there fo the calf prices

[jensend]

from syngenta's good morning prairies report ann veneman said that the border will not open anytime soon. as many of us have suspected the rule making procedure has been used as a stalling tactic. i hope it will be evident now to cca (meeting this week) that the strategy of the last fifteen months has failed and it's time to get on with things. i spoke to the president of the ssga last night and he agreed with me that we have to do it for ourselves so hopefully there will be others in calgary who feel the same. maybe what veneman had to say will bring some of the cca people to realize the americans are not our friends and deserve none of the benefit of the doubt from us. kind of makes you realize their approach and the gullibility of people like bob speller et al. i'm encouraged by brian ross' attitude and hope like minds can start us pulling together.

[cowman]

It is time for the CCA to start to live out their adgenda. CCA is the Canadaian Cattlemens Association, a representative organization of the Cattle Producers of Canada. Time to put the contingency plan that they have established in front of their membership to vote on. Put the question of culling cows on a ballot along with other questions including TESTING for export markets, and have the membership decide. Enough of this arrogant attitude, while calling groups like BIG C naieve. Nobody in CCA has come up with an answer yet. Boxed beef is flowing south because the Americans need it, not because CCA has negotiated with all their wisdom.
More posts to come.

[cowman]

Randy: Have we ever got to vote on anything they have proposed? I truly can't remember when?
And I can never recall, ever getting to vote for who represents me on the CCA?
Perhaps they are an amalgamation of the provincial associations or something?
I do suspect they do some good? It seems to me they were right in there a few years ago when the Americans tried to impose the anti-dumping tariff?

[cowman]

Not yet!!!!!
Everything changes, but not without effort.
Just got back from ABP head office with my nomination papers. Care to join me Cowman. I think it will be a lot of fun.

[Willowcreek]

Randy- I've been reading your posts for months. I agree with much of what you and cowman post. Like it or not- I associate your group, BIG-C, much the same as I do with R-CALF. Both were formed with grassroots producers that were tired of unattentive "good old boy" cattle organizations, unaware or bought off politicians, and an industry dictated by the big corporations. Our plight may not have been as bad as you in Canada are now facing, but we saw that a change was needed in order to survive. And some of the changes for our good, has not always benefitted you to the north, but at least we finally had someone actually listening and fighting for us. Whatever change has come about has given many hope- the same as Big C is doing for Canadians.

Randy-If I lived 50 miles further north, I would vote for you. (and cowman). Good luck- I like your idea of mail out polling of the membership- get everyone involved in the decisionmaking process.

[ALICIA]

Willowcreek- I don't know if you have ever been in a orginization but let me tell you I've been a member of several and on the directory of a few.
From the union at my work place, to on the board of horse groups and now the OFA and in every group a few will do the work and the rest will just sit back and complain.

[Willowcreek]

Alicia- I've served on many county, state and national committees and boards. I do agree that you will always have some that do nothing and then still complain.

But I'm also a believer that the more the leadership does to involve the members in the decision making process-the more action you will get from the group. People are more willing to work on projects that they had a hand in creating, then in one decided my the leadership and dictated to the members.

This sometimes means more work for the leaders- mailings, calling, travelling to meet, and make themselves available to the members. And most importantly making the information process a 2 way street. Sometimes leaders can accomplish more asking questions than by orating.