mellencamp rocks (taxpayers)!

According to this morning's C-J, John Cougar Mellencamp will "play" Freedom Hall on October 28th. That's a fitting choice of verbs, since Mellencamp's namesakes (all relatives?) in Southern Indiana have been "playing" taxpayers for a long time as recipients of direct farm subsidies. From 1995-2005, they received more than $1.1 million from taxpayers. (Insert joke here about farming the government or "little pink houses for you and me".)

Wouldn't it be a better world if John had simply given the money to his relatives? Ahhh, but ain't that America?