Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 08:12:33 -0400
Subject: Check out Whistle Blower Summit | Whistle Blower Summit for Civil and Human R
Showing posts with label civil rights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label civil rights. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2015
Whistle Blower Summit for Civil and Human R
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2015 08:12:33 -0400
Subject: Check out Whistle Blower Summit | Whistle Blower Summit for Civil and Human R
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Check out Festival Selections
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2014 22:31:03 -0500
Subject: Check out Festival Selections
see the below. this is what the old civil rights advocates do to bring about change.
there is more to come.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Joe Leonard's Failed Report Card From OPM
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 15:46:52 -0500
Subject: Joe Leonard's Failed Report Card From OPM
Subject: Joe Leonard's Failed Report Card From OPM
FOR THE WEB SIGHTS
Office Personnel Management (OPM) Assessment of the USDA Assistant
>> Secretary for Civil Rights....Dr.Joe Leonard
>>
>> 19 November 2013
>>
>>
>>
>> Please read the below regarding the OPM Human Capital Assessment and
>> Accountability Framework (CHAAF).
>>
>> The below rating let the world know how poorly USDA Office of Civil Rights
>> is being managed under the leadership of Joe Leonard. Worst of all is the
>> Obama administration does little to hold anyone *accountable* for the
>> civil rights mess. This is just another measurable indicator of what the
>> coalition has been saying all along. This living proof/documentation
>> by a US government oversight agency...OPM.
>>
>> The reports states that USDA Asst. for Civil Rights, Joe Leonard received
>> the following rating on a scale....the max. being 100%:
>>
>> 1. *Leadership & knowledge management, rating of 45%*
>>
>> *2. Talent management, rating of 34%*
>>
>> * 3. Results-oriented performance culture, rating of 42%*
>>
>> *4. Job satisfaction, rating of 52%*
>>
>> *The USDA Office of the Chief Aconomist received OPM rating in the same
>> categories, as follows: 87%, 83%, 73%, 81%. *
>>
>> The above is a true example in a real sense, in the lack of "
>> *accountability"*.....as i have been discussing with you all along.
>>
>> How can USDA's Office of Civil Rights fix civil rights....when they can't
>> fix themselves*. This is the "fox watching the hen house".*
>>
>> So where do we go from here....up, down, or nowhere? I am extremely
>> frustration with the slow....to no, progress (as we see it) after almost
>> more than 9 months of discussions.
>>
>> The above OPM* assessment* requires a response.....real and meaningful
>> discussion.
>>
>> www.agcoalition.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
Monday, October 14, 2013
Peterson Statement on Farm Bill Conferees
Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 04:10:21 -0400Subject: Fwd: Peterson Statement on Farm Bill Conferees
From: houseagriculturecommitteedemocrats@mail.house.gov
Reply-to: agdemnews-request@aglist.house.gov
To: agdemnews@aglist.house.gov
Sent: 10/12/2013 8:51:05 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time
Subj: Peterson Statement on Farm Bill Conferees
For Immediate Release: October 12, 2013
Media Contact: Liz Friedlander
202-225-1564, liz.friedlander@mail.house.gov
Peterson Statement on Farm Bill Conferees
WASHINGTON – House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson today made the following statement after Representatives were appointed to the conference committee that will negotiate the 2013 Farm Bill.
"Appointing conferees might be a sign that, after repeatedly delaying and undermining the Agriculture Committee's work, Republican Leaders are finally getting serious about the farm bill. Conferees are committed to working together and getting a farm bill done but bringing divisive resolutions to a vote and appointing conferees outside the Agriculture Committee has made our jobs a lot harder.
"The Democratic conferees represent our caucus and bring a great deal of expertise to the process. I am hopeful that if Republican Leadership can be reasonable and leave the conference committee alone to do its work that we will be able to finish a five-year, comprehensive farm bill this year."
