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Gar's avatar

Can you put these farm policies in a short video format with a hyperlink that I can share with my tenants? I have about 100 University of Michigan student tenants that the city is mandating that I show a renters sustainability session. Some of them might take up the fight to change these policies.

I may also soon become the executive of our local property management association. If so I will be able to distribute your video to thousands more future policy makers.

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Josh Ladd's avatar

Matt, I enjoy the content you and Doug put out.

I certainly am not familiar with all 800 plus pages of the BBB. I do trust Trump, especially as he continues to prove doubters wrong. No president or politician in America is going get or stay elected slashing entitlements. Period! The libertarians can hoot and holler all they please. I think Trump understands that and is playing the game. Have some patience. Everyone who has been calling for “greater depression” scenarios for the past 15 years has been wrong…so far anyway.

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Josh Ladd's avatar

Thank you for the reply. Maybe I need to pay for your premium subscription, I’d love to have a deeper dialogue on this.

I’d say Trumps execution has been great, “all things considered.” He’s up against the deep state something fierce. I don’t think any politician has the courage and will to fight the way he has.

In the US, if a true libertarian candidate somehow won a national election and cut entitlements say 80%, can you imagine the chaos and riots that would ensue! Point being, Trump and team are making progress.

Your point is well taken on the economic crisis. The standard of living has definitely dropped. Is it all just debt that keeps the American consumer going? I travel frequently for work (all domestic), and anecdotally I see packed airports, restaurants, etc. It doesn’t make sense to me, which is concerning how big the drop may be. That said, I’ve been underinvested for many years in anticipation of an event that just hasn’t materialized.

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Matt Smith @ Crisis Investing's avatar

I’m patient and I’ve even argued here that I can see some sense in the economic plans. The execution has not been good so far, but I understand the direction and can imagine the possible positive outcomes. There are good signs and bad and nothing is certain.

As far as the greater depression goes… I’m grateful we’ve had more time. It’s certainly enabled me to put myself in a better position for when it comes - I think it is unavoidable, but hold out hope I’m wrong.

Also, while an economic cataclysm hasn’t happened, the standard of living of average americans continues to be degraded. Doug defines a depression as one where everyone’s standard of living declines. I guess since mine hasn’t and, presumably neither has yours that despite the fact that for most it has -the depression did not yet arrive. But, for a lot of americans it must feel like it’s already here.

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andy's avatar

The uses & misuses of solipsism. 'The center will not hold' because the center is so/too often misplaced in self/selves.

You don't have to, shouldn't, commit to this being the end al be all, but being able to hold it in one hand, or part of one hand, while holding other things, including the opposite, in another hand/part, is necessary/important ... & I would wager it is within your wheelhouse to be able to do so:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8x73UW8Hjk

* "everybody" never sees the standard of living decline.

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andy's avatar

or, going from the "top" .01 to the top .1, a relative decline, is no real decline at all.

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Joe V's avatar

Thank you for the tremendous effort it must take to slog through the BBB. I for one would love to hear more. Fascinating and cringe worthy all at once.

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Mary Bane's avatar

Yes, your review is very helpful!

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bkrg2's avatar

More please

I knew farm subsidies were bad, but this bad. I learned about monocrops and how government is controlling our food supply

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Thomas Ramsfield's avatar

Wow, I think nearly everyone wants to know what is in that horrible Bill! But, it's obvious that it is too large and complex to really go through. So, if you fell up to it!!! But, take your time!

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Matt Smith @ Crisis Investing's avatar

As I said, it isn’t all horrible. Most MAGA would cheer the fact that ICE budget increased by 800%, for instance. Locking in tax cuts is good, so is the elimination of tax on overtime. In addition many of the absurd biden-era policies and mandates. For instance, he (unfortunately) doesn’t get rid of CAFE standards on vehicles, but he does roll back the standards to pre-2022 levels.

