Here’s news for dairy farmers trying to choose their presidential candidate – both Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton say that they will support and continue the MILC program, while Republican John McCain says taxpayers can no longer afford it.
The Wisconsin State Journal of Madison gave questionnaires to all four major White House candidates on the state’s unique issues. Only Republican Mike Huckabee did not respond.
The Milk Income Loss Contract program gives subsidies when the market price for milk falls below certain levels, but that’s not happening at the moment. Wisconsin’s family farms have benefited the most from the program, getting just more than $0.5 billion since 2001.
But McCain spokesman Brian Rogers says his man cannot encourage farmers to rely on Washington, while the rest of us work four months a year just to pay our taxes. He says it’s better for Washington to find new markets for farm products.
Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both say they’d expand payments under the milk program.