Posted on 06/13/2019 2:18:42 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Members of the American Federation of Government Employees turned their backs on Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Thursday, apparently over plans to relocate them from Washington to the Kansas City area.
Perdue announced Thursday that two of the Department of Agricultures research agencies, the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will be relocated to be closer to major farming regions.
While Perdue has justified the relocation as a way to improve customer service and save taxpayers up to $20 million per year, some ERS employees have said it is a political move, according to the publication.
Specifically, some ERS staff have expressed suspicions the relocation is an attempt to shrink the agency and weaken its ability to conduct research that does not align with the Trump administrations policy agenda.
The department retreated on another proposal to shift ERS within the departments organizational structure to place it under the Office of the Chief Economist.
"While we believe there is considerable synergies and benefits to a realignment, after hearing feedback from stakeholders and members of Congress, USDA will not move forward with the realignment plans," the department said.
Employees at both agencies voted to unionize after the relocation was announced, according to Politico. They are expected to receive relocation letters Thursday and will be given 30 days to make a decision, according to the American Federation of Government Employees.
Union reps said employees were not given advance notice of the announcement and that they learned of the site selection via media reports despite Perdues assurances he would provide notice.
The relocation has divided Congress along partisan lines as well, with the four Republicans who represent Kansas and Missouri in the Senate issuing a joint statement praising the move.
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) and Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands), who hold key positions on House subcommittees with jurisdiction over the agencies, have said the process has lacked transparency, according to Politico.
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), who has co-sponsored legislation to halt the relocation, said a USDA inspector general review examining the viability of this relocation is not complete."
No, they don’t care about farmers. Very little of their work has to do with actual agriculture.
Most of the appropriations for the Department of Agriculture are for SNAP, and other “food stamp” programs. The actual budget for farm related concerns is not a big piece of their pie or concern.
This is why when people go on an on about “welfare for farmers” in the farm bill it strikes me most people don’t know the money is not for the farmers, most of it goes for food stamps and related programs.
Go to page 8 I think it is and look at the pie chart for appropriations...
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45230.pdf
Still Not Sick of the WINNING President Trump!!!!
Retirement? You must be kidding.
Fire them, the sooner the better.
Aleutians!
Would get them some good barbeque out there too !
Well done.
Makes staff reductions easier.
Midway and Wake are more remote and there are already buildings, docks and landing strips in place.
Kwajalein Atoll would be another good location to relocate the “Fisheries” people
Results would be immediate, their real function now is not farming. They are in charge of “food stamps” and related programs and that is where most of their work and budget goes.
Shut them down today and when the cards stop working, riots.
It really wouldn’t impact farming that much other than doing away with a lot of regulation enforcement and red tape.
Agree 100%. And their function for Agriculture is all about power and control.
Their most important function now is “food stamps” and related food programs. Most of their budget goes to that and that is what most of the work force at the Department of Ag. does.
What they do to farmers is regulation after regulation and enforcement of regulation. Forcing tons of paperwork and nonsense tasks on farmers and ranchers. They do very, very little in the way of help. Not worth it, and as you say not constitutional.
The pie chart on page 8 tells the story...
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45230.pdf
Each and every back-turner should be considered to have tendered their immediate resignation.
So, the job of a federal agency under the Executive department whose boss is the President, is to conduct research that undermines his policies? They don't even bother trying to hide it anymore. That's the real government, that's the real ruling class. And you've just pulled their cushy Beltway environment out from under them. I weep for them. Well, over it now. Enjoy KC!
In truth very little of their job has anything to do with farming.
Most of their work and budget goes to “food stamps” and other related programs.
Look at the pie chart on page 8 of their budget.
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45230.pdf
Name the new building location after POTUS Trump and they will refuse to come to work.
Fire these elitist scum
They should be put on a guano encrusted rock in the Aleutian island chain.
Off Adak somewhere
I think there are still some unused buildings at Ft. Knox, KY, since the Armor School there was closed that the Dept of Agriculture could be moved into.
Perhaps Bikini Atoll?
This is just a move to the same job.
Jimmy Carter: one man ag economy wrecking crew.
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