Mainstream Media Quiet On Missouri Farmer Who Called Democrats “Parasites”

by Jocelyn Rousey | 3:04 pm, June 24th, 2010

» 15 comments

On Monday, the Kansas City Star reported that a Missouri farmer had painted the side of a 45 foot-long semi-truck trailer with the contentious banner “Are you a Producer or Parasite, Democrats – Party of Parasites” and placed the trailer on his property near busy highway U.S. 71. The farmer, David Jungerman, is protesting people (Democrats, apparently) who don’t pay taxes and instead “always have their hand out for whatever the government will give them.”

Hours later, the Star followed up on their story with information that over the past 15 years, Jungerman has accepted $1 million in federal farming subsidies. Asked to explain himself, Jungerman says:

That’s just my money coming back to me…I pay a lot in taxes. I’m not a parasite.

The story of Jungerman and his trailer banner, with it’s sweeping and controversial generalizations and plain-as-day hypocrisy, is exactly the sort of thing the media usually eats up. The story, however, has drawn little attention from the mainstream media. Instead, the blogosphere has taken Jungerman to task.

Steve Benen from The Washington Monthly gets a tad sarcastic with his explanation of how taxes and subsidies work, noting that Jungerman’s federal farm subsidies are funded by taxpayers, same as the social welfare programs the “parasites” use. Benen then contests the very notion that social welfare recipients are “parasites”:

It’s also worth noting that Jungerman and his backers may not realize it, but those “parasites” pay taxes, too. There are middle- and lower-class families who have been given a break on their federal income taxes, but they’re still paying sales taxes, state taxes, Social Security taxes, and Medicare/Medicaid taxes.

When they get unemployment benefits or food stamps, they’re just getting their “money coming back” to them, too.

Meanwhile, without Fox or MSNBC pundits to do the inevitable, Jonathan Chait from The New Republic hauls out the racial lens. Responding to Jungerman’s denial that he himself is a parasite, Chait comments:

It’s impossible to disentangle motives here, but the fact that farmers are overwhelmingly white may be an important factor in many conservative activists seeing farm subsidies as more legitimate than other government interventions. Producerism is historically connected with white supremacy…

Seriously, mainstream media, where are you with this? No wonder Jon Stewart thinks you’re all just jealous of Michael Hastings’ scoop.

BP, David Jungerman, Jon Stewart, Jonathan Chait, Kansas City Star, Michael Hastings, Missouri, Producers and parasites, Rolling Stone, Steve Benen

Sean68

Even hypocrites can be right sometimes. And, hey, at least he’s producing something of value. It’s too late to change our suicidal open-borders immigration policy. Welfare state + open borders = the end of our country.
Thomas G Williams

Yep more of that hate and division from CONSERVALIGIOUS RETHUGLICANS.

Republicans are a cancer that is destroying America.
lonestar77

Seriously, you want the MSM to investigate this? This is an important story to you? Good lord, I hope you’re kidding. If you’re not, then how very, very sad. Equally sad: because he’s white and The One isn’t, some crackpot left-wing media person (I know, that describes about 98% of them) plays the race card. I

Also, he is correct. When he uses the term “parasites”, he’s most likely referring to the near 50% of the American people who pay no taxes. The people that the Dems promises handouts to in exchange for votes.
lonestar77

Hah. This guy simply calls dems parasites. Yet, Thomas Williams comes on here to whine about it by calling Republicans thugs and a cancer. You really can’t make this stuff up. Of course, Thomas has exhibited on other boards that he’s too dumb for words, but still it’s mildly funny. Hey Jocelyn, should your boy Thomas be investigated by the MSM too? Haha.
Skeptical

The really funny part of this is that Democrats are the big producers and Republicans, especially in the South and the landlocked states, are the big parasites.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

He called Democrats ‘parasites’ — but “…over the past 15 years, Jungerman has accepted $1 million in federal farming subsidies.” Now THAT’S Rand Paulian logic.
Thomas G Williams

where are the welfare rolls highest?

if you said RED STATES you are correct.
funny-farm.net

Thomas G Williams says :

Who cares!!! My Horse thinks the same with me. He- is a black Stallion thorough bred. We met online at FUNNY-FARM.net a nice and free place for singles- to interact with SHEEP – GOATS -WILD BOARS and brown CHICKENS !!!!!!!Maybe you wanna check out or- tell your friends. !!!!!
Fidoohki

Bill,

Here’s the problem. That $1 mil breaks down to $33333.34 a year. Now on average how much would our ‘farmer’
have to make to get that money back a year? According to here:

http://www.taxfoundation.org/files/federalindividualratehistory-20080107.pdf

it comes to $110000 of taxable income NOT including state, local, social security, medicare and anything else I missed. So he MAY be right. There are a lot of factors that we just do not know.

What strikes me as frightening though is people trying to discredit his voicing of his opinion based on
“Well he gets something from the government too!” So is what the left saying is if you get something from
the government, you have no right to speak your opinions concerning it unless it is favorable of said
government? It is starting to sound like these are not ‘handouts’ as much as ‘hush money’. :(
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

“Fidoohki says:
June 25, 2010 at 3:12 am Fidoohki(Quote)
0 0
Bill,

Here’s the problem. That $1 mil breaks down to $33333.34 a year. Now on average how much would our ‘farmer’”

I’m no math whiz, but my calculator says that $1 million over 15 years is $66666.66 each year. And he’s discredited because of the hypocrisy shown in his actions. He can speak all he wants, speech is free – money is speech – ask the S. Ct.
DrFunke

His argument pretty much sums up why most tax professionals want to tear their eyes out with stories like these

Most of the tea party and population in general have not the faintest clue about tax law and implementation yet get outraged at taxes in general

They are pissed off and won’t keep taking it! About what? They don’t know but if they kick and scream enough, then dammit, the Democrats are at fault!
Grayce

Just two words: Farm subsidies
LowOnProzac

The farmer is wrong. That’s an insult to parasites.
http://none pyrope

Never criticize a farmer while your mouth is full of food.
Fidoohki

Bill Adkins says:
June 25, 2010 at 7:05 am Bill Adkins(Quote)

My mistake on the math. As for the ‘money is speech” comment..