01-11-12 US Congressman Gardner Announces Townhall Tour…January 16th

COLO. – Rep. Cory Gardner announced the following town meetings for January 16, 2012:

8am – 9am Morgan County Town Meeting

LOCATION: Morgan County Courthouse - 231 Ensign Street, Fort Morgan

10:30am – 11:30am Weld County Town Meeting

LOCATION: Ault Fire Station -16680 Hwy 14, Ault

12:45pm – 1:45pm Larimer County Town Meeting

LOCATION: Northern Water Headquarters (formerly Northern Water Conservancy District) – 220 Water Avenue, 2nd Floor, Berthoud

2:30pm – 3:30pm Boulder County Town Meeting

LOCATION: American Legion Hall - 315 S. Bowen Street, Longmont

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Congressman Gardner is a freshman member in the U.S. House of Representatives for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

READ the NAFB’s National Ag News as heard inside the BARN for January 11th

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Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation

“USDA Closing Local Offices”

The funding ax has fallen at USDA.  Speaking at the American Farm Bureau Convention in Hawaii, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the closure or consolidation of 249 Farm Service Agency, NRCS, FAS, APHIS, Rural Development, Food Safety and Inspection Services and Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services offices across the nation. These locations join the 12 labs at 10 locations that ARS received permission from Congress to close this fiscal year. More reductions are expected

Secretary Vilsack told Farm Bureau members – we understood this day was coming and we have been proactive. First, we started last year by reducing travel, supplies and printing costs by an aggregate of nearly 90-million dollars. Second, also last year many agencies put hiring controls in place and those were followed by the institution of a targeted early retirement and early separation incentive program. Initially, 4,441 employees of USDA retired on their own or took advantage of the early out programs. We reinstituted the program again on a broader basis in this fiscal year, and since then another 2,529 employees have elected to take advantage of retirement opportunities.

Mr. Vilsack said – these closings and consolidations will begin taking place over the late winter and spring. FSA’s goal is to finish consolidation by July, and all the other agencies – except for Food Safety district offices – aim to close facilities by the end of September. I know that some may be inconvenienced by this choice, but services will not be interrupted. Clients in affected offices will be transferred to other near-by offices.

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“Ag Secretary Addresses Farm Bureau”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told those attending the 93^rd Annual Meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation – agriculture and rural America matter, and no group understands that better than the men and women who lead Farm Bureau. Vilsack also had high praise for agriculture as being responsible for one in every 12 jobs in America, and he focused on the need to address challenges facing the United States and the world.