OCR Text |
Show Utah Farm Bureau News Page 2 August 1 974 UTAH FARM BUREAU IHi NEWS POSTMASTER: Please send Form JS7 to Utah Farm Bureau, lit East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah M102 Published each month by the Utah Farm Bureau Federation at Salt Lake City, Utah. Editorial and Business Office, ttf East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah, I40l2i Subscription price of fifty cents per year to members is included in membership fee. subscription price: One dollar per year. Non-memb- er Second Class postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah New law: aid to budget control The double-dig- it rate of inflation now being experienced ifi this country should focus attention on the new budget reform bill recently signed into law by President Nixon. The world's worst farmers , American farmers are the best food producers in the world. They are professional management people whose income depends largely on their efficiency. There are others, though, in the farming business who are hurting both the typical American farmer and the consumers he feeds.' They are those who are getting richer by being terrible farmers. A recent report from the U.S. Treasury. Department showed that American millionaires are still the world's worst farmers. Despite their igantic losses in farming, they manage to get richer through the magic of the tax code. For example, in 1969, some 27 millionaires made SI. 7 million from farm operations while 136 managed to lose more than $9 million. The average loss sustained by each millionaire was $66,448. The Tax Reform Act of 1969 was supposed to stop wealthy individuals from making hay with tax-lofarming. However, after it became law, only 19 millionaires made. $435,000 in the farming business while 94 suffered apparent setbacks of more than $12 million. So. although the new law may have disgimmick, couraged a few from attempting the tax-loit stuck who out nearly the statistics indicate that those doubled their tax advantage. At the same time the average farmer in one state was making $9,600. the average millionaire farmer was losing $128,000 at farming. This type of funny money in agriculture always plays games with the market system from which real farmers have to make their living. The consumer has to also pay for the inefficiencies of those wealthy individuals who are farming only to lose money and offset other sources of income. Tax reform legislation closed some of the loopholes but it is apparent that farming only for tax writeoffs is still a profiotable exercise. More needs to be done to get the world's worst farmers out of the food production business. Lyle V. Borgf Iowa Farm Bureau UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION OFFICIALS Normally such legislation would receive little attention from the average citizen, but with apiraling inflation making it tough for the average taxpayer to pay his bills, this is an opportune time to try a new approach in controlling government spending. Basically, the new law puts Congress more in the spotlight on budget management. It establishese House and Senate budget committees to take a look at total expenditures in relation to revenues. The law provides for a Congressional budget office to reconcile conflicting appropriations bills before they become law. The idea is to provide a better check on the Administrations budget recommendations, as well as Congressional proposals. There also is a newly designated date for the start of the fiscal year, October . More time is allowed for establishing overall expenditures and tax revenues. Whether the new law will aid in reducing the federal budget in the immediate future remains to be seen. It would be too much to expect some Congressmen to change their habits overnight. but the new law should increase the accountability of the nation's lawmakers. One thing the new law cannot do and that is to cut back on spending that is already authorized by law such .as social security, welfare, medicare and other 1 free-spendi- ng Elmo W, Hamilton, giverfon S. Jay Child, Clearfieii C. Booth Wallentine Elwood Shaffer President Vice President Executive Vice President Editor DIRECTORS: Frank Nishiguchi, Garland; William Holmes, Ogden; Jack Brown, Grantsville; Edward Boyer, Springville; John Lewis, Monticello; Jerold Johnson, Aurora; Kenneth R. Ashby, Delta; Mrs. Paul Turner, Morgan; Robert Johnson, Randolph. uncontrollable items that now account for some of the present budget. However, with Congress now clearly sharing more of the responsibility for budget making, and with a citizenry plagued with rising inflation as the result of excessive government spending, it should be more difficult to get the vote for new spendthrift expansions of federal outlays. From fiscal 1971, through estimated expenditures for fiscal 1975, federal spending has risen by $93 billion, or 44 percent. The combined federal deficits, actual and projected, total $75 billion. The nation cannot continue down this route without serious damage to the total economy. Creston J. Foster Director of Communications, AFBF three-fourt- hs ss ss Spirit of helping others still a country trait Along with the other good old customs that are disappearing from the American scene is the one of helping your neighbor. Before the days of emergency road service insurance, a man who had a balky engine on a cold winter morning could always call on his neighbor giving him a start.