The following Democratic Members will serve on the Farm Bill conference:
Leader's Representative:
Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio, Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus
House Committee on Agriculture:
Ranking Member Collin Peterson of Minnesota
Congressman Mike McIntyre of North Carolina
Congressman Jim Costa of California
Congressman Tim Walz of Minnesota
Congressman Kurt Schrader of Oregon
Congressman Jim McGovern of Massachusetts
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington
Congresswoman Gloria Negrete McLeod of California
Congressman Filemon Vela of Texas
House Committee on Foreign Affairs:
Ranking Member Eliot Engel of New York
House Ways and Means Committee:
Ranking Member Sandy Levin of Michigan
###
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Thursday, June 13, 2013
Coalition rallies for black farmers,remeners civil rights leader
http://pbcommercial.com/sections/news/local/coalition-rallies-black-farmers-remembers-civil-rights-leader.html
\
7:54 pm - June 12, 2013 — Updated: 8:15 pm - June 12, 2013Coalition rallies for black farmers, remembers civil rights leader
Dale Charles, state chair of the Arkansas NAACP, speaks during the rally held on the steps of Pine Bluff City Hall as part of the remembrance of the death of Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers and to garner support for the plight of black farmers Wednesday. (Special to The Commercial/William Harvey)By Michael S. Lee
Of The Commercial StaffA coalition of groups gathered on the north steps of City Hall Wednesday to rally in support of the continuing search for justice by black farmers and black employees of the United States Department of Agriculture and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers.
The coalition brought together Arkansas Delta Agricultural Enterprise Cooperative Inc., the Independent Black Farmers and the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees.
Organizer Michael McCray said that Pine Bluff was chosen as the site of the rally in part because a major class-action discrimination lawsuit was brought against the USDA by local employee Beverly Burkett.
"Ms. Burkett worked for the USDA in Pine Bluff and Star City," ADAECI board member Irma Preston said. "On June 4, 2013, she was ordered to clear out her desk and to leave her office and not come back and was placed on administrative leave. This came after she filed a discrimination lawsuit against the USDA. This is an example of how the USDA retaliates against its employees. The struggle for justice is very much alive and well. Such practices shall not be tolerated."
Members of the Independent Black Farmers group came from as far away as Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma and Mississippi to get their message out.
Black farmers lawsuits
Black farmers filed suit against the USDA in the late 1990s alleging systemic discrimination based on race that in some cases led to the confiscation of farms by the federal government.
"There is a false perception out there that all of the black farmer cases against the federal government have been settled but that is not true," McCray said. "Many of them fell through the cracks and are still fighting to this day for justice."
When asked if allegations of widespread fraud within the Pigford I and Pigford II class action discrimination lawsuits filed on behalf of black farmers against the USDA were distracting from legitimate grievances, McCray said that this was true to some degree.
"There is no truth to anyone trying to discredit the legitimate complaints of many black farmers against the federal government," McCray said. "There is always some fraud in class-action suits like this and believe me, the crooks should go to jail. That also includes those within the government who have done wrong."
Muhammad Robbalaa is a farmer from southeast Oklahoma.
"When it comes to the discrimination that we are fighting against, some of us are still talking about it as a matter of civil rights but we should be calling it an issue of human rights," Robbalaa said. "Farmers were the first people that God praised. If not for the farmers, nobody would be fed. Black folks need land. Without land we are a stateless people and that makes us slaves. Farming is in our blood. Black farmers have not had any justice. We can't farm if the USDA doesn't treat us right. They have put us out of farming."
Leroy Smith is a farmer from Cary, Miss.
"I have been dealing with discrimination by the USDA since 1991," Smith said. "I am a Vietnam veteran and have served my country in the National Guard. I love this country like anyone else so why is it that I have been discriminated against simply because of the color of my skin? I never thought that I would still be having to deal with this type of thing."
Smith said that he attempted to file for a USDA farm loan in 1992 after starting a small farm the year before, and was denied after he was told the agency had no copy of his tax return.
"I tried to file again in 1993 and was denied again," Smith said. "In 1994 I filed a discrimination claim against the USDA."
Smith said that he had 1,740 acres of farm land in 1993 and ended up losing all of it due to the actions of the USDA.
"I filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and the judge discharged my debt," Smith said. "But three years later, the USDA sent me a collection letter on those debts. This was just harassment and discrimination."
Federal attention sought
Smith said that he wanted to see President Barack Obama show more leadership on the issue.
