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The Livestock Compensation Program was started in 2002 as part of an emergency relief plan to help farmers affected by drought.

costing taxpayers $1.2 billion, the program began dolling out benefits to farmers completely

unaffected by disaster conditions, and then to people who weren't even farmers to begin with.

Cato Executive Vice President David Bowes comments.

What's the connection between the Shuttle Columbia disaster and farm programs?

Well you wouldn't think there would be any connection.

It doesn't sound like would be any connection.

It doesn't sound like it makes any sense, but in fact, there is.

Back in 2002, there was an election approaching

and the Bush administration decided they should do something

for farmers and

ranchers in states that had been hit by drought so they passed a program they

created a program they didn't go to congress they created a program to compensate

farmers and ranchers who had been hurt by drought.

And then all the farmers and ranchers who had not really been hurt by drought

started saying, oh, well, we'd like to them on this program.

And so they expanded and then Congress expanded it. And then they said, well, any presidential disaster declaration

will qualify.

And when the shuttle Columbia exploded over Texas, obviously there were a few people whose farms

...