Federal Taxpayer Supports Local Kitchen

Here is a local example of Federal Government pork.

This morning in the Bloomington IN newspaper appeared this story http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/stories/2009/03/15/business.qp-1464174.sto?1237118827 (you will need a subscription to view it).

It is regarding a kitchen incubator to focus on local food. It will, “serve as a place for incubator clients to make their products”. It is being funded in part by a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. One client is looking to make pot pies from local ingredients. A high school student is going to make granola.

I applaud these entrepreneurs for what they are doing. I even look forward to sampling their products. They both sound wonderful. I just don’t understand why the Federal Taxpayer is funding part of it. Especially when the Federal Taxpayer debt is so large.

Some of you might argue that these small businesses will grow to create local jobs. I hope they do, but please take a moment to consider who is expected to pick up the tab. Our current federal taxing policies put most of the burden on small businesses across the nation. Thus, in our attempts to promote business here in Bloomington, we are destroying job growth all over the country. The net gain in job growth will be negative, because the private sector would have used the funds in areas where the likelihood of success is higher than funds spent based on political motivations.

Since the Federal Taxpayer is in debt, these funds will have to be borrowed. Who will receive the interest payment for this loan? China mostly. Thus we will be subsidizing factories in China who will compete with our local business and without regard to environmental concerns. Not a good plan folks.

One of the best lines in the article is, “Small farmers tend to grow more sustainably” (is that a word?). If small farms are more sustainable than large farms, why are small farms disappearing, and why do they need Federal Taxpayer help?