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Return to Article: Vilsack says USDA must sharpen focus on civil rights

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  As a USDA employee who has seen the culture of the agency, Mr. Vilsack, a clean up is needed from the inside out. You cannot expect fair equal treatment when it is not required in your own agency. When there are bells and alarms going off, figuratively, about a particular agency within your organization, a particular province or region, THERE IS A REASON WHY. Don't ignore it; especially when there's more than one problem. Address it.

  Whistleblowers should be protected. People should NOT be discriminated against based on color, religion, national origin, political stance...and yet all these atrocities are happening within your agency.

  WAKE UP

  wontsay Posted November 16, 2009 3:30 AM
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  As you enter the L Plantation daily, you walk in the door through the looking glass, where right is wrong and wrong is right. Talking the talk is meaningless unless you are willing to walk the talk. Has there been any progress in the first 8 months or just a lot of talk? The jury's still out. To really change USDA, you have to change the lawlessness among career managers to adherence to the rule of law, ensure there are real consequences for bad acts, fire some of the known perps and thugs, and restore people's careers that have been derailed by false evidence and a blatant disregard for the rule of law. Action, not words, is what is needed. Then, and only then, will people rise up in support of real change we can believe in. Maintaining the status quo won't do it for the masses.

  Bill Posted August 21, 2009 2:33 AM
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  I am all for civil rights, but one thing needs to be remembered, we cannot fill positions with people that cannot grasp the work to be done. That is not to say that there are not many qualified people that could fill positions, BUT, someone needs to step up to the plate and honestly determine if said individuals are performing properly. If you hire a minority and they do not work out and cannot handle the work they are given you can hardly get them replaced. Before you know it you have an office/plant/field positions that have no knowledge. I agree with hiring QUALIFIED minorities, everyone deserves a chance, but in the same token stipulations need to be met to ensure a job well done. Good ole boy and buddy system, which we all know is USDA, should be eliminated. Time in grade should mean nothing if a person has not proved themselves.

  InspMO Posted February 26, 2009 12:18 PM
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  Civil Rights in USDA is not known as it was in the "plantation days". The "required" documents are up behind the glass doors, but that's as far as it goes, it's truly not practiced. Mr. Vilsack, I hope you're reading the comments from this article as these statements are so very true and appears to be across the board. I had (past tense - thank you God!) worked for another of USDA's "service" not mentioned in any of the comments and I was amazed at the ignorance of civil rights! If you were a person of any type of color, promotions was not in your future. Promotions were only for those that went along with mgmt in the underhanded ways they ruled. I wouldn't suggest anyone to work for USDA, they're very backwards and behind the times in all aspects and management doesn't want it to be any better. Good Luck Mr. Vilsack, as this type of behavior has been ingrained into the individuals. Until you can "clean house" down to the state office level and perhaps the field level, USDA will still have it's issues.

  Lee Posted February 26, 2009 11:13 AM
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  Yes, reverse discrimination is rampant at the USDA.

  The greatest lack of diversity is in the USDA and singular agency offices of Outreach, Civil Rights and Diversity. Why is this?

  Minorities have found a cottage industry in these offices, promotions based on affirmative action, not merit.

  The Pigford case is primarily a farce because most of the class never intended to farm in the first place. It's simply free money - cloaked as social justice but really reparations.

  The new myriad of financial benefits for socially-disadvantaged farmers at the USDA includes everybody but white people - again it's merely another form of cloaked reparations.

  Some USDA agencies are at a critical stage, senior leadership hired solely due to race and not merit. That's why most white institutional knowledge is running out the door.

  Yes, the USDA is a mess. It's become a liberal proving ground promoting social justice under the guise of reparations. Both in taxpayers funds going to folks that never intended to farm, promotions based solely on skin color, and Democrat former Sec. of Agriculture like Glickman pandering to minorities knowing full well the Pigford suit was and still is a scam.

  Morgan Posted February 25, 2009 7:46 PM
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  The bottom line is ensuring fair and equitable access to USDA's programs. Data should show whether that exists or not. If it does not..the focus needs to be on opening up those programs for all. Penalizing those bureaucrats that don't fix the problem and rewarding those who do..should be mandated in their performance standards. You don't need consultants to do that!

  Joseph Posted February 25, 2009 3:25 PM
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  The 'last plantation" label is TRUE, TRUE, TRUE. There is racism all across this agency and that includes the National Office (DC) AND field offices. I've worked for Rural Development, Forest Service and the Animal Plant Inspection Service and the rhetoric from the racist managers and Under Secretary's (especially Rural Development's former Under Secretary under Bush, Thomas Dorr) is all too real. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I'm glad Secretary Vilsack understands the mentality of some of these folks in USDA and that he's going to be keeping an eye on their practices. It's past due! The good old boy network is alive and well at USDA. Hopefully, it will be eradicated swiftly under the new administration.

