http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/us/26farmers.html
Then in February, the farmers and the Obama administration reached a settlement to pay out an additional $1.15 billion, and President Obama, who co-sponsored the 2008 measure as a senator, included the money in his proposed budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
The amount each farmer will receive will not be determined until all the claims have been vetted, said Andrew Marks, a lawyer with Crowell & Moring in Washington, one of the firms representing the farmers. Some 30,000 claims have been filed, he said, and lawyers expect a “significant” number of additional claims.
In the 1999 settlement, successful plaintiffs filing basic claims received $50,000 tax free. The money is half what the farmers sought, but the administration’s promise of a quick resolution prompted them to accept the deal, Mr. Boyd said.
Congress missed a March 31 deadline set by the administration to provide financing, which would have allowed payments to start by the summer of 2011.
The farmers agreed to give the government an extension through May 31. The House is expected to vote Wednesday on a bill that includes the settlement.
The settlement has strong support across party lines, but some lawmakers are worried that the bill’s costs have not been offset by corresponding cuts in spending.
If Congress misses another deadline, the farmers can withdraw from the settlement, which most are reluctant to do.
Mr. Boyd suggested that Mr. Obama circumvent Congress and pay farmers out of the same special Treasury Department fund used to pay Pigford claims.
So far, Mr. Obama has deferred to Congress. Some farmers have speculated that the president is shying away from the issue because it involves race. The White House said that was untrue.
“The president’s approach to this is not based on the color of skin but because of what is right,” said Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary.
//
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2009/federal-appointments/person/ramona-emilia-romero/
Ramona Emilia Romero
[Agriculture Department logo]
Agriculture Department
General Counsel
Announced: June 25, 2010
Bio
* Education: Barnard College, BA; Harvard University, JD
* Ethnicity: Hispanic
* Gender: Female
Last Job
* DuPont
Other Job
* Crowell & Moring, litigator
So, we are to believe the color of skin didn’t come into play?
I need to do a lot of reading.
Bingo...Hold onto this stuff....
Major discovery there maggie. Obama put one of the fraud hack PIGSFORDS lawyers in the Ag Department. These people are robbing this country blind! Thanks for the info. Going to share this with a few people.
BTW...isn’t it pure irony that these pigs are lining up at the government trough and the lawsuit name is so fitting! None of these people even had to prove ANYTHING!! That is what is so bad. When you read about this case, it is rift with fraud and our government doesn’t do a damn thing. It makes my blood boil. I have no problem with people seeking genuine redress from our government, but this is a total race card sham and shakedown!