A farmer from northwest Iowa is quitting his post at the U.S. Department of Agriculture about a month before he would have been booted. Tom Dorr, of Marcus, says he’ll resign as the U.S.D.A.’s Undersecretary for Rural Development, effective December 1st.
As an appointee, Dorr’s position would be terminated when President Bush leaves office. Dorr says the time is right and appropriate. Dorr says: "By the 20th of January, the new administration will be bringing their new team to town and what we all want is to effect a very smooth transition. We’ve been working for several months to get everything in place. We’ve got a lot of very capable senior career staff people here who can facilitate that. It just makes sense to step aside and let the new team come in and get adjusted."
Dorr says he doesn’t have any immediate plans, but hopes to stay involved in some area of renewable fuels or rural development.