challengers hundreds of millions of dollars to spend in his state. The only problem: that opponent is refusing to take it.

The Inflation Reduction Act makes Florida eligible for some $350 million in energy efficiency incentives. But Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected the funding and other measures, creating the most prominent blockade by any Republican governor against Biden’s economic agenda.

And there’s nothing the White House can do besides hope he changes his mind.

The rejection has the potential to create significant ripple effects, politically and economically, in the coming months. As the president and his Cabinet members go around the country boasting about the IRA, rebates for energy-efficient purchases — the majority of the funding that DeSantis has refused — have played a particularly prominent role. That’s not just because they underpin the administration’s climate agenda but because they provide direct rebates to consumers.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/climate-c...083000996.html
17


Who suffers? Not DeSatan but Floridians.

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by A. Spectre

DeSantis tells Biden: Keep your IRA money
President Joe Biden is offering one of his White House challengers hundreds of millions of dollars to spend in his state. The only problem: that opponent is refusing to take it.

The Inflation Reduction Act makes Florida eligible for some $350 million in energy efficiency incentives. But Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected the funding and other measures, creating the most prominent blockade by any Republican governor against Biden’s economic agenda.

And there’s nothing the White House can do besides hope he changes his mind.

The rejection has the potential to create significant ripple effects, politically and economically, in the coming months. As the president and his Cabinet members go around the country boasting about the IRA, rebates for energy-efficient purchases — the majority of the funding that DeSantis has refused — have played a particularly prominent role. That’s not just because they underpin the administration’s climate agenda but because they provide direct rebates to consumers.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/climate-c...083000996.html
17


Who suffers? Not DeSatan but Floridians.

Let’s be sure, now that certain people in the public sphere could care less how they conduct themselves privately or publicly, that cousin De Satan’s stunningly stupid agenda gets him booted from office.

I’m guessing George Conway or Chris Christie or Retired Conservative Judge Luttig and others like them have some blistering criticism concerning that particular official in Florida.

———————————————.

In other news: I personally hate it that this never ending shit show is dominating the last few good years of what’s left of my life.

We need a massive change of heart politically or life will cease to be enjoyable, if it can be at all.

😔

[Kätzchen]

Well ……… I just listened to the audio recording of S.C. senator Lindsey Graham offering his explanation to why he has yet to be indicted for his role in helping that horrible person who is ruining our country.

Here’s the buzz kill, for me: Graham stated he was doing what he did as a “requirement” of his version of his so-called duties.

Ummmm. No. It’s your DUTY to uphold the law and the US Constitution as an elected official. I hate it when sly weasels like Graham want to not take responsibility for their lapse in judgement. Not only does he not understand English but he doesn’t truly understand the danger he has put himself and others in by not doing what he is supposed to do. You take an oath to protect our country, not the other way around.

Same for J. Jordan. Thank heavens Georgia DA Fani Willis used painstaking clear language about how that asshole has no real knowledge or experience in executing or interpreting the LAW.

Hello. Like I said before, it’s going to get real ugly this damaging fiasco is going cost American citizens more than they realize.

We’re just getting started with the orange puppet. Wait until the whole truth and nothing but the truth comes out about Kushner and Trump blending their brand of deceit with the “royal” Saudi’s. People think Putin is bad… but really, those Saudi princes who murdered Kashoggi??? Those people are more dangerous than Lex Luther or other villains we’ve watched at the movies.

There is enough buzz kill to last more than a lifetime, with this horseshit the Trump “kingdom” has foisted upon us as a nation.

Mark my words, from here on out, invoking the name of the Orange menace will be one lesson everyone will regret in the end.

[Kätzchen]

Anybody hear the proverbial calm before the storm, lately???

Somebody told me today the an extraordinary amount of land in Arizona is owned by the Saudi’s and they grow water intensive crops (wheat, etc) in Arizona.

Let’s seeeeee:

Orange menace + Son-in-law Kushner + Kushner’s Saudi Billion $$$ hedge fund + acts between all three party’s = one big a$$ problem that will exact a punishing consequence upon what’s left of a tax burdened nation who is already paying consequences for the Orange party and their supporters who basically have zero emotional and intellectual intelligence.



So terrifying.

—————————.

In other news: I sign up for Medicare soon. That is another whole shitshow entirely.


<<<<<<<<<———————. Scared. Hope I don’t make a mistake when I apply for medical insurance.

[GeorgiaMa'am]

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

Anybody hear the proverbial calm before the storm, lately???

Somebody told me today the an extraordinary amount of land in Arizona is owned by the Saudi’s and they grow water intensive crops (wheat, etc) in Arizona.

