USDA survey is just more bureaucracy

To the editor:

Every five years the U.S. Department of Agriculture sends out an intrusive survey that, by law, has to be filled out by anyone who is considered a farmer. I went to the USDA Web site. The latest information posted was from 1997. The 2002 information will not be compiled until 2004. The only purpose I can see for this survey is to create more bureaucracy and laws that intrude on personal-property rights.

How much do we really pay for food in this country? No one knows. Besides the actual cost of the goods consumers purchase, there are billions of dollars in tax money spent for subsidies, regulations and laws.

It is time to end federal tax on income and eliminate bureaucracy and bureaucratic surveys. Let the individuals who earn the money spend, save or give it away as they see fit. And if they happen to be, or wish to be, farmers, then let them decide the most profitable way to use their property and resources. If they choose to manufacture goods, let them gather their own information to make marketing decisions. Individuals should be responsible for themselves. They will be less likely to make poor life decisions if they have to accept the consequences of their actions without the government safety net to bail them out.

MARY NALL

Marble Hill, Mo.