Extremely Grateful this Thanksgiving & Everyday

The past year has been full of some of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in my life.  Each has come with pluses and minuses, but all have served as an opportunity for me to learn, grow, and make changes for the better. For that, I am extremely thankful and know I am a better person today – personally and professionally. 

I’m blessed to have friends, family members, colleagues, and even strangers come out of the woodwork to offer support and encouragement during this time.  "Thank you" doesn’t even begin to describe the gratitude I feel for each of you, and I hope I can return the favor one day.

Sometimes we don’t like where our journey takes us, but we have to trust it.  And that’s what I am doing. I am exactly where I need to be right now, but I also know the journey never ceases and I will continue to learn and grow. 

For all of this and more, I am extremely grateful.  

Why I'm Critical of the Farm Bill

Why I'm Critical of the Farm Bill...

I always get a lot of heat from family and folks back home and in the Ag community for my criticism of the Farm Bill.  It's like a betrayed them for not simply just being supportive of a big fat government bill that has the word "farm" on it.  It is true that less than 20 percent of the farm bill is actually dedicated to farm policy, but that doesn't mean 20 percent of the bill is good policy.  Yes, the Farm Bill isn't as expensive as it could, but $950 billion is still pretty darn expensive.

For me, it really boils down to one point - government programs, like the farm bill, often don't help those who need it most.  These programs are meant to be safety nets, yet there is fraud by those gaming the system, waste by those looking out for their own special interest, and continued duplicative programs that cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars every year.

  From New York Times...

I grew up on a farm and ranch in Southwest Oklahoma, so it’s not surprising that my first foray into Congressional politics was a letter I wrote in high school to encourage my representative, J.C. Watts, to vote for the farm bill. Back in 1996 I had a different idea about how policy affects our lives. Now, having served on Capitol Hill and in the White House, I see that programs like these have allowed Washington to create an unbalanced system, one that protects special interests rather than taxpayers.

What this farm bill is missing are the basics — and basic fiscal responsibility.

Huge federal spending allows large and small businesses, farmers and ranchers, and others to game the system for financial gain at the expense of taxpayers. This system encourages greed and deceit by the players — and we, the taxpayers, are the losers.
The farm bill is evidence of this. It has gone way past the original intent of the bill to ensure there was a steady and affordable food supply, and in doing so, now encourages many in agribusiness to play a game, instead of focusing on creating value. What this farm bill is missing are the basics — and basic fiscal responsibility. Because it is so bloated, today’s farm bill may come at the expense of any future farm bill because, in a few years when these programs are again up for reauthorization, the federal government may be too broke to play the game anymore.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on the Jobs report

The Good: Unemployment rate is down to 6.7%

The Bad: it's NOT because of a vibrant and growing economy.  Only 74k jobs were created in December.

The Ugly: folks are dropping out of the work force.  The number of Americans that are actively working or seeking work, also known as the Labor Force Participation Rate, is the lowest its been in 36 years.