Right, food stamps started politically as a way to deal with agricultural surpluses.
I'm kind of surprised the non-SNAP components only add up to $17.5b. Are there other subsidies not included in the farm bill?
OTOH, this graphic suggests that even $17.5b is a significant percentages of all farming net income.
Maybe there's an "energy bill" which contains all the subsidies for corn ethanol.
Somehow I hadn't realized that the bulk of the farm bill is food assistance programs - I'd thought it was just the controversial subsidies to Con-Agra and Big Corn Syrup
I'm going to Nebraska tomorrow. If anybody wants any information on corn, I can ask around.
4: If I practiced that advice, there would be a dramatic drop-off in posts.
3: Good point. Though it looks like they converted the ethanol subsidy from cash to a regulatory form.
OT: Is there a good site for appliance reviews that people would recommend? We need a dishwasher, and Consumer Reports has been useless the last few times I've tried it.
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Is there a good site for appliance reviews that people would recommend? We need a dishwasher, and Consumer Reports has been useless the last few times I've tried it.
What's wrong with Consumer Reports? When I bought a dishwasher a few years ago I got one of their recommended models.
When our refrigerator died, I got the subscription to CR and found out that they didn't review any of the models that would fit in our kitchen, which annoyed me. I remember having another failure with CR the time I tried to use it before then, but I can't remember what went wrong.
On the other hand, of course, it doesn't look as if anyone has a recommended site for reviews. It's maddening: there's no way I can figure out to tell actual reviews from spam.
I like my Kenmore OK. It had rats living behind it for a while and has never broken, so there's that.
I've always had great luck with CR. I can look up something for you.
We have a Kenmore Elite we like. The kitchen is open so getting the quiet kind was worth it.
Yes, I think mine is "Elite" as well.
14: Eh, I should pay for CR if I'm going to use it, but thanks.
Isn't this what the sales people at the department store are for? To run through the pros and cons of the different models?
You could try Which?, which is the UK equivalent of CR. Won't help with prices, but consumer durables are much the same everywhere.
19: That is what they'd have you believe, and to the extent that they judge that it increases their likelihood of selling you something right then they will do that. On the other hand, if they think it increases their likelihood of selling you something right then by feeding you a line of total bullshit, that is what they'll do.
but consumer durables are much the same everywhere.
Your washing machines are very different (or were). They take much longer to go through a load, and the clothes seem less clean. Of course, they're more environmentally friendly.
Related question, why is dry cleaning in the UK so different from the US? My current dry cleaner advertises that he uses environmentally friendly products, so it can't just be that British drycleaning methods are less harmful. British drycleaning seems to smell funny too.
At least I hope not. Buying your applicances from a a car dealership is not recommended.
Right, they're appliance salespeople. Or increasingly in "department" stores, salesperson currently assigned to appliances.
Are you questioning their level of product expertise, or their sales ethics?
Sales ethics? SALES ETHICS!!!??
Are you questioning the sales ethics of car salesmen?