Bush Denies Black Farmers in Landmark Civil Rights Settlement

[Joanne98]

USDA Stonewalls African American Farmers in Landmark Civil Rights Settlement
A new investigation by Environmental Working Group (EWG) and the National Black Farmers' Association (NBFA) finds that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) willfully obstructed justice by deliberately undermining the terms of a 1997 landmark civil rights settlement with African American farmers. As a result, the vast majority of African American farmers have been denied compensation that the court, in approving the settlement, described as "automatic." For the 81,000 farmers denied compensation, there is no future opportunity to obtain relief. Even though USDA has admitted to civil rights abuses, it withheld some three quarters of the $2.3 billion that the settlement was worth. Without intervention by the United States Congress, these farmers will never receive the compensation they so clearly deserve.

Specifically we found that:

• Nearly nine out of ten denied restitution. USDA denied payment to 86 percent, or 81,000 out of 94,000, African American farmers who came forward seeking restitution.

• 56,000 hours spent fighting farmers. USDA aggressively fought claims by African American farmers, contracting with United States Department of Justice lawyers who spent at least 56,000 staff hours and $12 million contesting individual farmer claims for compensation.

The 81,000 denials took two forms:

• Deadline barred 64,000 claims, despite lack of notice. The settlement-funded arbitrator rejected 64,000 farmers who came forward with claims during the late claims process established by the court. The late claims process was necessary because the farmers' attorneys, whose representation was characterized by the court as "bordering on legal malpractice," failed to notify the farmers of the original deadline for application. The settlement-funded arbitrator rejected these 64,000 farmers simply on the basis of their tardiness for the original deadline, even though all 64,000 rejected claims were submitted within the court established late claims period. An additional 7,800 farmers failed to file before the late claims deadline expired and were also denied entry to the class.

• 9,000 denied "automatic" award. Of the 22,000 farmers granted access to the class, in what the court referred to as "automatic" payment status, USDA denied payment to 40 percent, or 9,000 farmers. Entry to the class was not guaranteed, but depended on a farmer proving that he/she applied for a USDA loan between 1981 and 1996, that USDA's response was racially discriminatory, and that the individual filed a discrimination complaint arising from USDA's treatment of the application. All of the 9,000 farmers denied payment by USDA met these criteria, but received nothing.


http://www.ewg.org/reports/blackfarmers/execsumm.php

First Bush steals 11 billion from the American Indian Trust Fund now he's stealing the black farmers money. This report should be shown to any Black Christian Preachers who are thinking about supporting Bush because of his "moral values". (cough cough)
More proof that Republican values are LIE, STEAL AND MURDER.

[Moderator]

1. Good article. Thanks for posting. Could you please add a link?

Thanks!

[Joanne98]

2. Here ya go

This is important news since the Repigs are going after the black vote hard. The Black farmers worked so hard and waited so long for justice and he screwed them. Blacks who vote for him are fools. This is proof Bush is just as racist as we say he is.

[ContraBass Black]

3. Beyond that,

Almost everyone who votes for him is a fool.

[Catfight]

4. Why doesn't Kerry just step up to the plate and state he intends

to build alliances domestically AND internationally? Kerry needs to name black Americans that will serve closely in his administration should the black community support him. I'd love to see Carol Mosely Brown in a high position and a promise from Kerry to bring more diversity to the Whitest House in the World right now. Kerry has to motivate the black community by having a vested interest in the direction America will go, otherwise, Kerry remains just as he is described, boring.

[Joanne98]

5. Kerry should make a statement about this

It will stop in it's tracks the "Republicans are a big tent party" spin. Republicans are racist thieves who steal from blacks.

[Karenina]

6. Gimme a break

They steal from ANYONE & EVERYONE!!! ;-)

[lottie244]

7. Now you know why the 'red states' love Bush. They understand what

the Republicans really stand for and that's what they want. "It's ok if you slit my throat as long as I can bleed on that other fella."

[Joanne98]

8. Bush asks blacks to vote for him

kick