Doug LaMalfa Used his Leadership Post to Benefit Himself!?

LaMalfa likes oversight of natural resources post
by:Tim Hearden Record Searchlight
Published: January 3, 2003

Freshman Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa said his appointments to four committees will give him the opportunity to fight for the north state’s interests. LaMalfa, R-Richvale, has been named vice chair of the Natural Resources Committee, and he’ll also sit on panels that deal with arts and entertainment, utilities and commerce, and legislative audits.

The natural resources post will give LaMalfa a perch from which to try to make good on his campaign promise to give agriculture a voice in the Legislature.

I’m really fortunate to be on that committee and to be vice chair of it because that’s where my passions lie, LaMalfa said

…LaMalfa said he plans to push for more water storage and power plants and apply better scientific review of decisions that affect land use, timber, agriculture and development.

Aka: keeping farm welfare out of the menu of legislative cuts.

But – there is more, Doug LaMalfa authored legislation to turn Rice Straw in to a cash crop.

Rice Straw!? Basically a useless commodity became a cash crop after a bill authored by LaMalfa:

The rice straw tax credit bill increased the cumulative amount of this credit, for all taxpayers, to $400,000 in each calendar year. Doug LaMalfa’s bill eliminated the existing limit on the cumulative amount of this credit.

The California Rice Commission (which LaMalfa helped found) wrote:

“Ideally, instead of being unwanted and difficult to dispose of, rice straw would become a valuable commodity to be harvested for profit.”

Got that – folks. Useless crap that gets burned got turned in to a cash crop at our expense.

This is a $400,000 refundable tax credit, meaning if you owe $300k in taxes, you get a $100,000 refund. We call this corporate welfare.