Stinky Cow? That'll Be $175.

While "going green" is the latest craze...some proposals are beyond outrageous.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – For farmers, this stinks: Belching and gaseous cows and hogs could start costing them money if a federal proposal to charge fees for air-polluting animals becomes law...It would require farms or ranches with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs to pay an annual fee of about $175 for each dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 for each hog. The executive vice president of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, Ken Hamilton, estimated the fee would cost owners of a modest-sized cattle ranch $30,000 to $40,000 a year." To see full article click here.

Does anyone else see a problem with this? Fine a farmer for a gassy cow? If you're going to play that game, you might as well have sports bars pay an annual fee for the amount of gassy men they let in and out of their establishment. Humans don't smell good, either...and I'm pretty sure pollute the air with their own flatulence.

I'll be the first to say that I hate cruelty to animals. I hate it. At the same time, however, I love me a good steak. While PETA has great intentions (let's bankrupt American farmers--then they can't raise/kill cows), this particular proposal will do much more harm than good. First, we live in a country that's unemployment rate is increasing daily. Let's add more!! What fun. Second, Americans are still going to want to eat meat. If we can't get it here in the States--let's do the next best thing: IMPORT!! (doesn't that mean less money to the States as well?) Finally, I'm not sure how it is in other states--but my state has an animal overpopulation. The wildlife are DYING because there is not enough food to go around for them. The Fish and Game Commission have created special "hunting seasons" to try and reduce the overpopulated herds. What are we going to do with all the livestock if PETA has it's way?