  Tabitha Posted February 25, 2009 12:20 PM
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  Is the secretary talking about D.C. positions, or field positions? In D.C., I could care less unless the positions are filled with ignorant people who know nothing of ranching or farming. Policy is piddling poor if one of these types develop it. If we are talking about field service, then, those folks need to have knowledge. I could care less what color the employee is if he or she is knowledgeable about ranching and farming practices. We do not need goof balls at any level of government, and especially on the food line. Thank you.

  James A. Glasscock Posted February 25, 2009 8:39 AM
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  I am happy now that the USDA will put civil rights at the forefront. That should guarantee we don't get anymore salmonella scares in our food processors. Yes, fire the plantation bosses and enforce the existing laws!

  Mike Posted February 24, 2009 4:08 PM
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  Seems like every Secretary since Mike Espy has identified the need to do something about civil rights in USDA. I see the focus here seems on external programs. They also need to look at their management practices. Some managers evidently have not evolved from 19th century Plantation Management model. There are quite a number of EEO cases that would not be filed if USDA had "enlightened leadership." Even though I had over 20 years of SUPERIOR service to USDA, my concerns fell on deaf ears regarding a Bully SES manager. USDA just circled the wagons and continued to act as though this individual is not the problem, and they repeatedly blamed his many other victims as well.

  Former USDA Employee Posted February 24, 2009 2:08 PM
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  Outside consultants have a special skill that evidently was not aggressively pursued by the current civil rights management within USDA. Politics played a debilitating role thwarting the efforts of the civil rights department.

  Hooray Vilsack. Leveling the playing field will allow the cream of the crop to yield naturally.

  Soraya Posted February 24, 2009 1:14 PM
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  I certainly hope that Secretary Vilsack has the Forest Service Office of Civil Rights(CR), its Director and Deputy Director as well as the Albuquerque Service Center(ASC), and its Director on his list of places and personnel to immediately investigate. We recenly lost a well-qualified CPA at the ASC who, in over a year of requests, despite being found to be a "qualified individual with a disability" was not provided with reasonable accommodation! Sign me looking for another agency and PRONTO!!

  Pronto Posted February 24, 2009 12:28 PM
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  There is no more discrimination at the USDA than anywhere else, this is a perennial polical ploy. The organizational culture at the USDA provides a perverse incentive for some employees to frequently file EEO complaints because every few years a settlement push causes many friviluous complainants to get paid or promotions (even where the allegations do not involve a promotion). It is really sick and USDA's managers can not even deal with the blood clots that deserve to be fired. All you have to do is look at the number of Black vs. Black EEO complaints coming out of the USDA Office of Civil Rights staff to recognize that the EEO process was hijacked years ago. At the USDA the inmates run the asylum- its really disfunction junction and the taxpayers are getting ripped off big time.

  USDA employee Posted February 24, 2009 11:17 AM
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  Someone should do a review of the number of Civil Rights Directors at USDA. Since 1976, there have been more than 24 Civil Rights Directors at the Department level. Political interference has been rather obvious, much more could have been done before this especially when it comes to the plight of African American Farmers. The career people have been moved around and pushed around by political appointees, particularly those at the Assistant Secretary level. Until USDA becomes less political, laws and regulations will continue to be stretched and broken to fit in with the current political climate.

  Former Fed Posted February 24, 2009 10:55 AM
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  I applaud the Secretary for this but as long as you have the same people doing the same things nothing will change! As they say it's the people! But I hope and pray for the best!

  Lucille

  Lucille Posted February 24, 2009 10:36 AM
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  There is undeniably a history and continuing practice of discrimination. However, the decision to hire consultants is yet more wasteful spending. Management and executive level employees within the field of civil rights should have the knowledge and ability, when fully provided the tools and support needed, to handle the situation. I strongly suggest a very open and transparent procurement process. This one hasn't even begun and already smells fishy.

  Andrew Posted February 24, 2009 10:19 AM
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  It's about time that someone took a look at civil rights at USDA. For years discrimination has been running rampant with no consequences for this type of behavior. I have been at USDA for 10 years and I can say this is truly the last plantation when it comes to emloyees of color. If you speak up about injustice, you are labeled a troublemaker and will be punished with no performance ratings and/or awards and you will be continually denied promotion opportunities.

  USDA employee Posted February 24, 2009 9:50 AM