USDA Annouces $1.2 Billion Plan To Bring Broadband To Rural Areas

By Rob Sanna-Talk Radio News Service

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced 126 new Recovery Act projects aimed at providing broadband internet and media jobs in rural areas across the United States. The USDA plans to spend $1.2 billion of stimulus funds and they anticipate the projects to spur private investments of over $117 million in these rural areas.

“This investment in broadband is already putting Americans back to work,” Vilsack said in a phone conference with reporters, “We anticipate the investments we’ve announced to date will create somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 immediate and direct jobs.”

Added Vilsack, “The jobs that are being created today involve broadband service providers hiring works to lay down fiber, before and during construction works will be needed for engineering and design, and during construction and after completion there will be workers managing these installations repair lines and interacting with customers.”

In addition to bringing jobs to rural areas, the USDA also predicts the investments will boost small business’ ability to compete in the global market and expand education opportunities for children and college students.

Sherrod Puts Ball In Obama's Court

Former U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employee Shirley Sherrod, forced to resign this week after a video was leaked to the press that appeared to show her making racially biased remarks, told ABC’s Good Morning America today that she is not sure whether she has the full support of President Barack Obama.

“I can’t say that the President is fully behind me,” Sherrod told anchor George Stephanopoulos. “I would hope that he is…I would love to talk to him,” she added.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters yesterday that he acted alone in making the decision to fire Sherrod. However, she told Stephanopoulos this morning that this was not the case.

“The first call I received said, ‘We’re putting you on administrative leave’….The next call was, ‘Shirley, we’re going to have to ask you to resign.’ And then, ‘The White House wants you to resign.’”

Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs issued a formal apology to Sherrod, and new reports suggested that the President was putting pressure on Vilsack to offer Sherrod her job back, which he did.

Vilsack On Sherrod Scandal: "I Accept Full Responsibility"

United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack publicly apologized to ousted USDA official Shirley Sherrod on Tuesday, expressing “deep regret,” and accepting “full responsibility,” for firing her based on comments she made at a recent NAACP event that were subsequently broadcast out of context on mulitple televison networks.

Vilsack said he had talked with Mrs. Sherrod, offered her a new job and discussed with her ways to “move forward.” Vilsack said that Sherrod indicated that she wanted time to think about it. Vilsack claimed that the White House had no part in ousting Sherrod, saying it was “my decision and mine alone.”

Vilsack said “it was a decision that I regret having made in haste.” In light of the history of civil rights claims against the USDA, Vilsack said his goal when he took over the department was “to close that chapter of history.” Vilsack said he has “learned a lot of lessons from this experience.”

By Philip Bunnell



White House Apologizes to Sherrod

Today, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs apologized to former USDA official Shirley Sherrod “on behalf of the administration,” and said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack would also apologize. Sherrod had been ousted based on an edited video clip that portrayed her as being racist. Gibbs refused to speculate on whether or not Sherrod would get her job back.

A lot of people were involved in this situation and acted without having all the facts, Gibbs said. He offered Sherrod an apology on behalf of the administration.  “A disservice was done,” for which we apologize.

Sherrod has stated that the someone from the White House urged her to resign, but Gibbs said that he knows of no conversations from the White House. “The White House was informed but not consulted,” Gibbs said.

The President was briefed yesterday mid-morning and has been getting updates about it throughout the day. According to Gibbs, this was a decision solely made by the Department of Agriculture. When asked about Secretary Vilsak and whether his job is safe, Gibbs said
that he is doing a terrific job at the USDA.

Gibbs also talked about living in a culture where you want fast responses. The rapid advancement of technology has also created the world that we are living in today, and this ties in with politics, race and media events, he added, calling the situation a “teachable moment.”

Additional reporting by Philip Bunnell

Sherrod Not Sure if She Would Want to Return to USDA

Shirley Sherrod, former USDA director of rural development in Georgia, said that she might not return to her job at the USDA even if asked.  Sherrod was ousted by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack after a segment of her March speech to an NAACP audience was posted.  The segment appeared to be racist, but upon further review, was about learning from experience.  As the full clip emerged, Vlisack said he would reconsider her employment.

“I’m not a racist,” said Sherrod, “Anyone who knows me knows I’m for fairness”

By Philip Bunnell