It is shocking that the Department of Agriculture has authorized payment of $50,000 each to 12,000 black farmers who claim that they were denied farm loans they applied for between 1981 and 1997 because of racial discrimination. The total bill: $600 million.

The standard of proof required to qualify for the money is exceedingly low. In the vast majority of cases the department can't verify that a loan was even sought, much less that it was denied on racial grounds, because it keeps records of rejected loans only 3 years. This is an open invitation to fraud. Please do all you can to halt this gravy train. The efforts to extend the deadline for applying and to certify additional class-action suits must be strongly resisted. Please let me know what you intend to do.