When I was in my preteen and early teen years I received an allowance from my folks. It may have seemed like an exorbitant amount to my parents, by today’s standards I am sure it was nothing. As I remember the allowance let me go to the movie or buy a Yoo-hoo once in a while but it wasn’t enough to satisfy my appetite for either.
I supplemented my income by scavenging around for pop bottles. My best friend and I, with wagon trailing behind, searched streets, medians, gas station trash cans, and vacant lots for these gleaming allowance stretching prizes. It was hard to fathom that people would just toss what could be exchanged for cash out the car window. These discarded diamonds bought me a Yoo-hoo, Ding Dong, or the occasional comic book from Pick and Save, the closest grocery store.
Its old news, but June 17th of last year the U.S. Trade Representative’s office agreed to pay Brazil $143.7 million in annual payments until 2012, when a new farmbill could be written. Brazil successfully brought a suit to the World Trade Organization claiming that current subsidies in the U.S. hurt cotton prices. The WTO granted Brazil permission to tax many US imports and to break certain international copyright laws as a retaliatory move. To avoid this, the US agreed to send $143.7 million for the next few years to Brazil. Granted this payment is for past years and past sins, however, in the year since we have seen record cotton prices that have benefited both US and Brazilian farmers without any change in US Ag policy.
I saw on the news last night that the Wichita Ks school district has cut 14 million dollars from its budget and will need to find a way cut another $16 million. The comment was made “we are beyond cutting paper usage and administrative costs. The next round of cuts will likely include class room teachers.”
My wife teaches school in a very small school district that has also faced some serious cuts. The total budget of that school district is about $6 million. Of that number about a $350,000 allowance comes from the Federal Government. The rest is state and local support. $143.7 million would match the federal funds for over 420 such school districts. It would cover the budget shortfalls of nearly 5 schools districts like Wichita KS.
Maybe we did break some trade agreement but I can’t help but feel that this $143.7 million per year was just tossed out the window. I can almost see that Brazilian cotton farmer with his little red wagon walking the street picking up my dollars, racing to the Pick and Save and drinking my Yoo-hoo.
David
