I'm so proud of our members of congress!

I never cease to be amazed at how politicians think. If the average American ran his household like our politicians run the nation's budget, America would have disappeared long ago.

The latest thing I've run across deals with a lawsuit settled in 1999. Black farmers sued the Agriculture Department claiming that they were discriminated against in USDA offices by being denied loans, disaster assistance, and other aid frequently given to whites. There is no mention of why these farmers were turned down, but I have a feeling it had a little more to it than just being the color of their skins. At any rate, at that time, 22,500 farmers filed claims. About 2/3 of those were awarded a total of $981 million. Another 73,000 were denied because they missed the filing deadline. So the deadline was extended for nearly a year. Most of those claims filed after the deadline were denied because they didn't qualify for the settlement.

Now, after 9 years, our illustrious lawmakers have decided to reopen the settlement to more than 70,000 potential claimants. The liability could exceed $3 billion. But in the legislation reopening the settlement, the budgeted amount for payouts was $100 million. Quite a difference in $3 billion and $100 million. Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican says there's no doubt that there will have to be more moeny in the future. Want to know why it was done that way? Representative Artur Davis, a Democrat from Alabama, said with a higher estimate, lawmakers probably would have stripped reopening the settlement from the bill. Ya' think?!!!

Think I'll go pick me out a $75,000 automobile and tell Mr. Essie May it will cost $10,000. He'll say, "Sure, go ahead." Then when he finds out he's in debt for $75,000, I'll just explain to him that if I'd told him what it really cost, he wouldn't have let me have it!