Why Does Taxpayer Money go to a Big Meat Lobbying Group? - AllGov.com

We don't report about this stuff too much on the Galactic Free Press, but here's an example of exactly the sort of thing that needs to change. In the US, millions of taxpayer dollars go directly to a "big meat" lobbying group. The group supposedly works for the "little guys" too, but their actions speak otherwise. It's really a group that represents factory farming and everything that's wrong with the meat industry, yet my tax dollars go directly to supporting them! Just shows some of the biggest criminals in our society are actually the ones writing the laws. From AllGov.com:

Each year a trade group representing the beef industry collects more than $40 million in tax dollars to promote its agenda and battle political opponents. It’s an unusual arrangement, considering that most lobbying organizations rely on private funding to fund their activities.

It all began in the 1980s, during efforts to help the plight of farmers who were struggling to stay in business. Legislation adopted by Congress that decade created the beef “check-off” program, in which cattle ranchers were forced to pay $1 per head to state beef councils. These councils in turn give money to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which winds up distributing around $40 million annually to promoting the beef industry.

The recipient of this promotional money is the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), which buys ads to encourage Americans to eat more beef and pays lobbyists to fight off efforts by animal rights groups and others advocating policies the NCBA opposes.

Read the rest: http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/why-does-taxpayer-money-go-to-a-big-meat-lobbying-group-140325?news=852764