Vilsack got Ag. Dept. farm subsidies - $42,782

[ensho]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16697.html


-snip-

From 2000 to 2006, Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, and his wife collected $42,782 in subsidies from the department he was tapped Wednesday to oversee.

Also, Vilsack is a partner at a lobbying law firm that trumpeted his advice to clients on agribusiness development and renewable energy – a job that appears to bump up against Obama’s promise to bar appointees from working on issues related to their employment for two years.

-snip-

The Vilsack’s subsidies are from the federal Conservation Reserve Program, which essentially pays them not to farm parts of a 592-acre Iowa property they own in order to protect environmentally sensitive land.

Vilsack told Politico that his farm land is managed by a farm manager, who recommends which sections to place in the program. The ex-governor pegged his farm’s worth between $500,001 and $1 million in his financial disclosure to the Federal Election Commission.

-snip-

No political appointee, Obama’s transition team has declared, “will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years.”

Taylor Lincoln, of the government watchdog group Public Citizen, said Vilsack’s appointment effectively violates Obama’s pledge.
-snip-
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I don't trust Vilsack

[mod mom]

1. I really believe that Obama is staffing these positions with centrists as a way

to diminish the political clout. They have to implement his agenda. Having taken the DLC power eleite out of contention, I believe he will be better able to push a progressive agenda that favors the people over the corporations.

[ensho]

3. what makes you say Vilsack is a centrist?

nt

[mod mom]

4. "Gov. Tom Vilsack Assumes Chairmanship of the DLC"

http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=85&subid=108&contentid=253426

DLCers see themselves as centrists-personally, I see them as aligned w the right.

[ensho]

5. agree with you - 'aligned w the rgt'

nt

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. Tom VilSuck is the poster boy for everything wrong with the Democratic party

DLC chairing, 2004 caucus fixing, Dean hating, Monsanto shilling, corporatist bastard. :grr: