As I sat watching “60 Minutes” on May 4, I was amazed by two things. One, how totally unprepared both our federal and state governments were in dealing with the pandemic. Two, how totally unprepared individuals and families are, as well.
Most striking was the segment on the Department of Agriculture. Over the last two years, the department has handed out over $25 billion to farmers. Ostensibly, this was to soften the effects of the president’s tariffs.
The glitch here is that a large amount of the monies disbursed has gone to large agribusiness companies and not the smaller farmers who more critically need the aid. In many cases, attorneys and advisors have shown these large agribusiness companies how to skirt, albeit legally, the rules and regulations. This is nothing more than graft and corruption by the large companies, their advisers and their owners.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue looked right at Leslie Stahl and said essentially it is not his job as the secretary to monitor and effectively manage these disbursements. He claimed, in the most bureaucratic pompousness, that his department is only acting within the law set by Congress.
Shame on you, Mr. Secretary. He could have said, “Enough is enough. We will administer these monies in the very best possible way we can.”
Instead he said, “I am ineffective and clueless.”
Again, Mr. Purdue, shame on you. The American people deserve better and should demand your resignation. The end game is when people are going hungry because of your mismanagement, this will lie at your feet and that of the president.
Kent C. Overly, Draper
