A Political Idea..? Attn: Kato

[Cedar]

I just had this "lightbulb" go on in me head after reading the "The Election is Coming" thread! Maybe this is just a real dumb idea, but have to share it anyway!
Kato often mentions how we should be writing to all these politicians, etc. Great idea, maybe would do some good...however, I, for one, am not that great at composing such letters and getting all the necessary details and wording things effectively! I'm not sure how many other cattle people fall in this category...but anyway, I was thinking...how about if somebody (perhaps a group of well-spoken individuals from this forum)composed a form letter that we could all copy and paste into an e-mail, along with all the e-mail addresses (and/or snail mail)to send it to. Even better, perhaps we could all agree to send these on a certain day and absolutely flood their e-mail systems with lots and lots of copies of this letter!!!! We could all contact everyone we know to stop in here and grab a copy to send, it would only take a few minutes of everyone's time. Maybe that would get some attention!!!???? Perhaps it would show them that the "peasants" are uniting and not going to take it anymore!!!!! The bigger the "squeaky wheel", the more grease it needs! Watcha think?

[Joe-2]

In Manitoba our $2.00/head checkoff goes to MCPA.Producers have the option of filling out some forms and getting their money back if they want.
I'm going to get in touch with MCPA (asap) and tell them if they come out and publicly support 100% mandatory testing they can keep my money.If not,I want it back.EVERY NICKEL.Perhaps everyone should consider doing the same.
Personally it will take more than this "voting against fining the packers" thing for me to vote Liberal.I'm not willing to forget things like sponsorship,gun control,scrap the GST,the NEP,corporate welfare for Bombardier, THE METRIC SYSTEM,and all the other 'wonderfull'things the federal Liberals have done to this country.

[Joe-2]

What about the Cam Osterman Essay Cedar?
Well written and self explainatory.

[kato]

I agree, that essay is the best expression of the state of affairs that I have seen yet.

[kato]

I just sent it to Bob Speller and Paul Martin.

Hint.. save the essay on your computer as a pdf file when you open it. That way you can attach it to your email.

Bob Speller email - spellerb@agr.gc.ca
Paul Martin email - pm@pm.gc.ca

Paul Martin's office actually anwers emails, believe it or not.

I think this article should be in much wider circulation than it is right now. Let's get it out there.

Anybody else have any email addresses to share?

[rusty1]

I wish I had the solution to wether 100% testing is the way to go or what. However here is an interesting fact
In Japan each BSE found has cost 13.8 million per animal.
In Europe the cost has been 4 - 9 million per. (depending on which coutry you look at)
That has done nothing to increase consumption or confidence.
And as we all know the human health risk is basically nil.
The Jap's won't give us a PO if we do 100% testing.
So why test everything? (honest question)
Scientifically it is acceptable that at a certain level of testing you will know statistacillay the answer.

I am sure about 1 thing. All the decisions in the past are political trade related, so why are we trying to open boarders with science. The politicians are happy we stay focused on the science of the thing instead of the real "Trade issue".
I'm still stuck of the only solution being that of trade retaliation.
Start a rumour that 1 Asian boat out a 1000 carries Avian Flue. and turn them all around at the port and send them back.

[jensend]

so what has our animal cost us because we aren't willing to test more animals? our one positive has cost us billions because we aren't willing to either prove our beef is clean or prove that we sell only safe beef.

[kato]

There's also the fact that if it becomes common knowledge that the cattle producers in Canada are actively lobbying for testing, perhaps someone will pay attention?

I think we all know who.

What's the best way to stop us from pushing the testing issue?

I think we all know what.

It's a political problem, so let's play a little politics. If the border doesn't open, then so be it, we'll have our cattle tested and be open for business again. It just could save our butts if/when the Americans find a native positive cow of their own.

Our backs are up against the wall right now, and it's time we stood up for ourselves. No one else is going to do it.

After reading the essay again, there's only one thing I would add to it. That's the fact that loss of the feed market isn't the only thing that's going to hurt grain producers. What about all the pasture that's bound to be worked up and turned to growing grain? Boy, talk about hurting grain prices.

I think we need our grain growing neighbours in on this as well.

[kato]

No, I haven't been on the computer all day! Between posts we processed 30 replacement heifers to get ready for pasture, assuming the grass grows.

But what I did do as well was to submit the link to the essay to the W-5 website.

Go to ctv.ca Follow the link to W-5.

They actually have a spot there where you can submit story ideas. If they hear the same suggestion a few times over, maybe they will think it's worth reporting.

I have a bad feeling that the cattle industry is going to be forgotten in this election.

Besides, I think they owe it to us to show our side of the story, because right now there's a story about tainted meat on the page. Remember guys...balanced reporting!

[15444]

Excellent idea Kato! I just finished submitting the link to W-Five myself.

[rsomer]

Although Cam Ostercamp is entitled to his opinion, it would be best if his opinion got no further than Lee Gunderson's web site.

Somewhere about the time he suggested that someone must be pulling the strings of anyone who did not agree that 100% testing was the saviour of our industry, he lost me. No one pulls my strings.

Mr. Ostercamp is willing to sacrifice our beef market to the U.S. in the hope, and it is a very thin hope, of getting sales into Japan. Those sales would never come close to matching what we are selling into the U.S. right now, with more sales right around the corner.