"The President says that the buck stops with him so why won't he straighten out this mess?" Smith asked. "We want the President to send someone from the White House to discuss these issues with us. Why doesn't he settle it?"
Michael Stovall from Town Creek, Ala., and Robert R. Binion from Clanton, Ala., are farmers who lost their land due to what they allege are discriminatory actions taken by the USDA.
"I was the fourth plaintiff in the first Pigford lawsuit," Binion said. "I used to have 1,000 peach trees and 30 acres of watermelon. We are independent because others have let us down. We need to come together as blacks and Muslims and any whites who agree with us to make sure that this gets settled once and for all."
Ferrell Oden of Birmingham, Ala., owned a catfish and beef cattle farm before USDA actions allegedly resulted in the loss of his business.
"I filed a discrimination suit after a two and a half year investigation," Oden said. "The settlement the USDA offered me was not a fair settlement but the judge told me and my attorney that the USDA did me a favor and that I should be thankful that I was discriminated against. When I refused the offer the USDA sent the Alabama Department of Human Services to close me down. It didn't work. The judge told me I was entitled to injunctive relief but denied it because they said I was going to enter into a financial windfall with the settling of the lawsuit. It amazed me that the judge thought this discrimination would end up being a good thing for me."
Evers remembered
Dale Charles, state chair of the Arkansas National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, spoke about the life and assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers in Jackson, Miss., on June 12, 1963.
"Medgar Evers served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II, yet he found upon returning home that his skin color was still a deterrent," Charles said. "He was working to achieve voter registration for African Americans at the time he was assassinated. Today we are here to pay homage to Medgar Evers as well as to the black farmers who are long overdue to get their justice in a court of law in America. We know that fight with the USDA is not easy and that is long standing. We must continue to fight and have the fortitude and courage that Medgar Evers had attempting to bring equality to all Americans."
Jaleel Muhammad of the Nation of Islam spoke of his group's support for the goals of the black farmers.Rules for posting comments
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Thanks!Linda Epstein
Sunday, March 17, 2013
PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
USDA Coalition
For Immediate Release: 3/15/2013Contact: Michael McCray (703) 743-0565
O F M I N O R I T Y E M P L O Y E E S
USDA Coalition of Minority Employees and Alabama NAACP "Stand for Justice" with Independent Black Farmers against USDA Discrimination and Corruption
WHO:
Press ConferenceTuesday, March 19th 2013 at 10:00am Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham, AL 35203Out-of-State Reporters can join by phone at 866-508-2264 Passcode: 2127510
Tom Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (invited); Lawrence Lucas, President of the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees; Bernard Simelton, President of the NAACP Alabama State Conference; Michael Stovall, Independent Black Farmer; Kevin Myles, NAACP Southeast Regional Director; Michael McCray, General Counsel for Federally Employed Women/Legal Education Fund (FEW/LEW); and othersWHAT:The USDA Coalition of Minority Employees has received numerous complaints from Black Farmers and Minority Employees that they continue to be denied equal treatment by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). There are over 3,000 unprocessed Program and Employment Complainants at USDA since 1990s. Black farmers are still being denied equal access to farm loans. While this discrimination is well documented, the USDA has not settled thousands of claims and has breached signed settlement agreements,Many believe that all Black farmer claims were settled with the Pigford Class lawsuits. Thisis untrue. There are a group of Black farmers in Alabama and other states who were discriminated against when they applied for loans from the USDA. These farmers filed separate claims from the Pigford group and some have received favorable judgments by USDA. However, the USDA has reneged on the agreement they negotiated and, 10-‐15 years later, there is still no settlement with USDA.The USDA Coalition of Minority Employees will join with the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and their Southern Regional Office, Independent Black Farmers, Federally Employed Women/Legal Education Fund (FEW/LEF); and others to provide proof to the media and the public, that USDA has not lived up to its promise.WHERE & WHEN:March 19, 2013 at 10:00 AMKelly Ingram Park Birmingham, AL 35203
Thursday, February 21, 2013
USDA Civil Rights in 2013
February 19, 2013
