Buy nothing on Friday.

Why? See below the song of Thanksgiving, rewritten for today’s reality.

We Gather Together; the Economic Version
by Fred Foldvary, 2012

We gather together, as thanks for our blessings.
Remember the lesson the Pilgrims did learn.
They first reaped in common, and then they found out,
That keeping what you sow, is the best way to earn.

The Pilgrims at first, they were communist thinkers.
They thought that the Lord wanted all to be shared.
Then they had no harvest, and they faced starvation.
To work for all the rest, was not what they cared.

A meeting they held, and kept the land common.
But each family could obtain its own plot.
Then they went to work, and the harvest was bountiful.
This economic lesson should not be forgot!

So. Fresh local turkey in Vermont now goes for around $2.50 a pound, putting a bird suitable for family plus relatives in the fifty-buck range. Most families in my district can’t afford that. So we have a choice of mass-produced, hormone & chemical injected frankenbirds from the supermarket for 69 cents a pound… or go kill yer own. I did the latter because I care about what I feed my family. The VT Agency of AG and the fed running it (Chuck Ross) say we can’t do that. They can pound sand.

Why, you might ask, is it that local farmers can’t afford to sell turkeys at a price most Vermonters can afford, but the supermarket can?

Because the State subsidizes factory farming and the huge stores that sell their products. The State enables both factory farms and megastores to pay less than a living wage, by making up the difference through food stamps and other benefits. (So you really ARE paying $2.50/lb for that bird with a price tag of 69 cents a pound, you’re paying through your taxes. Slick.)

Because the State does not tax land speculation in Vermont… land speculation is extremely lucrative, holds the best land out of production and drives up land prices, fuel and operational costs for family farmers.

This has been brought to the attention of the Vermont Legislature for years, yet they have taken no action except to more tightly regulate local food, making it even more expensive. VOTE ‘EM OUT ! No pardon for these turkeys !!!