clarinews@clarinet.com (CHARLES J. ABBOTT, UPI Farm Editor) (02/09/90)
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Farm-state congressmen said Thursday one way to reduce the cost of the farm program would be to deny subsidies to well-off farmers but they also found pitfalls in the idea. The Bush administration has requested a $1.5 billion cut in farm subsidy spending in fiscal 1991. Payment limits would be one way to reach the goal, an official told a House Agriculture subcommittee, but he made no endorsement. While subcommittee members grappled with how to meet budget targets, the farm program was under attack on another front. Rep. Richard Armey, R-Texas, who views the program as wasteful, has filed a bill to save $1 billion a year by cutting off payments to relatively wealthy farmers. Subcommittee Chairman Dan Glickman, D-Kan., said an eligibility rule might be the fairest approach, if a cut has to be made in overall farm spending. ``I would prefer to protect the family farmer,'' Glickman said, later adding, ``I am more of the belief if we have to cut farm programs ... cut the eligibility of your wealthier farmers.'' Members of the subcommittee, who said they were worried about maintaining farm income, loudly opposed any further cuts in target prices, a key in determining crop subsidy payments. The two other commonly mentioned ways to reduce farm program costs are tighter payment limits or limits on the number of acres el&T 1,242,100 40 1/4 up 3/8 Unocal 1,196,300 30 5/8 up 3/4 Apple Computer Inc 1,