Harvesting the green

John Phipps of Chrisman, Ill., harvested nearly 170,000 bushels of corn and soybeans last year on two square miles of fertile soil. He grossed nearly $500,000, putting his farm in the nation's top 3 percent. Still, he received $120,000 in subsidies.

"It's embarrassing," Phipps said. "My government is basically saying I am incompetent and need help."

You're embarrassed, John? I'm PO'd and have been for a long time about payments to farmers like yourself who don't need a federal handout.*

It's not often I agree with the WaPo, but they're on target with this one about the obscenity known as farm subsidies.

*As a hard-right conservative I'm not really for any sort of subsidies. But, conversely, I just wonder if there might be some Mom & Pop operations that do need the occasional helping hand.