ABP Zone Meetings and Municpal Elections

[cakadu]

Hopefully producers will attend the ABP Zone meetings and listen to the candidates, then choose the individuals that seem best suited to the task. I really have no patience for apathy, too often I have seen people sit at home and not particiate in elections etc. then complain bitterly because they aren't happpy with the decisions that are being made.

[cowman]

Actually Linda those numbers were published in your local county news by the taxpayers group? Obtained under the freedom of info thing?
Now I believe two of those were also members of the school board and that money made up a good portion of that price. The other one was the Reeve.
However I believe the base rate is $30,000/yr.? For every committee they get another $150/day as well as meals and milage at 60cents/km. As well as any conferences etc. I believe the lowest paid councillor was in the mid thirties range? Might want to contact your local rep of the taxpayers group?
As far as not complaining because you never voted...perhaps you are right Emerald. But I guess as long as they have a mandatory checkoff, then I think you have a legitimate right to criticize(after all you are paying them)? Perhaps a better way to do it would be to let a producer opt out of the checkoff? You could then vote with your money?
I find it ironic that I am forced to pay for a lobby group that is not working in my interests...in fact is working against my interests! Hey sort of like the Liberal party in Ottawa!

[cowman]

60 cents a km ???? That is a lot higher than the average municipal councillor and government employee is compensated for mileage.
Most municipalities pay in the .40 cent range and the Provincial Government pays .38.
In our area councillors are paid $325.00 per day when they are away at a conference or meeting out of the area, plus mileage, and accommodation where necessary. The Reeve charges half a day to go into the county office and sign a letter. That works out to $159.00 plus mileage !!! He usually has breakfast and lunch at the taxpayers expense as well !!!
From the sound of things locally, there may be some changes in the October election !!!
As far as the check off goes, I am not completely sold on mandatory check off. It would be interesting to know just what percentage of producers too advantage of the opportunity to vote on the proposed increase in the check off this last time around.

[cowman]

Well Emerald we didn't get to vote on the last checkoff, or at least I don't think so?
We did get to vote on whether the checkoff should remain mandatory about 10 years ago? 12% of eligible producers bothered to vote. You didn't have to go to any meetings or anything like that. You could vote at the DAs office.The ACC(ABP) used the money they had aquired from the checkoff for a massive advertizing campaign to keep the checkoff mandatory. And they won the vote with slightly over 6% of the actual vote!
I'm not sure if the whole thing was apathy on the part of producers or the fact that they secretly agreed that a mandatory checkoff was okay? The ACC promptly doubled the checkoff to two dollars!

[cowman]

I remember voting on one checkoff, but don't know how long ago it was. I have taken resolutions to the Zone meetings a couple of times, and also spoke to them at the ABP Convention. The Zone meetings in this area have been poorly attended, usually the same faces in the crowd each year. I had a call from one of the Directors last year asking me where I thought they should hold the meeting,the location I suggested would have attracted a fairly large group of producers but they chose another hall way off the beaten track, and got a handful of people at the meeting !!!
The candidates forums for the municipal elections are usually only attended by a few people, unless there is a huge issue within the municipality, then there is standing room only.
Nomination Day is the 20th, so after that the countryside will be covered with campaign signs !!!