A. Barton Hinkle: Why Politics As Usual Means Giving Other People’s Money to Special Interests

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe stood
with two agriculture secretaries under overcast skies at the State
Fair a few days ago to proudly announce exciting new ways they
planned to give other people’s money to special interests.

That’s not quite how they put it themselves, of course, writes
A. Barton Hinkle. But that’s still exactly what they were doing.
McAuliffe, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Virginia
Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Todd Haymore were announcing
$1.2 million in grants to support local and organic food and
farmers’ markets. The grants are just part of a $52 million
nationwide effort about which you should be absolutely thrilled—if
you belong to the special interests getting the money or to the
administrations doling it out.

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