-Nohe ducks back in the house, phones the corner service station, and waits for his turn from the which may take hours if its a good, cold two truck busy morning. Borrowing was a bigger thing a few years ago. Then the kids were only half joking when they said they got homesick when they visited the neighbors because there was so much of their own family's equipment there. Now, everybody buys everything of their own. You just don't hardly see a wheelbarrow rolling from one garage to the next, or even a cup of sugar passing across the fence. .But chalk up another plus for agriculture. The countryside is still one place where the spirit of neighborly helpfulness survives. Theres still plenty of trading back and forth of equipment, labor and other kinds of help. And thankful we should be that people still need each other out where the food and feed are produced. The psychologists tell us everybody has a need to feel needed by others. Folks in the city have to look hard to get that need met. In rural America, it isnt near the chore. That feeling, in the city, of staying aloof, of not getting involved, is probably why we read such depressing stories of undisturbed robbery and even murder in crowded places. Be thankful you live out here in the mountains. Even the city folks here are close to the country ... and to people who know how to ask and give a helping hand. Search begins for top YF&R couple i Utah's annual search is under way for the state's Outstanding Young Farmer and Rancher. Sponsor of a yearly award is the Utah Farm Bureau, under the direction of the YF&R committee. The purpose of the contest is to honor the accomplishments of the young farm and ranch couples of Utah, both in their chosen occupation and for leadership achievement of various types. A first, second and third place winner will be chosen. The first place winner will receive the use of a 1975 Ford pickup truck for one year, courtesy of Rick Warner Ford Truck-lanSalt Lake City, plus an expense-pai- d trip for himself and his wife to the American Farm Bureau convention in 1975. New Orleans, La.. January Second and third place w inners will receive other merchandise and cash prizes. State winners will be given recognition at the awards night program at d. 5-- 8, the AFBF convention. The state winners entry form will be submitted to the AFBF for competition on the national level with the winners from other state Farm Bureaus. Three young couples will be chosen as winners on the national level. Last year's Utah winner, Brent Parker of Wellsville, Cache County, and his wife Sharon were named as one of the top three couples nationally. A panel of judges will select the state winners. Applications will be coded upon being received at the state office and will be identified to the judges only by number. The winner will be announced on well-qualifi- ed November 20, 1974, at the awards program of the Utah Farm Bureau state convention. Any Farm Bureau member family actively farming, with the husband no more than 30 years old, as of December 31. 1974, is eligible, except that members of the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee are not eligible during their term of office and previous state winners cannot compete again. Contestants must be members of Farm Bureau when contest application reaches the state office. Applications must reach the state Farm Bureau office by October 28. 1974. Information contained in application is considered confidential, and all applications will be returned to contestants after judging is completed. Area meetings to offer fall FB activity training meetings for county Farm Bureau officers and leaders in Utah will take place from to early October, according to Neil Sumsion. director of field services for the Utah Farm Bureau. Programmed mainly for training in policy development work and other organizational activities, the sessions will be held in nine or ten locations Multi-coun- ty mid-Septem- tick Warner (right), again a sponsor of a years use of a Ford pickup truck to the tate's Outstanding Young Farmer, is shown presenting truck keys to last year's state dinners, Brent and Sharon Parker of Cache county. around the state. County Farm Bureau officers, boards of directors, committee chairmen and other leaders should plan to attend. Sumsion urged. He revealed that the program will include segments on policy development, political education. membership work, local affairs, annual meetings, elections and other key areas of Farm Bureau work. |