Let’s seeeeee:

Orange menace + Son-in-law Kushner + Kushner’s Saudi Billion $$$ hedge fund + acts between all three party’s = one big a$$ problem that will exact a punishing consequence upon what’s left of a tax burdened nation who is already paying consequences for the Orange party and their supporters who basically have zero emotional and intellectual intelligence.



So terrifying.

I heard a news story about this on NPR. The situation is even worse than it sounds. There are several other states who have put themselves in the same situation.

How it works: The Saudis buy the land for the water. Unfortunately, when it drains the water from the land, it lowers the water table for all of the land around it. So people with wells (and this happens in rural areas with lots of people who have wells) are running out of water. Their wells runs dry, and they have to dig deeper wells. Up to a certain point, this works, but as the personal wells get deeper and deeper, they become more expensive to drill. Eventually the homeowners are left with a home that has no value because they can't get water, and their retirement funds and other sources of income are depleted from drilling wells.

The people in the state who are doing the selling are the congress people and people who live in the cities. They have water systems, so the well situation doesn't affect (most) of them. They make a lot of money for the state with this arrangement, and most of the voting power in the state has no reason to make any changes.

Originally Posted by Kätzchen

In other news: I sign up for Medicare soon. That is another whole shitshow entirely.


<<<<<<<<<———————. Scared. Hope I don’t make a mistake when I apply for medical insurance.

My sister had to start handling this for our Mom when our Dad died. She said it was incredibly complicated. But apparently there is a free book you can get that is published by Medicare that helps a lot. https://www.medicare.gov/publications

[Soft*Silver]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaMa'am

My sister had to start handling this for our Mom when our Dad died. She said it was incredibly complicated. But apparently there is a free book you can get that is published by Medicare that helps a lot. https://www.medicare.gov/publications

I remember when I first got on Medicare. It was actually quite frightening and confusing. However, now that I work with the elderly and have had time to have personal experience with Medicare, I am familiar with the system and how it works. For anyone who is struggling with Medicare I would suggest that you see if your county has an area agency on aging or a counterpart to that, and call them. They should offer information on how to pick a Medicare provider and what if any supplements you might need

[ksrainbow]

Anybody hear the proverbial calm before the storm, lately???

Somebody told me today the an extraordinary amount of land in Arizona is owned by the Saudi’s and they grow water intensive crops (wheat, etc) in Arizona.

Let’s seeeeee:

Orange menace + Son-in-law Kushner + Kushner’s Saudi Billion $$$ hedge fund + acts between all three party’s = one big a$$ problem that will exact a punishing consequence upon what’s left of a tax burdened nation who is already paying consequences for the Orange party and their supporters who basically have zero emotional and intellectual intelligence.

https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/...enate-hearing/

*Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland probed at U.S. Senate hearing
BY: SAMANTHA DIETEL - SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 6:36 PM

Kevin Kirby operates a tractor on Sept. 20, 2013, to begin the sweet potato harvest process by plowing them up from the field on Kirby Farms in Mechanicsville, Virginia
Kevin Kirby operates a tractor on Sept. 20, 2013, to begin the sweet potato harvest process by plowing them up from the field on Kirby Farms in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Kirby is a fourth-generation farmer. A U.S. Senate hearing on Sept. 27, 2023, examined foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. (Lance Cheung/USDA)

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators said during a Wednesday hearing that foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is a national security threat that should be further examined.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry discussed foreign ownership of the nation’s agricultural lands, with testimony from experts and Senate colleagues who have been taking the lead on the issue.

“Food security is national security,” said U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, who told the committee about his work to limit foreign ownership of farmland.

Tester said foreign adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran and North Korea should not be allowed any claim to U.S. soil.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that foreign investors held about 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land. This is about 3% of the total amount.

“That’s more than the entire state of Iowa,” Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, said.

The USDA also reported Canada as the largest foreign investor in 2021 with 12.8 million acres, or 31% of foreign-held acres. The Netherlands, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany, the other top foreign investors, collectively had 12.4 million acres, according to the report.

China had approximately 383,935 acres, or under 1% of foreign-held land in the U.S., according to the USDA report.

Foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land has increased by 66% since 2010, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, said.



State restrictions on foreign ownership
Earlier this year there was growing bipartisan support in Congress for limiting foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land, but there are currently no federal restrictions. The issue is also widely discussed at the state level.

