Dead and Farming.....

[Red Lion]

Dead farmers got $1.1 billion from USDA
According to GAO report, department routinely failed to conduct reviews

The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed $1.1 billion over seven years to the estates or companies of deceased farmers and routinely failed to conduct reviews required to ensure that the payments were properly made, according to a government report.
In a selection of 181 cases from 1999 to 2005, the Government Accountability Office found that officials approved payments without any review 40 percent of the time.
The report cited a 1,900-acre soybean and corn farm in Illinois that collected $400,000 on behalf of an owner who lived in Florida before his death in 1995. The company did not notify the government of the death but certified each year that the dead shareholder, who owned 40 percent of the company, was "actively engaged" in managing the farm.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19912382/

[Fieldmouse]

I don't see anything wrong here. Let expand our fine system of goverment to include universal healthcare. that's why they missed these deaths.[:-]

[Red Lion]

"Farm payments are meant for those who need some help getting through the tough times," Grassley said last week. "Clearly there are loopholes that should be closed and laws that need to be followed."

Are you saying that you do not care if payments are given that may not be authorized, such as someone taking a dirt nap?

[Fieldmouse]

I don't care for our Federal Goverment doing anything of charity. Stay out of healthcare, retirement, welfare and education. They don't be long there. Time has proven all fail and/or so inefficient, they should end right away and replace with the free market.

[falcon]

Yep, just another fine case of your tax dollars at work. Bet that no one is ever prosecuted. Farm pork is bi-partisan: Both parties take lots of campaign cash from agri-busineeses. 67 percent of the farm welfare money goes to ten percent of the fat cat "farmers."