The Taxing of the Cows and other gas emitting livestock
Because cows pass gas they deserve to be taxed.
By Darius Radzius
Reporter / WJHL
Published: January 9, 2009It may sound like a joke, but area farmers aren’t laughing. Someone is Washington proposed the idea of taxing farmers for the greenhouse gas. Their cattle produce while chewing their cud.
Farmers think the idea stinks and if you eat anything from pork chops to ice cream, you might too.
Its become tough over the years for farmers to earn a living from their land.
“This day and time with the cost of fuel and all of that fertilizer,“ said John Hilemon, cattle rancher.
It’s actually turned into a hobby of sorts.
“You have to have another job to keep the farm going,“ said Hilemon.
They naturally cringed when the environmental protection agency emitted a proposed tax, intended to fight greenhouse gases.
“What is all of this about. It sounds kind of crazy for most of these farmers out here,“ said Ty Petty, University of Tennessee Agriculture Extension Agent, Unicoi County.
What will this cost the farmer and you?
The New York Farm Bureau estimated 175-dollars per dairy cow, $87.50 per beef cattle, and $20 per hog per year.
“Basically those tax rates that were considered for automobiles were translated into per cow,“ said Petty.
This would impact farmers with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle, or 200 hogs.
Which means John Hilemon would have to pay $8,750 dollars per year.
“You just can’t incur anymore cost. No possible way,“ said Hilemon.
Many farmers would go under and you’d pay the price.
We pay (subsidize) farmers not to grow food. Now we will tax them for farting cows...Geeesh.
posted by Carl Kilo at 7:05:00 AM
Comments on "The Taxing of the Cows and other gas emitting livestock"
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Cargosquid said ... (12:47 AM) :
post a commentTaxing gas emitting livestock?
WooooHOOOOO! Politicians are going to tax themselves!!!!!!!!
What do you mean, that's not it....