Will Gas Pass?

Posted Friday, December 5, 2008, at 5:15 PM

I don't know all the particulars on this, but I find it interesting enough to pass along.

Friend of mine told me today, the the EPA is proposing a tax on dairy and pig farms, because of the "damage to the Ozone Layer' from animal "emissions" in the larger feedlots.

Now, what I'm trying to figure out, is what will extra revenue do, to eliminate the smell?.... and for SURE, if the farmers have to pay more to raise their cattle and swine, guess who's gonna end up paying more at the supermarket?

You'd think there was ENOUGH tax on everything else as it is, wouldn't you?

At first, he and I had a good laugh about that, but I got to thinking......."You know.....it would BE just like those carpetbaggers in D.C. to actually PASS a bill like that, just to squeeze yet a few MORE bucks out of the taxpayers, who pay WAY too much NOW!"

(All kidding aside.......there IS a motion currently up for consideration as I understand it).

If they start taxing PEOPLE for "cheese cutting", I know a FEW folks who will go BANKRUPT!

And what do you suppose the government will DO with all that extra money, that would actually PREVENT the stench? Invest it in giant cork plugs?

Any of you folks out there know, or have heard about this? Please share if you do.

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I've heard of this. I think the majority of the tax would be on DC as that is where the most gas is passed. Of course they would be excused from paying it.

-- Posted by skeeter on Fri, Dec 5, 2008, at 5:34 PM
Good one, skeeter!

I wonder, in all seriousness, if it's the owners of the animals in question who are fined for the excessive gas to encourage them to try to do something about it...? I heard something about that, but I'm not sure if that's this discussion.

Of course, I like Mike's suggestion about large corks.

-- Posted by senior lady on Fri, Dec 5, 2008, at 6:21 PM
This is what I have seen

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081205/ap_on_bi_ge/farm_scene_cow_tax

-- Posted by Eagle_eye on Fri, Dec 5, 2008, at 9:07 PM
When cows or pigs "pass gas" in mass, there is a large output of methane gas which is very bad for the ozone/environment and people in general. Animals were never meant to be kept in small quarters in their own fecal matter/waste. This is one of the many reasons some of us fought the dairies being allowed into Elmore County several years back (10 of them I believe). Anyway, the "gas" pollutes. It is a form of pollution. It is like when you have 15 people in an elevator and 12 have gas...the rest of us want off the darn elevator. It is a form of air pollution and needs to be regulated for the health of the people that live in the same area or close to these places. As far as us paying the bill, we already do that through the farm subsidies. These mega dairies/CAFO's make millions through these programs...which WE pay for. They put their entire family on the payroll and collect millions. Check out the Idaho Farm Subsidy web site and look at what Ketterling, Wing and some of the others have collected. We already pay and then pay again at the food store. It is one thing to cover crop loss or provide money when the farmers have no water. However, farm welfare is a total scam to those of us that work hard and pay taxes. So, to tax "farts" why not? The next tax will be to flush. What a world.

-- Posted by OpinionMissy on Fri, Dec 5, 2008, at 11:08 PM
From what I read it would cost 175 dollars for each dairy cow if you had more than 25, 87.50 dollars per beef cow if you had more than 50, and 20 dollars for each hog if you had more than 200. As a son of homestead farmer, and brother to three siblings who farm, this would cause them to go bankrupt. One brother has worked for over 60 years to build a dairy from 15 cows to just under 200 cows. He has worked at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week and has had the one vacation in those sixty years of work. (To go fight a war). He has provided for his family and paid more than his fair number of taxes. He is in his late 70's and rises to work at 4:30 in the morning to work and works until 7 or 8 at night. Now he needs to pay more taxes because his cows belch or pass gas? I don't think so.

-- Posted by skeeter on Sat, Dec 6, 2008, at 9:22 AM
This regulation is not for the "family" farms. It is for the CAFO's and mega dairies that have thousands and thousands of cows. One dairy can have 20,000 cows in a tiny area. Animals were not meant to be raised this way. It is not sanitary nor is it healthy. Go out by the mega dairies and look at the operations. It is disgusting. Someone had better start to worry about our air. Each year asthma and other lung related problems goes up which costs this nation billions. Someone had better start to worry about what is going on.

Maybe if they spread these operations out a bit it would not be such a problem. A "family" farm is one thing. Factory farming is another.

-- Posted by OpinionMissy on Sat, Dec 6, 2008, at 11:24 AM
My daughter 'developed' asthma within 2 weeks of arriving at Clovis NM, Cannon AFB. The doctor told me it was because if all the CRAP, (literally), that was in the air. Anyone who has had the great 'fortune' to be stationed at Cannon AFB knows that that small town was SURROUNDED by dairies and stockyards. It was Lovely.

-- Posted by flyonthewall on Sat, Dec 6, 2008, at 1:01 PM
OM: I hope you are right but the current wants of the tax and spenders is dependent on number of head not size of farm. At least that is what I have read. Anything to get more money out of the working person. I like the way they want belching covered too.

-- Posted by skeeter on Sat, Dec 6, 2008, at 5:15 PM
Mike. As one of my odler brothers used to say" A farting horse will never tire, a farting man is the man to hire".

-- Posted by skeeter on Sat, Dec 6, 2008, at 6:54 PM
As I said before...we pay for the taxes on all of this "crap" anyway. You should see the dairies when they "scrape" the "pens" the cows are kept in. Or, when they move the piles and piles of "crap." It is all in the air and not good for us. I had 5 cows but now have 3 and they are dirty animals! I cannot imagine EVER owning more than 5 at 1 time. If I was told I had to pay...oh well. They are my cows. In mass (and in very confined areas), they are very hard on the environment. If you have a family member with asthma or other lung problems, you will understand or "get it." Cow farts/burps are emissions. In high amounts, they are not good for people. So, do not feel sorry for the "poor" dairy owner/CAFO owner/cattle rancher...we will pay for the tax through a subsidy of some type or insurance pay out. And you thought you were not a "farmer"....

Check out the Idaho Farm Subsidy listing...you will feel less outrage. You can look at the entire state or just Elmore County.

-- Posted by OpinionMissy on Sun, Dec 7, 2008, at 10:20 AM

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