Modern day 40 acres and a mule?

[Grand Vol]

So... where are they getting that 160 acres per person from?

Bill that could help Black farmers reclaim millions of acres 'a step in the right direction'

There was a time when Black-owned farms were booming -- before those farmers were stripped of tens of thousands of acres because of racist policies.

Today, most rural land in the U.S. is owned by white people. But now, finally, a new piece of legislation could help African Americans reclaim some of that acreage.

The Justice for Black Farmers Act, introduced earlier this month by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., would allow Black farmers to reclaim up to 160 acres each, at no charge, through a Department of Agriculture system of land grants.

Now, I'm all about making a case to give land or equal valued property which were taken unlawfully. But you damn well better make sure that person receiving it has legal claim to it. Furthermore, the government holds a metric butt-ton of land that could easily be repurposed for such a thing without going through all the trouble of trying to figure out who has legal claim to what.

Otherwise, we have this thing called Zimbabwe and the trouble such things caused when you "redistribute" lands.

 

[Pepe_Silvia]

The federal government owns obscene amounts of land. If I recall correctly, the federal government is the largest landowner in some western states. I'm all for them relinquishing control of most of that land, but it shouldn't be distributed along racial lines.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

So... where are they getting that 160 acres per person from?

Bill that could help Black farmers reclaim millions of acres 'a step in the right direction'



Now, I'm all about making a case to give land or equal valued property which were taken unlawfully. But you damn well better make sure that person receiving it has legal claim to it. Furthermore, the government holds a metric butt-ton of land that could easily be repurposed for such a thing without going through all the trouble of trying to figure out who has legal claim to what.

Otherwise, we have this thing called Zimbabwe and the trouble such things caused when you "redistribute" lands.

Well, before we get ahead of ourselves for a minute, I saw a documentary about this. A lot of these farmers were denied equal access to USDA loans or other assistance and several families ended up losing a lot of land over time as a result. I know the gut instinct is to shoot down govt handouts and reparations, but in a situation like this where you have farmers who want the land and plan on using it productively, I think there should be some provisions made, within reason.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

The federal government owns obscene amounts of land. If I recall correctly, the federal government is the largest landowner in some western states. I'm all for them relinquishing control of most of that land, but it shouldn't be distributed along racial lines.

Well here again, the land that was homesteaded out west was mostly distributed along racial lines after reconstruction. So the former slaves at the time missed out on that (which would have actually been the way to pay 40 acres and a mule). And also, something that I wasn't even made aware of until last year, but apparently after WWII when the GI Bill was taken advantage of by returning soldiers, there were several benefits included in the GI Bill that were denied to returning black soldiers.... mostly in terms of home financing and education financing. I realize a "home" and farm land are not the same thing, but the point I'm making is that there were several decisions made in the past that went along racial lines that frankly, are contributing to the madness and poverty that you see in the black community right now. Had blacks been given opportunities in getting access to homesteads after Reconstruction, the entire dynamics change and there would have been no need for blacks to migrate into the cities in the early part of the 20th Century.

If you have blacks that want to work on farms and be productive and make a living, I think that is a far better alternative in the long run than blacks being packed into these Democratic concrete jungles waiting on some white liberals to feed them their next meal. At least with a farm you are able to feed yourself.

Just something to think about...

 

[CagleMtnVol]

So... where are they getting that 160 acres per person from?

Bill that could help Black farmers reclaim millions of acres 'a step in the right direction'



Now, I'm all about making a case to give land or equal valued property which were taken unlawfully. But you damn well better make sure that person receiving it has legal claim to it. Furthermore, the government holds a metric butt-ton of land that could easily be repurposed for such a thing without going through all the trouble of trying to figure out who has legal claim to what.

Otherwise, we have this thing called Zimbabwe and the trouble such things caused when you "redistribute" lands.

Joe Biden said it's so easy to farm. All you have to do is plant a seed and up pops corn ready to eat.

