Dear Editor:
After the recent presidential election, it was reported by several sources that between 70 percent and 80 percent of farmers voted for Donald Trump.
I wonder if those same farmers will remember a few short years ago (The Obama Years) when they could take a 500-pound steer to market and expect to get from $1,400 to $1,500 for it. Also, $80 for a bushel of corn, $15 for a bushel of soybeans and $7 for a bushel of wheat. Meat and dairy exports are also going down.
Net farm income is down by over 50 percent since that time. And so many were bashing Obama on a daily basis. He couldn't get credit for any of those successes. I know it wasn't all to his credit but it is a well-known fact that when Republicans are in control of Washington, D.C. that the super rich get rich quicker and the middle- to lower-class generally suffer.
Taking into account the recent tax bill, the top 1 percent got most of the benefits and the rest of Americans got the peanuts that will drop off in a few years while the benefits to the top 1 percent are permanent.
Now with the tariff situation, the farmers will get hit even harder. Soybeans and corn are going down daily. Trump has trashed our friends and, as I write this, he is meeting with Putin in a one-on-one meeting behind closed doors with only two interpreters present. He just got through bashing our friends and allies and then goes to Helsinki to pat Putin on the back. One has to wonder what classified info he gave to him. And he constantly blasted Hillary for her use of emails.
I understand that the banks and lending institutions are already demanding additional collateral before approving farmers loans in addition to charging higher interest rates. Many farmers are already barely hanging on and that was before this fiasco with the tariffs. Dairy farmers are becoming an endangered species. They have been producing at or below cost of production for several years now.
I pray that the Good Lord helps us.