It's official - Vernon Weems is running for Governor

[Debi]

(and his ideas are......interesting)

WATERLOO --- Touting a plan to abolish state income, property and inheritance taxes, Waterloo native Vernon Weems announced Tuesday he will enter the Democratic race for governor.

Instead of relying on taxes for income, Iowa can gain its revenue through exports of items, such as agricultural goods, to other states, he said.

<snip>

Placing an emphasis on agricultural is critical to Iowa's economic future, he said.

"I am running to be governor of an agricultural state so I think it's mandatory for me to improve the business and life of all its residents. Farmers have been neglected way too long," Weems said.

As governor, Weems wants to set the market price of corn at $5 to $6 a bushel and $10 to $12 for soybeans.

<snip>

Weems said he is developing a 25-point "cutting edge" plan as part of his campaign that will be fully revealed in the future.

"This plan is my own work and creation. Challenge me that it can be done," he said.

<snip>


http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2005/11/09/news/politics/a64c629b759a2442862570b40055218e.txt

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Oh BOY!!! :crazy:

[IA_Seth]

1. I am no farmer...

but aren't those prices a little freakin high? Maybe I am wrong but off the top of my head these don't sound close.

Has this guy always been like this? I thought the other posts said he ran for Mayor before?!

[Debi]

4. Poor, poor republican farmers (okay, not all of them..)

Don't believe in 'welfare' or giving away food or houses to the poor, but put their hand out for their CRP check and set-aside funds each year :eyes:

I could just see Iowa IMPORTING corn/beans because the local price is too high.

He has run for Mayor and different members of his family have run for different offices before. I think he actually sits on the Waterloo Human Rights board right now.

The stuff in his announcement is just out of left field!! And, like I said, he didn't tell ANYBODY he was going to do this.

I asked some friends about it the day you posted the KCRG info. They had talked to him the day before and he hadn't said a thing!!!

Just weird.

[rurallib]

2. Any relation to Parson Weems?

he was a little - uh - had some different ideas also didn't he?

[Debi]

3. don't know....was Parson Weems - um - out there? n/t

[Broke Dad]

5. And just when it looked like the Gov race was getting boring . . .

Candidate Weems sounds like Iowa's version of Rev. Al Sharpton. His economics is a little fuzzy, but his tax on agricultural production would compensate for the massive subsidies to agribusinesses passing themselves off as family farmers.

The largest farming operations in Iowa have the best of both worlds. They receive hundreds of thousands of dollars of federal aid each year and pay lower property taxes than homeowners, pay no sales tax on any ag related products, pay no federal or state income tax and pay no inheritance or estate tax if they leave their farms to immediate family members. Weems hit a nerve with me when he proposed taxing something these people do.

These land barons claim to be farmers, just like Chuck Grassley, but the reality is that they are using their government checks to outbid real family farmers for land, either to rent or to own.

If nothing else, Weems will add color and humor to the Governor's race.

[Debi]

7. Isn't our current National Secretary of Ag an Iowa 'Farmer'

who defrauded the government? x(

[haroldgiowa]

6. What his plan to make money?

Is he going to have the state buy up all the corn and soybeans in the rest of the world and then sell it at these inflated prices? Yes they are rather high. Why pay $6 in Iowa, when you can cross any of the borders and pay half that?

I don't mind a guy coming out of left field once in a while, but he should warm up a little first.

[Debi]

8. That's not Weems style

You should read some of his letters to the editor in the Courier
www.wcfcourier.com

Funny, I never liked Nebraska much, but their cheap corn looks mighty good to me :P

[Broke Dad]

9. I think the Weems's proposal is to tax not buy the farm products

If I heard Weems correctly, he wants to tax corn, soybeans and meat raised in Iowa. His theory is that the buyers would have to pay market rates PLUS the tax. The economic reality is that the market price would have the tax deducted, so if the market for corn is $1.80 per bushel, and the tax is $1.00 per bushel, the farmer would get $.80, not $2.80 per bushel.

Weems probably slept though macroeconomics just like W did.

[Debi]

10. You may be correct, but it's not how I read his comments

<snip>

Instead of relying on taxes for income, Iowa can gain its revenue through exports of items, such as agricultural goods, to other states, he said.

<snip>


As governor, Weems wants to set the market price of corn at $5 to $6 a bushel and $10 to $12 for soybeans.

<snip>

He says 'exports' and 'market price', not taxes.

I think he honestly means to just charge more and reap the rewards of our poor famer's labor....

[haroldgiowa]

11. Maybe W taught it. NT