Archives for May 2010

The House has passed HR 4213, The American Job and Closing the Tax Loophole Act, which includes funding for the Black Farmers settlement of 1.25 billion dollars.   Now the Senate has to vote before the May 31st deadline.   The irony, the Senate has finished work for the holiday and will not be back in session before Monday.

 

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele says, ” the fact that they won their suit, the fact that congress has been instructed by the court to pay them, than that needs to be honored and the commitment needs to be kept.”

 

John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association says, “The White House needs to extend the deadline, or come up with the money.” 

 

The black farmers have been waiting for the settlement for 15 years.  Steele contends, “It is a lot of money, and they should get the money. If it has been appropriately adjudicated 15 years ago, with the judgment in favor of the farmers, It is a shames the federal government has taken 15 years to make the payment.  The deadline is on Monday, make the payment.“

 

President Obama proposed the Settlement funding in his 2011 budget to end the inaction on the issue.  The Presidet is also looking to fund the Cobell Indian Land misuse Settlement at a cost of 1.4 billion dollars. 

 

Boyd says,  “even though Congress missed another deadline, he still wants to talk with the President.   The White House has yet to grant Boyd’s continued request.  Officials are firm that President Obama strongly supports the Black Farmer settlement funding. 

 

80 to 90 thousand black farmers are awaiting financial restitution from discrimination in the Department of Agricultures Farm Loan Program 20 years ago.

President Obama said at the the BP presser in the East Room Thursday, all but a few of the Gulf Coast Beaches were clean, safe and open.    Michael Steele head of the Republican National Committee spoke on the BP oil spill and its affect on tourism in the Gulf. Michael Steele head of the Republican National Committee spoke on the BP oil spill and its affect on tourism in the Gulf Coast. Steele said, “You take your kid to the beach you don’t have to worry about suntan lotion because you have this oil slick all over them from the oil spill.”

There is movement on the Black Farmer settlement and the Cobell Indian land misuse settlement. In a written statement, The Administration applauds the Congress for including provisions in the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010. 

 

White House officials say, “the bill would fulfill the obligations set forth in the Cobell and Pigford II settlement agreements. The settlements that have been achieved are historic and provide full and final resolution to two long-running disputes – a case involving the management of individual Indian trust accounts related to Indian lands and claims of prior discrimination brought by black farmers against the Department of Agriculture.” The president allocated 1.25 billion dollars for the black farmers and 1.4 billion for the Cobell settlements in the 2011 budget. What remains now is passage of the bill. 

 
The black farmers are a step closer to getting their pay out after 15 years of waiting. The House is voting on the bill this week and the Senate is set to take it up at the same time. Meanwhile, congress must approve the monies by the May 31, 2010 deadline for the settlements to be funded.

 

 

 

President Obama was in the Rose Garden Thursday delivering a very serious message on Wall Street reform.   The setting was very presidential with all eyes and ears on him. The attention was diverted as something scurried across his podium.  President Obama was unaware of the appearance of a rodent until informed by Robert Gibbs Friday Morning.

 

No one knows what the animal is. Gibbs quipped at the Friday briefing it was “rat”. Reporters said it was a Vole. Reggie Love, President Obama’s body person said it was a “field mouse.”

 

No word on if the exterminator is being called. But pest professionals says mice are attracted to dog droppings and other things like a garden. Those two items are at the Obama White House.