Corruption in a Government Compensation Program? The New York Times published this story confirming allegations made by Andrew Breitbart a couple of years ago.

Cedarstrip Loc: Michigan

The New York Times published this story confirming allegations made by Andrew Breitbart a couple of years ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/us/farm-loan-bias-claims-often-unsupported-cost-us-millions.html?smid=tw-share&pagewanted=all&_r=0

Ever since the Clinton administration agreed in 1999 to make $50,000 payments to thousands of black farmers, the Hispanics and women had been clamoring in courtrooms and in Congress for the same deal. They argued, as the African-Americans had, that biased federal loan officers had systematically thwarted their attempts to borrow money to farm.

After years of legal wrangling the Supreme Court dismissed all but a handful of the claims. On the heels of the Supreme Courts ruling, interviews and records show, the Obama administrations political appointees at the Justice and Agriculture Departments engineered a stunning turnabout: they committed $1.33 billion to compensate not just the 91 plaintiffs but thousands of Hispanic and female farmers who had never claimed bias in court.

The deal, several current and former government officials said, was fashioned in White House meetings despite the vehement objections until now undisclosed of career lawyers and agency officials who had argued that there was no credible evidence of widespread discrimination. What is more, some protested, the template for the deal the $50,000 payouts to black farmers had proved a magnet for fraud.

...The compensation effort sprang from a desire to redress what the government and a federal judge agreed was a painful legacy of bias against African-Americans by the Agriculture Department. But an examination by The New York Times shows that it became a runaway train, driven by racial politics, pressure from influential members of Congress and law firms that stand to gain more than $130 million in fees. In the past five years, it has grown to encompass a second group of African-Americans as well as Hispanic, female and Native American farmers. In all, more than 90,000 people have filed claims. The total cost could top $4.4 billion.

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

Cedarstrip wrote:

The New York Times published this story confirming allegations made by Andrew Breitbart a couple of years ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/us/farm-loan-bias-claims-often-unsupported-cost-us-millions.html?smid=tw-share&pagewanted=all&_r=0

Ever since the Clinton administration agreed in 1999 to make $50,000 payments to thousands of black farmers, the Hispanics and women had been clamoring in courtrooms and in Congress for the same deal. They argued, as the African-Americans had, that biased federal loan officers had systematically thwarted their attempts to borrow money to farm.

After years of legal wrangling the Supreme Court dismissed all but a handful of the claims. On the heels of the Supreme Courts ruling, interviews and records show, the Obama administrations political appointees at the Justice and Agriculture Departments engineered a stunning turnabout: they committed $1.33 billion to compensate not just the 91 plaintiffs but thousands of Hispanic and female farmers who had never claimed bias in court.

The deal, several current and former government officials said, was fashioned in White House meetings despite the vehement objections until now undisclosed of career lawyers and agency officials who had argued that there was no credible evidence of widespread discrimination. What is more, some protested, the template for the deal the $50,000 payouts to black farmers had proved a magnet for fraud.

...The compensation effort sprang from a desire to redress what the government and a federal judge agreed was a painful legacy of bias against African-Americans by the Agriculture Department. But an examination by The New York Times shows that it became a runaway train, driven by racial politics, pressure from influential members of Congress and law firms that stand to gain more than $130 million in fees. In the past five years, it has grown to encompass a second group of African-Americans as well as Hispanic, female and Native American farmers. In all, more than 90,000 people have filed claims. The total cost could top $4.4 billion.

The New York Times published this story confirming... (show quote)

I guess this is more of that redistribution of wealth that Obama spoke of. Why didn't some of the people see that this is what Clinton and his people wanted back then? Why didn't anyone see that it all would end up being aimed at those other people who really think the government owes them something? It seems that anything like this can be put to use by many others who have no more right to the goodies than the original group.

Unclet Loc: Amarillo, Tx

oldroy wrote:

I guess this is more of that redistribution of wealth that Obama spoke of. Why didn't some of the people see that this is what Clinton and his people wanted back then? Why didn't anyone see that it all would end up being aimed at those other people who really think the government owes them something? It seems that anything like this can be put to use by many others who have no more right to the goodies than the original group.

Redistribution! my tired old ass. This program is and always has been outright theft. It is the same as Welfare to the un-derserving, Food Stamps for the un-needful, and Unemployment for the un-willing.

Add to this Social Security, Medical Care and Schooling for Illegals and you have the Liberal Progressive Agenda. Nothing more than payment for votes - and its working.

oldroy Loc: Western Kansas (No longer in hiding)

Unclet wrote:

Redistribution! my tired old ass. This program is and always has been outright theft. It is the same as Welfare to the un-derserving, Food Stamps for the un-needful, and Unemployment for the un-willing.

Add to this Social Security, Medical Care and Schooling for Illegals and you have the Liberal Progressive Agenda. Nothing more than payment for votes - and its working.

Unc, you are so right about the buying of votes done by progressives but too many people just can't see what you say as the truth. Is there a way we can make them understand, or not?