by Annalis Flores
The USDA and NRCS are proud to assist organic farmers, ranchers, and producers with $50 million in funding for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative.
The EQIP Organic Initiative strives to transition farmers and ranchers to organic. This year the funding has doubled and organic farmers nationwide should apply.
Limited-resource and socially-disadvantaged farmers and ranchers can qualify up to 90 percent for the beginning and be assisted with “transitioning agricultural land and production to organic certification.” The last day to turn in the application will be May 20.
New bill for anti-corruption
California Sate Assembly approved AB 46, “which establishes a process whereby any city with fewer than 150 residents is disincorporated.”
Led by a strong bipartisan vote, the legislation was introduced by Assembly Speaker John A Perez. Perez is a democrat from Los Angeles who wants to stop corruption occurring in such cities as Vernon.
As Perez stated, “When a city’s population becomes so small the burden of monitoring government activities falls on the few, and no real protections or accountability exist.”
Perez continued, “AB 46 not only remedies corruption among the ruling clique in Vernon, it prevents similar fiefdoms from occurring in other extremely small cities as well.” Many southern California cities and businesses support the anticorruption bill, which will hopefully only help the state.
Lawyer’s license revoked due to violation
Attorney Michael T. Pines’ license was revoked Thursday by the State Bar of California after advising homeowners to retake their foreclosed homes.
Pines is defiant of big banks and investment groups, which he claims are putting homeowners on the street and lawyers who defend them are only benefiting themselves.
State Bar Court Judge Richard Honn decided to revoke Pines license on a temporary measure until a hearing on disciplinary charges. The April 12th bar court hearing accused Pines of violating ethical standards and laws. For now Pines is considered “a substantial threat of harm to the public.”
Former homeowners did not have the right to enter the premises legally, according to Deputy Trial Counsel Brooke Schafer. The only way to stop Pines from his rash decisions was to revoke his license.