USDA Civil Rights in 2013There are serious problems with the leadership of USDA Office of Civil Rights under the leadership of Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack & Dr. Joe Leonard.Quid Pro Quo ContractingThe USDA Office of Civil Rights (OCR) uses millions of American tax payer dollars to fund a quid pro quo scheme with multiple contractors. Their friends run the Procurement Division and are pushing through multi-million dollar contracts for friends. It is being said that these friends include Innovative Management Strategists, Management Solutions Consulting Group, Inc., US Postal Service, and other contracts. They fund these groups to ensure that the reports of investigation and the final agency decisions are developed in a way that no discrimination will be reported. They pay off friends outside USDA in exchange for their support. It is being said that there are illegal contracts being awarded.Unreported Backlog of ComplaintsThe backlog of EEO complaints is not counted in the numbers and reports issued by Dr. Leonard. Findings of discrimination are not processed and some investigations have stalled for 1000 days or more. Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) complaints where the statute of limitations (SOL) for compensatory damage claims have expired; have remained unprocessed during the Vilsack/Leonard administration. There are a number of cases over 180 days just sitting, because these cases are not being counted in totals --- violation of the civil rights laws, rules and regulations. There are only a few program FADs that have been written under this Administration, because hardly any program investigations have been conducted.The Chief of the Employment Complaints Division is safe under Joe Leonard because she has consistently maintained a secret and separate database in iComplaints; of all of the Joe Leonard and other ASCR management complaints. The complaints in this "secret database" are not counted in the 462 Report, the Farm Bill Report, or any other reports. In addition, these complaints remain unprocessed.The Lean Six Sigma Project reports show the way data is manipulated to hide the truth about processing times and to reinforce the false claims regarding reducing processing time. USDA OCR wasted tax dollars to pay contractors for the lean Six Sigma Project which lasted three years. Where is the final report?USDA Civil Rights performance standards state that in order to successfully maintain a position in the office of civil rights you are not supposed to have more than two valid complaints filed against you. Because these complaints are hidden in the system by the Chief of the Employment Complaints Division, they are not counted and the perpetrators of a variety of civil rights violations are not held accountable.African American Farmer's Land LossUnder this Administration the number of African American Farmers that lost their land to foreclosure has increased. USDA is calling in loans too soon, causing farmers to lose their land and go out of business, like Black farmer Harry Young, Kentucky.GS-15 and SES Black females and males maligned, harassed, displaced and marginalized by political appointeesThe USDA OCR has seriously abused the competent, educated Black women under its supervision. They smear, lash out, humiliate, and constantly move the women who will not lie to help them. As soon as they file complaints to seek relief, they are maligned and moved out of their positions in retaliation. Careers are ruined and families are destroyed because of the terror and tyranny suffered. Resolution is not an option under Dr. Leonard's abusive leadership. If you want to be treated well, you must be willing (to go along to get along) by helping the ASCR misrepresent the true numbers (of complaints), the processing times, and engage in other prohibited personnel and EEO practices.Sent: 12/11/2012 2:48:53 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: Dysfunctional Civil Rights Under Tom Vilsack & Dr. Joe Leonard's Leasdership
Respectfully submitted is background information regarding the dysfunctional civil rights process at the US Department of Agriculture under the leadership of Tom Vilsack and Dr. Joe Leonard. What must be remembered is that it was Secretary Vilsack that fired Shirley Sherrod.Lawrence Lucas, PresidentUSDA Coalition of Minority Employees856/ 910-2399Subject: Dysfunctional Civil Rights Under Tom Vilsack & Dr. Joe Leonard's Leasdership
THE TRUTH ABOUT JOE LEONARDThe time has come for those outside of USDA to learn what those inside of USDA already know. Joe Leonard was sent to the Office of Civil Rights (USDA) to clean up the civil rights mess, and the problems still exists. He has failed to meet this challenge. The chaos that has been the cornerstone of USDA Civil Rights still exists, and he as the leader. along with Secretary Tom Vilsack, has only made it worst.BackgroundTo be successful in the civil rights arena, one has to have a background in civil rights. Joe Leonard's background is as a History major at Howard University. Receiving a passing mark in history requires merely memorizing facts, data and other information and regurgitating what you have memorized onto a test. He has no other concrete civil rights background except for working with Jesse Jackson in Push and the Rainbow Coalition. That is not enough. The job of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights requires the ability to analyze facts, the issues