Susan Ferrechio at the Washington Examiner writes about the the massive farm bill making its way through congress, and how there are lots of little programs thrown into the bill:
But billions of dollars in the legislation are also dedicated to entities like the Market Access Program, which provides $200 million a year in taxpayer dollars to trade associations to promote U.S. products overseas.
Espree, the company that produces the styling spray for dogs (“Leaves the coat with specks of shiny glitter and aroma of Candy Cane”) was aided by a taxpayer subsidy under MAP.
Paying to advertise for doggy glitter overseas hardly seems to be a legitimate function of government. But it isn’t just small products getting benefits, large and profitable companies are also receiving millions every year to help them pay for advertising. Why are taxpayers paying for this service? Why does the Market Access Program (MAP) even exist? Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, says “The truth is, MAP is classic corporate welfare that takes taxpayer dollars to benefit big businesses’ bottom line.”
A few examples of how the MAP spends its money (amount spent in 2010):
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