-Caveat Lector- >From Reuters Tuesday January 5 7:16 PM ET U.S. Settles With Black Farmers In Racism Case WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government reached a multimillion-dollar settlement Tuesday to compensate black farmers, who said the Agriculture Department for decades discriminated against them in awarding loans, disaster relief and other aid, a USDA spokeswoman said. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman approved the deal in a closed hearing late Tuesday, the spokeswoman said. Sources close to the case said the proposed settlement would give the farmers a tax-free cash payment of $50,000 and wipe out their debts to the USDA. On average, the farmers involved in the case owe $75,000 to $100,000. Agriculture Department officials scheduled a news conference at 1930 EST to discuss the settlement. No official details were available. Between 2,000 and 4,000 farmers were expected to be compensated under the deal, which caps weeks of negotiations by lawyers for the two sides. Farmers who feel they deserve more than $50,000 will be able to present their cases at a special hearing, sources said. The farmers claim they were systematically denied government funding over decades because of their race and did not get a fair hearing at the USDA when they appealed. Fewer than 1 percent of U.S. farmers are black and studies show blacks are leaving farming at three times the rate of whites. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman has acknowledged past discrimination at the USDA but said many of the problems stemmed from the dismantling of the department's civil rights office during the Reagan administration. Clinton reopened the civil rights office. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A<>E<>R The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Forwarded as information only; no endorsement to be presumed + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