Foreign ownership of U.S. land is currently restricted in 24 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Eleven of these states enacted foreign ownership laws during the 2023 legislative session, according to the National Agricultural Law Center. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

Harrison Pittman, the National Agricultural Law Center director at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said there are “really not very many states left that haven’t had at least one or more proposals at the state level” to restrict foreign land ownership.

Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., James Lankford, R-Okla., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., joined Tester to speak about their efforts to improve farmland security when it comes to foreign investors.

In July, the Senate passed Rounds’ amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets defense policy. If enacted, his amendment would ban China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from purchasing U.S. farmland and agricultural businesses.



National security threat seen
In his testimony, Rounds referenced recent examples of China’s land ownership near military bases. In 2020, a Chinese company planned to build a wind energy farm project two miles from Laughlin Air Force base in Del Rio, Texas, Rounds said.

Rounds and other senators said they were concerned about the attempt of a Chinese company to build a corn milling plant on farmland near an Air Force base outside of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Senators also cited the purchase of Smithfield Foods by a Chinese company as a point of concern.

“Who controls our farmland is really important and honestly, my concern is also with who controls many other parts of our food system, including our seeds, meat processing and grocery stores,” said Sen. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat. “This is all part of our national security.”

Stabenow said U.S. national security “depends on a food system that is safe, secure, affordable, abundant and resilient.”

“As foreign entities continue their acquisitions of U.S. food and agricultural assets, American farmers and families deserve to know that these transactions receive proper scrutiny,” Stabenow said.



Data gaps
David Ortega, as associate professor of agricultural, food and resource economics at Michigan State University, said foreign ownership of agricultural land potentially could increase land prices and push farmers out of the market.

However, Ortega said there is “no clear evidence” that foreign ownership is making U.S. farmland prices rise.

Baldwin said that foreign investors holding U.S. farmland can put domestic food supply and local communities at risk.

“And right now, we don’t know the full extent of the risk at hand,” Baldwin said.

She said outdated reporting systems and a lack of auditing at both state and federal levels need to be addressed.

Last year, Baldwin worked with Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican and member of the Agriculture panel, to pass the Farmland Security Act of 2022 as part of the fiscal 2023 omnibus appropriations bill.

This law requires the USDA to update its paper report system for filing foreign investments in agricultural land to an online, public database.

The USDA must also report to Congress on the impacts of foreign ownership of agricultural land on family farms, rural communities and the domestic food supply, Baldwin said.

Gloria Montaño Greene, USDA’s deputy under secretary for farm production and conservation, told senators that while Congress did direct the USDA to modernize its foreign investment reporting system within three years, the USDA “was not provided funding to implement these requirements.”

Instead, the USDA posted Excel data spreadsheets in June for each year from 2011 to 2021, Greene said.

Ernst said the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act, which became law in 1978, must be modernized to “increase reporting, strengthen oversight and send a strong message to our adversaries that American farms are not their playground.”

“Enforcement of reporting requirements has been inconsistent and at times lax,” Ortega said. This is attributed to low staffing at the agency level, he said.

“While passing our legislation was a step in the right direction, Congress can and must do more,” Baldwin said.



Lack of progress on the farm bill
Baldwin and Grassley are teaming up again to pass a new version of their proposal, the Farmland Security Act of 2023, which Baldwin said “will go even further in addressing foreign activity in our domestic agriculture marketplace.”

Baldwin urged the committee to include this legislation in the next farm bill.

Ernst said she was frustrated that there has not been “meaningful progress” on the farm bill.

The current farm bill is set to expire at the end of the week.

“I really think this is a shame,” Ernst said.

She said she hears from farmers and ag leaders that there needs to be more “farm” in the farm bill, and that they are concerned about the increase in foreign investment in American farmland.



Possible consequences
Ortega said that implementing restrictions on U.S. agricultural land ownership could result in retaliation by other countries.

Trade relations could be affected, Ortega said, and used China as an example. He said China is the largest export market for the U.S. when it comes to agricultural and food products.

Specifically, China imports soybeans, corn and grains from the U.S., Ortega said, as well as other consumer-oriented products.

“In my view, it would be far easier for China to find new sources of these products than it would be for American farmers to find new export markets,” Ortega said. “So I think it’s important to also be aware of potential trade impacts.”*

On a personal note: my brother recently purchased a 1300 acre ranch in rural Oklahoma. Self contained property that he at the age of 70, can claim as his own. From those acres are massive hay fields that he donates 80% to local non-profit organizations. No less than 6 months from his first donation, he was approached by 2 men with cash in hand to purchase his 1300 acres. He now has a gait and alarm system to his home and hay fields. He does not live in fear, but does fear those who are predators-

Ks-