 

[Pepe_Silvia]

Well here again, the land that was homesteaded out west was mostly distributed along racial lines after reconstruction. So the former slaves at the time missed out on that (which would have actually been the way to pay 40 acres and a mule). And also, something that I wasn't even made aware of until last year, but apparently after WWII when the GI Bill was taken advantage of by returning soldiers, there were several benefits included in the GI Bill that were denied to returning black soldiers.... mostly in terms of home financing and education financing. I realize a "home" and farm land are not the same thing, but the point I'm making is that there were several decisions made in the past that went along racial lines that frankly, are contributing to the madness and poverty that you see in the black community right now. Had blacks been given opportunities in getting access to homesteads after Reconstruction, the entire dynamics change and there would have been no need for blacks to migrate into the cities in the early part of the 20th Century.

If you have blacks that want to work on farms and be productive and make a living, I think that is a far better alternative in the long run than blacks being packed into these Democratic concrete jungles waiting on some white liberals to feed them their next meal. At least with a farm you are able to feed yourself.

Just something to think about...

Cities are dumps so I sympathize with anybody who strives to get out of them. Needless to say, I also want fewer people dependent on the government. I still dont believe we should use past racial injustices to justify using racial bias in the present.

Government should be divested of most of its land, which should be distributed without bias.

 

[Rasputin_Vol]

Joe Biden said it's so easy to farm. All you have to do is plant a seed and up pops corn ready to eat.

Michael Bloomberg , not Biden.

 

[CagleMtnVol]

Michael Bloomberg , not Biden.

Potato Tomato

 

[0nelilreb]

Michael Bloomberg , not Biden.

I don’t believe either of them know how to raise any food .

 

[norrislakevol]

I want 160 acres for free! Oh wait, I'm white so I guess based on the color of my skin I will be discriminated against by the federal government.

 

[hog88]

So... where are they getting that 160 acres per person from?

Bill that could help Black farmers reclaim millions of acres 'a step in the right direction'



Now, I'm all about making a case to give land or equal valued property which were taken unlawfully. But you damn well better make sure that person receiving it has legal claim to it. Furthermore, the government holds a metric butt-ton of land that could easily be repurposed for such a thing without going through all the trouble of trying to figure out who has legal claim to what.

Otherwise, we have this thing called Zimbabwe and the trouble such things caused when you "redistribute" lands.

They’re not giving up government owned land. They propose to buy land and grant it to AA farmers.

Under the bill, up to 32 million acres would move to Black ownership over a decade — nearly seven times the 4.7 million acres now in Black farms. A new USDA agency, the Equitable Land Access Service, would administer the program. The USDA would buy land from willing sellers at fair market value for use in the program. Up to 20,000 grants of 160 acres would be made annually through 2030. Recipients would be new or experienced Black farmers. Beginning farmers would be required to complete a training program.

‘Justice’ bill would transfer up to 32 million acres to Black farmers

 

[TNVOLNAVY]

Seriously? How many young black folk want to be farmers? This is a damn joke.

 

[hog88]

Seriously? How many young black folk want to be farmers? This is a damn joke.

95% or more that got the land would end up selling it within a couple of years.

 

[Orangeslice13]

Typical government stupidity

 

[Septic]

Well, before we get ahead of ourselves for a minute, I saw a documentary about this. A lot of these farmers were denied equal access to USDA loans or other assistance and several families ended up losing a lot of land over time as a result. I know the gut instinct is to shoot down govt handouts and reparations, but in a situation like this where you have farmers who want the land and plan on using it productively, I think there show be some provisions made, within reason.

Good point, additionally before folks get bent too out of shape we should ponder how the cost of this would equate to the handouts the farmers got due to the tarrif fiasco.

 

[Fun coupon VOL]

So... where are they getting that 160 acres per person from?

Bill that could help Black farmers reclaim millions of acres 'a step in the right direction'



Now, I'm all about making a case to give land or equal valued property which were taken unlawfully. But you damn well better make sure that person receiving it has legal claim to it. Furthermore, the government holds a metric butt-ton of land that could easily be repurposed for such a thing without going through all the trouble of trying to figure out who has legal claim to what.

Otherwise, we have this thing called Zimbabwe and the trouble such things caused when you "redistribute" lands.

