Michele Bachmann calls black farmer settlement a magnet for fraud

[Senoj]

OMAHA, Neb. -- Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann pointed to one program in particular Monday when talking about wasteful government spending: a multibillion dollar settlement paid to black farmers, who claim the federal government discriminated against them for decades in awarding loans and other aid.

The issue came up after Bachmann and Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa toured flooded areas along the Missouri River. During a news conference, they fielded a question about whether farmers affected by the flooding also should be worried by proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture cuts.

The two responded by criticizing a 1999 settlement in what is known as the Pigford case, after the original plaintiff, North Carolina farmer Timothy Pigford. Late last year, President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing a new, nearly $1.2 billion settlement for people who were denied payments in the earlier one because they missed deadlines for filing.

King has likened the Pigford settlement to "modern-day reparations" for African-Americans. He said Monday a large percentage of the settlement "was just paid out in fraudulent claims" and criticized the Obama administration's plan to resolve separate lawsuits filed by Hispanic and female farmers.

"That's another at least $1.3 billion," King said "I'd like to apply that money to the people that are under water right now."

Bachmann seconded King's criticism, saying, "When money is diverted to inefficient projects, like the Pigford project, where there seems to be proof-positive of fraud, we can't afford $2 billion in potentially fraudulent claims when that money can be used to benefit the people along the Mississippi River and the Missouri River."

John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association, which represented black farmers in the Pigford settlement, called the criticism unfair.

"Why continue to take from those people who haven't taken part in federal programs equally and give to another group of farmers who have taken part in federal programs?" Boyd asked. "I think taking resources from a group of people who have been historically denied any relief at the Department of Agriculture is a bad idea. For the flood victims that deserve redress ... they should provide those people with relief, too."

Boyd said he and others worked to put anti-fraud provisions in the legislation signed last year. They require each claim of discrimination to be judged individually to determine its merit - a process that Boyd said has not yet even begun.

"We worked with Republicans ... to get those issues addressed," he said. "Even after we got them addressed, Ms. Bachmann and Mr. King have continued to look at black farmers in a very negative way.

"I think it's bad for the American people. I think if Ms. Bachmann wants to be president of the United States, she should treat all people fairly."

Bachmann's criticism wasn't limited to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Minnesota congresswoman also took a swipe at the president, who has not visited areas of Iowa, Nebraska or other states flooded by the river.

"The devastation is beyond what people can imagine," Bachmann said. "Surely this is worthy of a presidential visit to come see this level of devastation in western Iowa."

Heavy rain and a large snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains have poured water into the Missouri, flooding more than 500,000 acres in seven states. The high water is expected to linger through August, putting pressure on levees that protect homes, cities and farms.

"This flood that we have seems to have disappeared from the minds of people from across the country," King said. "If you're not here to see it ... you don't hear very much about it."
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol..._farmer_settlement_a_waste.html#ixzz1Sem1Vn24

 

[rashi]

Every government program is a magnet for fraud.

 

[ar guy]

Originally Posted by rashi

Every government program is a magnet for fraud.

Dammit Rashi, I hate it when I agree with you.

 

[deuce king]

From a previous thread..............

Originally Posted by Rexanglorum


Barack Obama has been a failure, There are thousand upon thousands of people who would do better job, Michelle Bachmann is just one of that vast multitude

  

 

 

[Senoj]

Originally Posted by rashi

Every government program is a magnet for fraud.

THANK YOU. I like how she singled out this program but didn't mention anything else. Sttupid %*#%.

 

[do work son]

Originally Posted by AR Guy

Originally Posted by rashi

Every government program is a magnet for fraud.

Dammit Rashi, I hate it when I agree with you.

I don't think I've ever agreed with rashi until now....

 

[4318michaeljohnson4318]

The thing is the government WAS discriminating against black farm owners AND the government promised blacks land on 2 seperate occasions that we NEVER got. Homestead act and Special Field Orders, No. 15.

 

[kix4kix]

So Bachman is an idiot? *yawns

 

[essential1]

She's got issues with black people, what's new... She didn't include that her family farm has gotten millions in farm subsidies.. Her husband's "Cure the gay" clinic got thousands in subsidies... But none of those are subjected to government waste... And the fact that she is with Republican Steve King on this makes it look even worse on her thoughts about black people...

She's the same person who signed a pledge that included a passage that children of slaves have a better life than black children today. Then said she doesn't agree to that part of the pledge, but still signed the pledge.

 

[rashi]

Originally Posted by 4318MichaelJohnson4318

The thing is the government WAS discriminating against black farm owners AND the government promised blacks land on 2 seperate occasions that we NEVER got. Homestead act and Special Field Orders, No. 15.

The government discriminated against Blacks for the first 190 some odd years, doesn't mean they should get privileges.


Also, not everyone that filled out a form was a farmer...

 

[kix4kix]

Originally Posted by rashi

Originally Posted by 4318MichaelJohnson4318

The thing is the government WAS discriminating against black farm owners AND the government promised blacks land on 2 seperate occasions that we NEVER got. Homestead act and Special Field Orders, No. 15.

The government discriminated against Blacks for the first 190 some odd years, doesn't mean they should get privileges.


Also, not everyone that filled out a form was a farmer...

Of course that's YOUR opinion 

. Of the millions of dollars the government made on the backs of slaves, I am willing to give subsidies to any black man willing to step foot on any type of farm again. 


The second part of your argument is pointless, you don't feel even the ones that are farmers deserve it. 

Of course there was fraud, as you stated it's a government program. Money slips through.

 

[rashi]

Originally Posted by kix4kix

Originally Posted by rashi

Originally Posted by 4318MichaelJohnson4318

The thing is the government WAS discriminating against black farm owners AND the government promised blacks land on 2 seperate occasions that we NEVER got. Homestead act and Special Field Orders, No. 15.

The government discriminated against Blacks for the first 190 some odd years, doesn't mean they should get privileges.


Also, not everyone that filled out a form was a farmer...

Of course that's YOUR opinion 

. Of the millions of dollars the government made on the backs of slaves, I am willing to give subsidies to any black man willing to step foot on any type of farm again. 


The second part of your argument is pointless, you don't feel even the ones that are farmers deserve it. 

Of course there was fraud, as you stated it's a government program. Money slips through.

If you want to give YOUR own money on YOUR behalf to Black farmers be my guest, my money that I earned should not be coercively taken from me via the IRS only to be reallocated for something I didn't agree to.


My second argument is not pointless, I don't feel anyone should be getting any subsidies. Just think about this for a second, why are these farmers asking for subsidies? Because the government gave subsidies to White farmers instead, decreasing the competition between farms. Why is the government giving out farm subsidies in the first place to control the food supply? Mr Pigford did not receive money because he followed the rules, the people that didn't follow the rules received money. That's what happens with government programs, they are a high risk for fraud because there isn't any oversight. It's impossible to have oversight on a national level, they don't have enough man power. Which means there ends up being waste, then the government sets up a "commission" to investigate (wasting more money), they set up a new "oversight committee" to monitor the activities (wastes more money), and then they cut funding for that specific program, and on and on and on...