A plea for balance

The Tri-City Herald did a nice job on a farm bill editorial yesterday. Of course, Washington state's fruit and vegetable growers would stand to gain if a more balanced farm bill is crafted this year.
From the editorial:

But it's also clear the federal government has awarded subsidies that further enriched a number of wealthy farmers without generating any public good.
We don't want to see farmers going out of business. But we do want to see some equity. The rich don't need to get richer on the our dime.
We hope the new farm bill will strike a balance, preserving farms when it's in the public interest while also pushing for broader recognition and production of fruit and vegetable crops.

TK; Here is another report that speaks of how the rekindled spark in the WTO talks may be at risk from the expiring Trade Promotion Agreement and the reluctance of lawmakers to cut farm subsidies. The WTO appears headed for the cliffs of doom, and some global negotiators want a helping hand from a reformed farm bill. I have a sense many in Congress want to see a familiar farm bill more than they would despair seeing the WTO tumble headlong into chasm.