and the laws and make solid determinations – on a daily basis. He has relied on his favored staff to advise him, often times incorrectly and his decisions have sometimes been colored based on his personal preferences. The position of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights also requires the ability to get along with others, reach across party lines and to be a bridge for warring factions. Instead, Joe Leonard has been unable to broker deals and move civil rights along because he is rude, arrogant and argumentative and has made fierce enemies unnecessarily.Falsifying Government Reports to Congress, Office of Inspector General, the Government Accountability Office and the SecretaryJoe Leonard from the beginning of his tenure has engaged in deception by falsifying federal government reports to show a reduction of the number of complaints filed during his tenure, and to show faster processing time of the complaints than actually exists. He has accomplished this by on the program side, enlisting the aid of those managers who were willing to lie about the numbers. The numbers have been greatly exaggerated on the program side from the very beginning of his tenure. There was never the amount of program complaints in the tracking system as he has reported.On the employment side, Joe Leonard has very loyal contractors whose job it is to enter complaints into the employment tracking system, and they have not. Especially the complaints where Joe Leonard is named as the responding management official. Joe Leonard has also allegedly convinced his two employment managers (Vi Hall and Kirk Perry) to report down the number of complaints on the employment side.
Mishandling of the BudgetJoe Leonard hired a contractor named Rob Desaultels to conduct a Lean Six Sigma review of program and employment complaints. Mr. Desaultels was supposed to be at Civil Rights no longer than six months. Mr. Desaultels has been at the OASCR for almost three years now, with no visible results. The contract cost is currently in excess of $300,000, and is still continuing, which only further drains resources and money away from the areas of civil rights where it is sorely needed.Civil Rights Complaints ResolutionJoe Leonard refuses to enforce the civil rights laws pertaining to sexual harassment, and by continuously turning a blind eye to the sexually charged environment that exists in USDA, he has kept this sexually charged atmosphere alive. He was tasked with resolving the cases of the numerous female Forest Service employees after the White House ordered an investigation. Joe Leonard sent a group of employees with no investigative experience to investigate: Jeff Knishkowy, (former advisor to Joe Leonard), David King, (Special Advisor to Joe Leonard), and Geraldine Herring (Chief, Compliance Division) among others. No investigative report or compliance review report was ever prepared for this "investigation". These long standing Forest Service cases have not been resolved and this has resulted in the complainants filing a law suit in Federal Court against Tom Vilsack (who is equally as inept as Joe Leonard) and President Obama. Just as surprisingly, in addition, for whatever reason, Joe Leonard has also refused to resolve several program and employment complaints where there is obvious, clear cut, smoking gun sexual discrimination.Treatment of Civil Rights StaffJoe Leonard has surrounded himself with "YES" men and women, who will only tell him what he wants to hear and not the facts. The staff learned early on that trying to educate or reason with Joe Leonard would get you sidelined – which is where the true civil rights professionals in the OASCR are. The management team that are flourishing under Joe Leonard are marginal employees (GS-15s) who have historically been failures at their jobs in civil rights. His job was to move them out, and instead they have soared under Joe Leonard's leadership. This management team will do and say anything to curry his favor and operates under a quid pro quo system. Joe Leonard "manages" a $20 million budget and spends an inordinate amount of time steering USDA Office of Civil Rights contracts to his family and friends.Severe Character FlawsJoe Leonard has terrible character flaws. He is arrogant, rude, argumentative and sexist. Joe Leonard has no problem yelling at the top of his lungs at his staff and employees, complainants, and farmers. There is no one in the office that does not fear his wrath. He will not listen to reason and employees avoid him since it is impossible to have a calm conversation with him. During his last All Employees meeting, July 31, 2012, Joe Leonard instructed everybody to, "Move up to the front of the auditorium!" When employees did not move up fast enough, he said, "Why do we have to go through this every time we come here?I am beginning to believe what people are saying about you all is true – that you are stupid! How many times do I have to tell you to move up to the front of the auditorium?" In another staff meeting, Joe Leonard announced that he had determined that all employees over 60 needed to be moved out to other parts of the USDA because he had no more use for them.
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