Dear Sec. Glickman,
I am employed by the Farm Service Agency at the USDA Field Service Center in Ada, Minn.

With all of the staff cuts that have happened over the past years, and with the addition of more and more FSA programs--both new ones and the increased use of current ones--will there be any increases in budget to hire permanent staff to help with those programs that are coming into play because of at least three consecutive years of natural disasters in our geographic area?

We already work our scheduled hours plus evenings and weekends, with no overtime pay to compensate us.

Nikie Scherfenberg
Ada, Minn.

Dear Nikie,
I share your concern. The FSA workload remains heavy, and staffing has been a continuing problem for FSA management. Supplemental funding provided by Congress in November 1999 for the retention of temporary staffing has been exhausted. In addition, my authority to shift funds within USDA is limited, and USDA does not have funding within the scope of that authority which would be adequate to alleviate this situation. Therefore, USDA must rely on Congress for assistance.

I am pleased to report that Congress has recently passed a bill providing supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2000 that includes funding to retain temporary staff and meet other urgent administrative needs in FSA. The President signed the bill on July 13, 2000.

I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns in this matter.

Dan Glickman
Secretary

EDITOR’S NOTE: This “Letters” section is an opportunity for USDA employees to communicate with Secretary Dan Glickman, through questions or comments, on matters that would be appropriate and of general interest to USDA employees across the country. He invites employees to use this particular forum in the USDA News to communicate with him, by using the following mailing address: “Letters,” Sec. Dan Glickman, USDA, STOP #0190, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250.