ABP Political games

[rkaiser]

Just wondering what the ABP supporters are thinking about politics these days. It seems that we are continuing to see thousands of producer dollars spent in Uncle Sam's playground. How many of the top brass from ABP/CCA do you all think are heading down to the NCBA party next week? Do we need to even be there now that the border is pretty much fully open? Are they going to try to convince the Americans to get control of their dollar so that we can get back to business making money selling them beef..........LOL. Or maybe they are going to convince GW to drop this ridiculous Bio Fuel program so we don't have to deal with such high grain prices.( more sarcasm if you didn't get that.)

One thing I do know is that the ABP brass it spending a lot more effort on the Americans than on our own provincial government and the B5 group that Minister George asked to come up with some new ideas.

You know there was this mouthy SOB (guess who) down in Innisfail at a policy review meeting last week who was spewing about playing politics vs. dealing with the B5. The next day the 45 page document that ABP put together was in the email box of all the delegates. Was pretty much the same stuff that was presented at the AGM IN EARLY December. Was this delay another political move????? Seems that one of the many reasons AVBP has for not making much effort is that they think the election call will mean everything the B5 group has done wil be scrapped. Maybe they are hoping or even working on having the current Ag minister and his staff replaced.... Good Luck

Boy the gang is sure happy to hear that Arno made the cut for Conservative candidate for Brooks. I'll bet there will be a lot of support from the ABP/CCA headquarters. One of the gang who will not take any responsibility for the current crisis we find ourselves in. Maybe the voters in Brooks will see the light and show how true democracy holds people accountable. By the way - I wonder what Arno's position on testing for export marketing purposes is these days? Maybe a question to put to the Brooks voters hay.

[wd40]

Boy RK you're going to loose you're chair around the Oak table if you keep this up.

[rkaiser]

I was wondering today if anyone has ever been fired from the ABP membership club.

I've been hearing lots about the member associations vs. the democratic ABP... What a joke. How about it. Join our club - we will even pay you for driving around and going to meetings with producers money. And they still can't get folks to run.

I'd truly like to see someone start a petition and see how many members this ABP club has. Where the heck is old cowman when you need him.

[wd40]

I talked to an Delegate today who said he has been asked to resign more than once. But guess what his constituents keep voteing him in.

[farmers_son]

You would think Arno would not even show his face in town if ABP was as hated as the ABP bashers on this site let on. Congratulations to Arno on his PC nomination in Strathmore Brooks. Obviously he gained the respect of cattle producers in his region. As ABP chair during the BSE crisis Arno guided the Alberta cattle industry through some of its most difficult times.

Rkaiser is always talking plebiscite. Well I think the voters have spoken.

[rkaiser]

The PC party members have chosen Arno as a candidate FS. Still needs to have an election. As with any area, all of his electors will not be cattle producers. In fact most rural voters will be grain farmers who think that any farmer will do, and the town folks don't have a clue about the choices ABP has made which I will continue to say have held our industry back rather than allowed forward movement.

I am mainly a one issue guy FS. I think that ABP does a hell of a job of promoting beef (BUT NOT SELLING BEEF) as I said and your batman spy will attest to at the Innisfail meeting. Also have little opinion on things like Environmental Stewardship awards or many of the other things that ABP does. ABP has shown that it is a very poor trade organisation, and that is the burr that will stay in my bonnet until something changes.

Wonder who the Libs are putting up, or the ever vocal southern arm of the Alliance party. Maybe you can look at the numbers and divide things up after the election FS and see just how many cattle ranchers vote for Arno.

[grassfarmer]

Now, now farmers_son that was a rather lame attempt to score points for your beloved ABP. Obviously there are a lot of constituents living in the Strathmore Brooks area that are not beef producers. So it wasn't the cattle ranchers that elected Arno by any means, even if they had all voted for him.
This does not mirror the plebiscite request made by cattle producers to ABP. The plebiscite called for by producers democratically was opposed undemocratically by the ruling dictatorship. Dictatorships always crumble eventually so I guess this arrogance we see is the pride before the fall.
"Arno guided the Alberta cattle industry through some of its most difficult times."
Yes I remember it well - Arno standing proudly beside Shirley announcing that the packers had done (or could do) no wrong when they stole the multi-million aid package from desperate producers. Way to go Arno - you're a legend (in the minds of ABP supporters anyway)and should fit in well with an Alberta Government still dedicated to facilitating wealth extraction by foreign corporations of the produce created by the hard work of Albertans.

[farmers_son]

I have been to a few PC nomination meetings in my time and in this part of the world you will not get the election nod without support from agriculture.

As well Darcy Davis, who was ABP chair after Arno, narrowly missed being nominated as the PC candidate in his riding of OLDS-DIDSBURY-THREE HILLS after coming second to the incumbent Richard Marz by only about 60 votes, if I recall correctly.

Tom Thurber, another former chair of what was then called the Alberta Cattle Commission, went on to be a cabinet minister in the PC government.

You will find that quite a few ABP delegates are also elected to local government councils or school board councils back home. They obviously have the respect of their peers, many of whom would also be in the cattle business.

[rkaiser]

Holy catnip batman...... It may be a good thing you don't have to vote in Old Arno's riding. You might have to vote Liberal or something.....

Talked with a producer in Arno's area who said that he has accepted the notion of BSE testing for export marketing purposes. Haven't heard him come right out in public and say it but it may be a public question for the voters in his riding to ask. Might just give him a call myself.... How about you farmers_son?

If this is true -- I think that I would support old Arno if he took his CBEF experience and put it to work in an International Trade portfolio. Just think - a transformed ABP/CCA man able to help out the B5 group. Maybe my original nightmare could turn in to a dream come true. What do you think loric????????

[grassfarmer]

You highlight well the political set up of north America farmers_son. The ABP man who rises through the ranks, gets elected to the PC party and government portfolio before retiring to a directors position with a major corporation. I would expect no less from the likes of Arno - a brief political career before getting awarded a comfortable directorship at Lakeside or Cargill. Just reward for all the "work" he has done for them over the years.

[farmers_son]

Although I do not believe you meant that as a compliment I think that would be great.