Posted on 02/25/2009 5:12:13 AM PST by chambley1
ALBANY, Ga. -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced he intends to place civil rights front and center at USDA, including calling on Congress to elevate the position of assistant secretary for administration to the undersecretary level and making sure civil rights get as much attention as other program areas headed by undersecretaries.
He also said USDA will hire a consulting firm to work with agency offices to make sure procedures are fair to minorities and women.
"Some folks refer to USDA as the last plantation, and it has a pretty poor history of taking care of people of color," said Vilsack, appearing Saturday before an annual Georgia farmers' conference sponsored by the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the Land Assistance Fund.
Both organizations help black farmers retain land and stay in business.
Vilsack said the current post of assistant secretary for civil rights will remain, but that official would work closely with the assistant secretary for administration. He also noted that outside consultants are needed to handle the farmers' claims that USDA employees are discriminating against them. When some farmers present said that such practices are still a problem with Farm Service Agency county office employees, Vilsack indicated the consultants would also work with county employees, who are paid by USDA but employed by local farmer committees. "You've got outright bias and discrimination. Also you've got good people who don't even know that they're discriminating," said Vilsack. "It's necessary to begin the process of re-educating people."
A USDA spokesman said on Monday that decisions about how the consulting firm would work had not been made, but stressed action needs to be taken.
USDA's civil rights problems go back to the 1930s, when farm programs were set up. Black farmers argued that USDA's southern offices, staffed mostly by whites, denied them loans and farm program payments. In 1999, USDA settled a class-action suit, Pigford v. Glickman, that ordered payments to the plaintiffs. In the 2008 farm bill, Congress also included a provision, known as Pigford II, allowing black farmers who filed cases after a deadline set in 1999 to revive those cases. The bill included $100 million to settle those cases as well as a provision to allow additional appropriations if that money is used up. Native American, Hispanic and women farmers have also filed cases in federal court charging that USDA discriminated against them. Those cases are still pending.
Another nail in the coffin of the idea that the dems/libs are not all about race. EVERYTHING is about race with these people. They don’t look at their fellow citizens as Americans, they see them by their skin color, and what benefit they give them politically.
Probably wants to institute the Mugabe plan for taking care of people of color.
“He also said USDA will hire a consulting firm to work with agency offices to make sure procedures are fair to minorities and women.”
Hmmm...any guesses which minority congressperson’s child/spouse runs this “consulting” firm?
Gee, and all this time I thought the USDA was about ensuring a plentiful food supply and ensuring the quality of the foods sold? Little did I know it’s primary job was to hand out money to minorities.
That’s the only plan I can think of that would involve the USDA in civil rights. It is the manifestation of the Marxist agenda.
Now the United States of America will soon start the journey down a new road. The road leads to the creation of the United States of Zimbabwe.
Bureaucrats, armed with the deadliest weapon of all, the CLIPBOARD and BALL POINT PEN, will roam the land, dictating the daily tasks of the very farmers who have made the USA the most productive country in history. Instead of spending time and effort in the growing of crops, the farmer will be required to spend that time filling out forms, proving that he is following regulation #14K,sub9,para3 etc.
There are other lands that were once considered “BREADBASKETS” of their geographical areas that now wallow in famine, famines created by the government bureacracy doing what it does oh! so efficiently...mess up everything it touches.
There is a wry saying that a Lawyer armed with his brief case can steal more than a man merely armed with a gun.
There is a newer saying that a bureaucrat armed with a clip-board can do more damage than a winter storm.
Does this mean Chocolate Milk must come from White Cows as well?
Is this a joke? Hiring consultants? After getting jacked with Porkulus?? Let me be the first-”Worst President Ever..”
And we wonder why we’re going broke.
There was a reason why he was called Governor Ballsack back in Iowa. This guy is a complete moron.
Elections have consequences. They will install these creeps into every crevice of the government. Remember back when we were complaining about Clinton people infest State, CIA, Justice.. Now we’ll have to deal with Obamunists in every other aspect of government. Obama said this was going to happen and it is.
Please, when you meet someone that proudly voted for Paul or stayed home because they didn’t care for McCain very much, blame them for this.
A good post for the Bear pic?
“Farmer! This field is not diverse. It only has red tomatoes in it.!”
“And WHY do you persist in only harvesting WHITE milk?”
Veggies of Color! Unite!
These people are stupid goofs.
And we are stupid to continue to fund them.
Albany use to be such a beautiful city. It’s gone downhill and it’s such a shame.
That sentence always scares the bat snot out of me
What ever happened to giving the job to the most qualified person?
It would be demeaning to the person hired who knows he or she was hired because of his/her “minority” status.
No wonder this Country is going down the tubes.
How long will it be before the white farmers get kicked off of their land?
Exactly. He forgot to add that someone’s family members or friends will most likely be running it for outlandish financial charges.
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