Although I don't know Mr. Ostercamp, there is nothing in his essay that suggests to me that he understands our industry at all. As soon as the border opens to our live cattle his call for 100% testing will be lost in the rush of cattle moving south.

[kato]

True, but can you think of a better way to fast track the border than the threat of testing? I can't.

[kato]

How do you feel that testing will sacrifice our "market with the Americans"? They have groups pushing for testing themselves, and are using this testing bullshit to push their own theories of science.
Why don't you read through this thing again rsomer, and tell me which parts are untrue.
Surely nobody pulls your strings, and we all grab a bit of emotion when we write. This statement did what he intended it to do. Stir things up. Nothing has happened since the border was closed that does not revolve around money and greed. Your single minded focus on getting back to the way things were is not helping now, and will likely not help once the border is open.
From what I have read from yourself and Cam, rsomer, I would not go stating that Cam has little knowledge of the industry. Seems your grasp is a bit narrow.
Dispute his claims about Packer ownership, or government programs.
Show us all how he does not have a clue about packing industry infrustructure.
Getting all pissy about one little paranoia statement (meant to get attention), is not an argument for dispelling a whole bunch of truth!!

[rsomer]

Kato: I hear what you are saying and know where you are coming from. We are all searching for answers on how the border might be opened.

With all due respect to Cam Ostercamp, he has gone to considerable effort to draft up his viewpoint on the BSE crisis and should be commended for doing so.

Lets review the problem. The problem is not that we have empty packing plants with no markets for beef because we don’t test 100% for BSE. The problem is that Canada does not have sufficient packing plant capacity to slaughter our domestic production. We cannot slaughter our production, even though there is a strong market for everything we can get in a box. 100% testing will not increase our packing plant capacity. The solution, short term, is to open the border to live cattle.

RpKaiser: Re "Your single minded focus on getting back to the way things were is not helping now, and will likely not help once the border is open" To be clear, I saw difficulties with the Canadian beef industry before BSE and said so publicly. We needed a made in Canada price discovery and risk management system before May 20 as much as we need it now. We were too dependent upon shipping live cattle to the U.S. and too dependent on the U.S. for price discovery and risk management. I support Shirley McClellan 100% when she says Alberta should not ship any beef out of this province except in a box and have been a public proponent of producer owned packing plants. I, for one, do not want to see things go back to the way they were. Still, the industry cannot wait for these long term solutions, we need a short term fix right away. That fix is to open the border to live cattle not test 100%.

Our industry is looking to two important export customers, the U.S. and Japan/Asia. Of these two customers, the U.S. is far and away the most important to our industry in terms of volume and is the only customer that might accept our live cattle. I don’t really accept the notion that the customer is always right when it comes to international trade because trade between countries is a barter, tit for tat kind of relationship as opposed to a one way marketer/customer relationship. Still if we use the customer is always right cliché and we have two customers, one that is saying test 100% and the other saying surveillance testing is backed by science which one do we go with? Given that only one customer would even consider accepting our live cattle, the answer is clear. We go with the U.S., right or wrong. On top of that our relationship with the U.S. going back decades leading to our respective industries being viewed by the entire world as a harmonized North American beef industry makes the decision on who we need to side with pretty plain and obvious.

On the topic of the customer is always right, I note that when our industry leaders take market signals from the U.S., Cam Ostercamp would say they are having their strings pulled. If the industry were to take their signals from Japan we would be responding to customer demands. Can’t have it both ways.

I think the threat of BSE testing will not help us get our border open to live cattle. The U.S. is not in a mood to respond to threats, they believe that you are either with them or against them. I believe the very real promise, not threat, but market reality that unless the border opens up right now to our live cattle that the North West U.S. will loose their packing plant industry and that industry including the very equipment in those plants will move to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. That is what will get our border open.

The Canadian beef industry is not at as much risk of disappearing as the North West U.S. meat packers folding. If the U.S. looses this packing industry they have no one to blame but themselves. That is the message the U.S. needs to hear.

[rsomer]

Why so quick to say that Cam's article should be shelved rsomer. You have reacted to only a couple of the points that he makes, and basically agreed with a lot of others.
Is it pride, or what? Why is it that the more oppinionated you are, the more you are afraid to give any one credit for having an opinion.
The points you make about the USA are obvious, but don't address the problem we are having with Cargil, and Tyson. Sure an open border will free up the competition, but those very folks we are in bed with are the ones who are fighting that open border.(You can bet your life on that.)

This article is full of truth, and full of solidarity among cattle producers in Canada. Cow calf, background, and feedlot owners have all been hurt by a bunch of bull shit sceince, and an American packing industry taking advantage of it all. Canadian cattle producers are being played as pawns by governments, and big business, and we need something like this to give us hope, beyond your ever changing "day of salvation".

You talk of trading partners beyond the US as miniscule, and they will be as long as we keep wasting our time trying to convince the US to open their border. If we would have taken some of the last year, and most of the government money, and spent both devoloping new markets, we could be farther ahead in the short, and long term. America needs our beef like it needs a hole in the head. They only by it because they can get it cheap. I am quite sure that if Ted Haney wasn't so worried about becoming a Liberal candidate, or patting himself on the back for opening the border to boxed beef (Ha Ha), he could have found more customers like Macau.