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J.Smith's avatar
5dEdited

Thanks Matt- I eagerly look forward to your continued dissection of the BBB . As a senior I'm furious. As a gun owner lm beside myself in the way they promised to pretend to be on the side of law abiding gun owners yet cut the HPA bill right out with out a second thought .

Once again the family farmer gets the short end of the straw . Perhaps you are right and maybe it's time to find a second home in peaceful nation.

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Alan Eames's avatar

If you have a moment, I'm not following the math here: "Example: A corn farmer expecting $800 per acre in revenue buys insurance for 85% coverage. If revenue drops to $500/acre, the insurer covers most of the $180 gap. If premiums are $40/acre, the farmer pays $16 and taxpayers pay $24."

Where does the "$180 gap" come from? I don't see it in the figures quoted.

I also grew up on a small farm. Iowa, the land of almost completely 100% monoculture. I always wondered why the gov't was paying us to grow or not grow things. Didn't make any sense to me then and still doesn't. Unless you follow the money - who benefits?

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Jeff Cook-Coyle's avatar

Farming a huge monocrop operation is not fun. Variety is the spice of life. Monocropping is tedious. I work with a large farmer. He told all of his kids not to go into farming.

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nathancharles's avatar

Would love to hear more break down. Thank you for the big Ag explanation!

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PatriciaHenry's avatar

I find it helpful to have the breakdown! Also why limit welfare bennies for only 50-54? Why not place more stringent work requirements on all? Like my shameless 33 year old fully capable of working pothead cousin?

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Tamera Cunningham's avatar

If you don't already know of him Matt, there is an amazing regenerative farmer and cattle rancher named Will Harris in Georgia. His farm is called White Oak Pastures. He wrote a great book, called 'A Bold Return to giving a damn'. He's my farm hero and I like to toot his horn wherever I can!

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Tamera Cunningham's avatar

I listened to this today, while mowing my chemical, pesticide and herbicide free horse farm. Excellent analysis of the farm provisions in this atrocious bill! Notice how all the qualified crops are harvested mechanically, not with migrant workers?

JD Vance and Narya invested in three rounds of financing for Acre Trader which is scooping up farmland everywhere. And

this scheme allows foreign nationals to participate in farmland ownership, which I believe, is otherwise prohibited. I know you're shocked that he had advance knowledge of these provisions in the BBB.

Please continue your analysis, if you can bear it! I would like to upgrade to paid, but the price is a bit steep. Can I make a contribution somehow and be left out of the investment advice?

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Ben's avatar

I've been growing vegetables since I was single digits in age and I'm 40. I grew up in the suburbs too. You dont have to be rich or high IQ or any of that garbage to be a producer of nutrient dense greatness. One year all I used was horse manure compost that was multiple decades old from a stable near a relatives' house. The lady who owned it told me I could take all I wanted. You should have seen how big the earthworms were, it was a sight to see. Seeds are cheap to buy (just save seeds dummy) and see what you're capable of. Stop making excuses or complaining about prices for the rest of your life. Ayn Rand said it best in Atlas Shrugged, "There are three kinds of people in the world. Looters, moochers and doers."

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Tamera Cunningham's avatar

Composted horse manure is a fabulous fertilizer! We produce it by the ton at my place.

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Elizabeth Schneider's avatar

I’d forgotten that line. Thank you for the reminder.

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Stephen Schmit's avatar

Matt, you must have some masochistic tendencies buried deep within to put yourself through this torture. Our elected representatives whom we pay to know these bills don't even read them. Obviously the beneficiaries of these policies pay the members of Congress more handsomely than we do which is why these bills end up like this. The real question is how do we fight this? So far no one has been very successful. Got any ideas.

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Cora LeAnn's avatar

Yes, Matt. Please continue to give us your thoughts on the BBB. Someone has to be the sacrificial lamb.

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Matt Smith @ Crisis Investing's avatar

I'm not a lamb.

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Cora LeAnn's avatar

OKeee

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