USDA shutdown of 259 offices stirs call for congressional action

NASCOE is supposed to be an employee agency. Looks to me as if they would much rather the FSA continue to pay rent and utilities to overpaid landlords that to protect the agency employees jobs. There is only so much money allocated to the agency. I guess more employee RIF's is their answer. Nice employee organization isn't it?

I agree with the above, but as an FSA employee, it bothers me to see that once again, the staff that actually faces the customer on a daily basis is again the place we start cutting (or continue to cut, as staff sizes are less than half of what they were 20 years ago while the complexity of programs offered continues to increase).

Meanwhile, state offices and headquarter offices seem to maintain their staffing numbers.

NASCOE is famous for disagreeing with ANY changes to the county office structure. With the increasing availability of electronic devices and broadband connections in rural America, they can submit most forms via fax or email. There just might have to be some people that are inconvenienced and have to drive a few miles more to get to another office for a face to face meeting the couple of times a year that you have to be in the office. Many FSA programs are the ones that should be cut since they pay the farmer just because they farm or the landowner just for owning the farmland. At least the conservation programs get something tangible for the taxpayer's benefit: reduced soil erosion, better water quality and more wildlife habitat. Look into why FSA employees can have a lobbying group that they belong to but other Federal USDA employees are PROHIBITED from lobbying for themselves.

The FSA offices provide much needed guidance to the dwindling handful of producers who don't have the benefit of multi-million dollar corporations (complete with legal teams and financial advisers) directing them to take the best advantage of the programs offered. Making cuts to administrative locations/functions like the district offices before reducing customer service makes a lot more sense.

This would cause little disruption of services. We have fewer farmers now than ever before and those left are larger than ever and much more technologically savy. We do not need a USDA Service Center closer than 30 miles from another. FSA, RD and NRCS could be combined and function much better as a single agency. This would save a few billion annually and get NRCS back out in the field instead of spending all their time in front of the computer doing contract management all day.

FSA, RD and NRCS could easily be combined into one group with all couny level (service centers) remaining open. Eliminating duplicate area and state offices will bring a significant savings as middle and upper management (higher paid) are combined/eliminated. ONE admin for ALL will be more efficient. NRCS maintains regional technical centers staffed with high paid specialists with limited value to delivering services at the end user (local) level. Elimination of scattered local offices of any agency merely displaces those who are paid the least -- and rarely provides a significant financial savings, Looks good in the press, but very little cost savings over all. Want to really cut costs? Start in Washington DC. Reorganize by merging agencies. Eliminate the burgeoning top & middle layers. Reverse the pyramid!

Been there...

What about closing the office where there is FREE RENT but since there are only 2 employees in the office who administer millions more in benefits than the 3 employee office? How is that cost saving? Plus the office to be closed is co-located with sister agencies for one stop business for customers. I've missed something along the way. Why not close the office that is less than 20 miles that costs throusands in rent and consolidate them with the free rent office since space is available?

Congress and the President continue to cut the budget of the Farm Service Agency and staff cuts in the "County Office". The American Public needs to know that the Program Technicians have not had a grade increase since 1992, we were allowed to become grade 7's at that time with much fight through NASCOE in obtaining that benefit, to date anyone that got that grade 7 in 1992 and "if" still employeed are at the top of that grade and will earn no additional income through the remainder of their careers (without COLA) to keep up with the cost of living. Health Benefit costs increase, our take home gets smaller. America needs to realize that the FARM BILL is not just Farm Service Agency, it is all agencies, from Welfare, the Military, Social Security, etc.. We in the County Offices are "Carrying the National Debt" not adding to it because we have not been compensated since 1992. Last Farm Bill the President stated it was the biggest and most complicated farm bill to date, we in the Counties realize that and continue to do our jobs professionally, without compensation and continue to serve "our public" with dedication to service. If the American Public wants to make cuts, start with Congress and work your way down. Don't start at the bottom with the lesser paid employees and blame us for the debt. A good place to begin is with your home congressional districts and voice your concerns for the loss of service and the cost of not getting a Budget passed timely. The stress on the little people in threats to close the doors in addition to our own personal financial struggle is totally un-necessary if the high paid would do their jobs and get off their personal platforms and "serve their public"!

After sixty plus years of subsidizing the farmer it has finally reached a point that the government needs to get away from burdening the taxpayer for this big business. Agriculture has changed so much in the last fifty years, the whole idea of taxpayer subsidies (FSA guaranteed direct payments, RMA crop insurance subsidized premiums and indemnities, SURE disaster, CSP, EQIP, etc.) to landowners who live hundreds of miles away from the land and don't even visit it but maybe once every two to three years is ludicrous. I believe in the American dream of free enterprise and the freedom of attaining success, but producing crops has become a big business, a business that needs to be given the chance to free enterprise without taxpayer subsidies. NASCOE needs to re-evaluate it's purpose from an employee organization to an organization to help America survive. That may be supporting how to wean producers from government subsidies rather than how to justify and support jobs and buildings at taxpayers expense.

Many farmers no longer need our services and we have 10% of the farmers we had in 1952. I strongly support our low interest loan programs for beginning farmers but most everything else we do now for FSA and NRCS is better done by the public sector. We typically tell farmers they are better off going through Greenstone or Farm Credit for their loans now to avoid a long wait. I would be in favor of shutting half the office we currently have a doubling up the staff of the remaining open offices. Each county no longer needs a Service Center. Are you reading this budget office? I have done this for 30 years now and speaking first hand from the field. Why in the world would we ever provide free rent to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts? Why not do the same to other local conservation groups? There is no difference. This is typical waste, fraud and abuse.