# Oh Great - $7 milk unless Congress gets their thumb out. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [December 22, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877 "2012-12-22T22:57:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/1 "2012-12-22T22:57:05Z")
Could our government be any more useless? They’ve dicked around with this since last summer. So, we got a Milk crises and a fiscal cliff to solve between Dec 26-dec 31. The House isn’t even in session and may or may not return after Christmas ham and pie. Wonderful. This of course will ripple through the economy. Restaurants, commercial food processors, hospitals any industry that cooks with milk or diary items. Plus all the soccer moms making family meals. > **[Milk prices may double in the New Year](https://money.cnn.com/2012/12/21/news/economy/milk-prices/index.html?source=cnn_bin)** > > Unless Congress finds the time to address the expired agriculture bill amid the fiscal cliff mess, milk prices could double. > [@](#): > > With Congress spending all its time trying to avert the fiscal cliff, a slew of other legislative matters are going unattended. One of them is the agriculture bill which, if not addressed, could lead to a doubling of the price of milk early next year. > [@](#): > > Problem is, the current bill expired last summer, and Congress had been unable to agree on a new one. Several protections for farmers have already expired, and several more are set to do so over the next few months. One of them is the dairy subsidy, which expires January 1. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/2 "2012-12-23T01:13:50Z")
Good. Time to end this sort of nonsensical meddling with the market. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/3 "2012-12-23T01:41:12Z")
If $7 milk is what it takes to cause Republican voters to realize that “smaller government” isn’t the be-all and end-all of what makes America a decent place to live, then I’m willing to bite the bullet for as long as it takes the tea party to beg Congress to intervene and make things better. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/4 "2012-12-23T01:50:18Z")
$7 for how much milk? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/5 "2012-12-23T01:51:59Z")
Republics would love $7.00 milk. They can blame it on Obama. “He’s after your guns and your milk!” It doesn’t have to make any sense. Actually, it makes sense in the sense that they hate government and do all they can to screw it up to prove that it doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/6 "2012-12-23T01:52:24Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Good. Time to end this sort of nonsensical meddling with the market. Ditto. There’s a place for farm policy, but not farm welfare for very large, very profitable companies. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/7 "2012-12-23T02:24:25Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Ditto. There’s a place for farm policy, but not farm welfare for very large, very profitable companies. What’s your position on garlic subsidies? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Stately\_Greek\_Automaton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Stately\_Greek\_Automaton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stately_Greek_Automaton)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/8 "2012-12-23T02:25:19Z")
Meh. There are plenty of milk substitutes out there. If dairy can’t cut it in the free market, so be it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/9 "2012-12-23T02:41:03Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > What’s your position on garlic subsidies? 😉 The garlic must flow! Mmmmm, garlic. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/10 "2012-12-23T02:47:12Z")
If it costs $7 to produce a gallon of milk (I’m presuming they’re talking about a gallon here) then maybe that’s what it should sell for. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/11 "2012-12-23T02:56:57Z")
Milk pricing is so messed up, the $7 probably includes several dollars of subsidies added by some other price-support law. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/12 "2012-12-23T03:10:20Z")
We’re paying $12.60 a gallon now. I for one welcome our new milk overlords! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/13 "2012-12-23T03:19:06Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > If $7 milk is what it takes to cause Republican voters to realize that “smaller government” isn’t the be-all and end-all of what makes America a decent place to live, then I’m willing to bite the bullet for as long as it takes the tea party to beg Congress to intervene and make things better. You didn’t read the article. :rolleyes: The reason the price of milk might jump to $7 a gallon is because the government will start buying it up at $7 a gallon. It is big government that created this danger in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/14 "2012-12-23T03:19:27Z")
> [@Stately\_Greek\_Automaton](#): > > Meh. There are plenty of milk substitutes out there. If dairy can’t cut it in the free market, so be it. The day they come up with a non-dairy cheese that’s actually edible, I may agree with you. I can live without milk, cream, or butter, but _fromage_ is non-negotiable. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/15 "2012-12-23T03:52:40Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > The day they come up with a non-dairy cheese that’s actually edible, I may agree with you. I can live without milk, cream, or butter, but _fromage_ is non-negotiable. _Jamais!_ Got seven bucks? ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/16 "2012-12-23T04:10:51Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > The day they come up with a non-dairy cheese that’s actually edible, I may agree with you. I can live without milk, cream, or butter, but _fromage_ is non-negotiable. Just switch to goat cheese. Anyway, maybe some philanthropist will step in and give away milk to people who can’t afford it. And there are always Grapes of Wrath solutions… ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/17 "2012-12-23T04:14:36Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > You didn’t read the article. :rolleyes: The reason the price of milk might jump to $7 a gallon is because the government will start buying it up at $7 a gallon. It is big government that created this danger in the first place. The government does not _want_ to buy milk at that price, it is obligated to do so because of a law that requires them to calculate the price as the did in 1949. [QUOTE=CNN] But instead of leaving farmers entirely out in the cold, the law states that if a new bill isn’t passed or the current one extended, the formula for calculating the price the government pays for dairy products reverts back to a 1949 statute. Under that formula, the government would be forced to buy milk at twice today’s price – driving up the cost for everyone. [/QUOTE] Nothing to do with evil Big Givernment, just congress critters who can’t govern…they probably left that old calculation in place to make sure they would do something :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/18 "2012-12-23T04:17:55Z")
Seems in line with the price the rest of us pay. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/19 "2012-12-23T04:23:37Z")
Yeah, I remember people getting all up in a rage when gas passed $3 a gallon, and everybody in Europe was all “You’re so cute when you’re angry.” ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877/20 "2012-12-23T04:32:17Z")
I don’t see how it will cause me to pay $7 per gallon for milk just because the gov’t will be doing so. Presumably the gov’t isn’t going to be buying anything even close to _all_ the available milk. So they’ll get first dibs. My price may go up, but to the full seven dollars? Why would that happen? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-great-7-milk-unless-congress-gets-their-thumb-out/644877.md?page=2)