They will sell the land and move to the suburbs. No I’m not talking about black people. I’m talking about the people(all races) who received land through inheritances, where generations of family owned the property and broke their backs working it.

The individuals who receive the land won’t have the money to purchase the equipment it takes to run 160 acres. I foresee a loan program with this. Just noticed this would go to farmers already.

All to common in today’s society where people don’t have the work ethic to keep a farm going, nor the respect for the individuals who took pride in it before them. Just look at the farms around Nashville. People selling out to make a quick buck and ruining the land.

Soap box speech over.

 

[ClearwaterVol]

Cities are dumps so I sympathize with anybody who strives to get out of them. Needless to say, I also want fewer people dependent on the government. I still dont believe we should use past racial injustices to justify using racial bias in the present.

Government should be divested of most of its land, which should be distributed without bias.

Like it was in the past?

 

[Roustabout]

So... where are they getting that 160 acres per person from?

Bill that could help Black farmers reclaim millions of acres 'a step in the right direction'



Now, I'm all about making a case to give land or equal valued property which were taken unlawfully. But you damn well better make sure that person receiving it has legal claim to it. Furthermore, the government holds a metric butt-ton of land that could easily be repurposed for such a thing without going through all the trouble of trying to figure out who has legal claim to what.

Otherwise, we have this thing called Zimbabwe and the trouble such things caused when you "redistribute" lands.

The government took several hundred acres of my family’s land for the Manhattan project. What about us?

 

[Sandman 423]

This is kinda like the extreme home makeover just with land. They meant well, but most of those folks couldn’t afford the upkeep or property taxes.

Corporate farms will just wait until the landowner is highly leveraged and buy it for nothing.

 

[allvol123]

How about 400 sq ft and a Macbook. Pretty sure most people looking for a handout would choose that option.

 

[Grand Vol]

Well, before we get ahead of ourselves for a minute, I saw a documentary about this. A lot of these farmers were denied equal access to USDA loans or other assistance and several families ended up losing a lot of land over time as a result. I know the gut instinct is to shoot down govt handouts and reparations, but in a situation like this where you have farmers who want the land and plan on using it productively, I think there show be some provisions made, within reason.

You of all people know if (or when) the government gets involved, it's never going to be "reasonable."

As I said, if a person has a legal claim to the land and we aren't being absurd about the timelines here, yes, the case should be heard. But as @hog88 pointed out, such people have to be willing to use the land for the intended purpose and be trained in such a thing. Now, it's not just that, but do you realize how expensive running a farm is or the initial startup costs of machinery, implements, irrigation setup, so on and so forth?

It ain't cheap. Of course, now the government feels compelled to grant such things to new landowners as well.

Not even going to get into how the market can/will get distorted by adding 32 million acres of new farms into the mix because you know that land originally taken isn't still farm areas these days. What happens when said land that "My great grandfather owned even though I can't prove that" is a strip mall?

Not even going to get into the additional subsidies that get tossed around when these farms actually start producing and they get paid not to produce either.

As stated, I'm about starting a fair process if the person has a legitimate claim to the property involved and not this "no clear line of ownership" like the link Hog put up. Sorry, we do NOT need yet more government oversight into farming. But if the government really wants this to go forward, they need to take a look at the lands they currently own and see how much of that can or could be converted to farming use and leave the ones already producing alone. Such things are easier than paying a metric ****-ton of money buying back land then feeling compelled to keep throwing money at it when they didn't think this all the way through.

Plus, I'm naturally suspicious (as you should be) when Booker, Gillibrand and Warren support anything...

 

[Grand Vol]

The government took several hundred acres of my family’s land for the Manhattan project. What about us?

Don't get me started on Eminent Domain...

 

[ButchPlz]

Hey I've seen this one before.

 

[Pepe_Silvia]

Like it was in the past?

If the "it" you're referring to is past racial bias that was used to determine land distribution, then that's already been brought up and I've answered it.

 

[superdave1984]

This sounds more like punishing whoever has the land now than it does helping the black farmer.