Discrimination claims ceiling raised to $250,000 for Hispanic, women farmers
The updated claims process announced recently increases the maximum cash recovery to $250,000, instead of $50,000. The process offers a streamlined alternative to litigation for each Hispanic or woman farmer and rancher who can prove that USDA denied their loan or loan servicing for discriminatory reasons for certain time periods between 1981 and 2000. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/government/discrimination-claims-ceiling-raised-250000-hispanic-women-farmers" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Irrigation can have a dramatic effect on food safety
<div class="field-byline"> Phil Tocco, Michigan State University Extension </div> The unpredictable nature of weather makes irrigation a necessity with some crops. How you irrigate can have a dramatic effect on food safety. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/irrigation/irrigation-can-have-dramatic-effect-food-safety" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Keeping wildlife out of vegetable fields
<div class="field-byline"> Norm Myers, Michigan State University Extension </div> Growers need a plan in place to minimize wildlife intrusions in vegetable fields. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/vegetables/keeping-wildlife-out-vegetable-fields" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Three root-knot nematode resistant rootstocks released
<div class="field-byline"> Peter Cousins, Fresno County Vine Lines </div> Root-knot nematodes are a chief pest of vineyards across California and the United States, but aggressive and virulent nematode populations can feed on and damage many important rootstock varieties. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/grapes/three-root-knot-nematode-resistant-rootstocks-released" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Sand bedding details important for dairy industry
<div class="field-byline"> Roberta Osborne, Michigan State University Extension </div> Cleanliness and attention to sand bedding detail both in the storage area and while in use must be observed. Sand bedding has largely replaced organic bedding for dairy cows. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/management/sand-bedding-details-important-dairy-industry" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
US grape coalition brings value to global market
Pledging its ongoing commitment to developing research solutions for U.S. grapes and related grape products for global consumers, the National Grape & Wine Initiative announced its new leadership team for 2012. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/grapes/us-grape-coalition-brings-value-global-market" target="_blank">read more</a></p>
Corn gene offers resistance to three important leaf diseases
<div class="field-byline"> Sharon Durham, USDA </div> A specific gene in corn seems to confer resistance to three important leaf diseases ? southern corn leaf blight, northern leaf blight, and gray leaf spot. <div class="og_rss_groups"></div><p><a href="http://westernfarmpress.com/management/corn-gene-offers-resistance-three-important-leaf-diseases" target="_blank">read more</a></p>


is there to the current mess? One proposal that has been around for some time is the negative income tax method.

The negative income tax was originally proposed in the 1960s by Milton Friedman, a fairly famous economist. His idea was not to just address the collection of taxes, but to create a system that would do away with welfare, food stamps and all types of government entitlement programs.

The basic idea at the core of the negative income tax rate system was a flat tax with a twist. The twist gets a bit complicated, but it involves tax deductions and negative income. A flat tax rate of say twenty five percent would be established on all income earned. You would then be able to take certain deductions against the tax for things like dependents [kids]. If your deductions totaled more than the total income you earned during the year, the government would then owe you all the taxes you paid in during the year and a percentage of your “negative income”. At this point, an example will probably help.

To make things simple, let’s assume we have a family of five with total earnings being $30,000. Further assume the total deductions that can be claimed equate to $40,000. The head of household has negative $10,000 under our system. The government would then owe the family all the money they paid in during the year in taxes from paychecks and a percentage of the $10,000 of negative income. Not bad, eh?

The negative income tax rate approach never really caught on with advocates. The system is ripe for attack because taxpayers have a major temptation to tweak their financial numbers to show negative income. Frankly, the criticisms were probably justified, but that should not distract us from the idea that the current tax mess can be dealt with. There is an answer to the mess, but it will require thinking outside of the box as Milton Friedman tried to do.

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Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing free tax articles.

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