Vol. 74/No. 30 August 9, 2010
A prisoner
Maryland
Black farmers
The government decided to allow 17 executives of banks it recently bailed out to keep $1.6 billion in compensation, but the U.S. Senate stripped both $1.2 billion designated to compensate tens of thousands of Black farmers for a legacy of discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a $3.4 billion settlement for Native Americans who said the government swindled them out of royalties.
The reason the federal official gave for not trying to recoup the exorbitant bank executive compensation was that “shaming them was punishment enough.” The reason given for stripping funds to compensate Black farmers and Indians was the question: “Where would the money come from?”
Karl Butts
Plant City, Florida
The letters column is an open forum for all viewpoints on subjects of interest to working people. Please keep your letters brief. Where necessary they will be abridged. Please indicate if you prefer that your initials be used rather than your full name.
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