GovernmentExecutive.com

Despite previous defeats in Congress, the Agriculture Department again is considering trying to close about one-fourth of the 2,353 country offices of the Farm Service Agency, according to the Associated Press.

Agriculture Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services J.B. Penn said the numbers in the document obtained by the AP were not accurate.

"We may consolidate functions, but we're going to provide improved service," he said.

Penn met last week with the chairmen of the House and Senate Agriculture committees to discuss the plan, and state FSA directors are coming to Washington this week to be briefed about it. Southern states would be particularly hard hit because of the greater number of counties in those states.

"If the goal is to modernize the agency and to train employees for continued service improvement ... then he understands that reasoning," said a spokesman for Senate Agriculture Chairman Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., whose state could lose 38 of its 83 offices.

But Senate Agriculture ranking member Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said the plan seemed too drastic.

"Shuttering nearly a fourth of the FSA offices in Iowa can only lead to more inconvenience and less service for Iowans," Harkin said.

COMMENTS

• L DeLoach, why do you think that farmers are "the backbone of this country"? If that were true they would not need the massive subsidies they receive today and would not be going broke in the face of the massive subsidies. I think it is time we realize that the farmer is not the backbone of the country and that they are the drag on economic activity and government spending. we are subsidizing small farms because that was the ideal put forth by Thomas Jefferson. That was in the days of slavery (a form of subsidy) and Jefferson and Washington could never be considered small farmers. Let's get real and get out of this idealized view of farmers. However, if you ask the farmers they will tell you the governments problem is all those worthless people in cities that get welfare. They do not even consider all their subsidies as welfare! It is! taxpayer Posted September 21, 2005 8:46 AM
• "Taxpayer" has to be kidding, right? "Cheap food is what's making this country fat."????? Obviously he's never been broke to the point that he had to eat "cheap food". When you don't have the money to eat correctly, you eat a lot of macaroni & cheese and other high calorie low-cost foods. See a correlation? Even with my "extravagent" federal retirement and paycheck from my contractor job, I have problems buying a balanced menu that doesn't run to mac & cheese. GovExec.com reader Posted September 21, 2005 9:54 AM
• Obviously, no one who came up with this plan actually has to work with this agency or they would know that closing offices and putting everything online will not provide greater service to farmers. The farmers are the backbone of this country and this will not help them in any way, shape, or form. Not to mention those who will lose their jobs, some of whom have many years invested in FSA. "FSA Tomorrow" is a horrible joke today, but it's not funny at all! And yes, I am shouting! L DeLoach Posted September 20, 2005 10:52 AM