More on the Ridley lawsuit

[grassfarmer]

All very commendable and I can see it being a really exciting challenge for a lawyer. As a beef producer it's a waste of time happening in another world to me. If you knew anything about the current "BSE" crisis (aka the farm income crisis) you would know that BSE is only a cover and is not what is costing producers their livliehoods today.
This litigation attempt is a complete nonsense as it is based on proving something that has never been proven - that there is a link between BSE in cattle and "contaminated" MBM used in cattle feeds. If it is such a sound case to pursue why hasn't anyone been able to sue either the British Government or British Feed manufacturers? - plenty thought about it, nearly 10 years ago now. At least in the UK there was sizeable blame to apportion.

Why has everyone got their knife in Ridley Inc anyway? did they win a court case against some of you guys?

Please don't fight this foolish battle in my name - I was reassuring a non-farming consumer today that I had no part in this scheme to remove more taxpayer dollars from his pocket.

[kpb]

Like Sash I am also a dropout from the corporate world and I also have had many dealings with both corporate and litigation lawyers. They do nothing for free, of course, and they hope to make a killing when, and if, this case settles. Farmers are generally the only people around who work for nothing.

Having said that, lawyers come in all shapes and sizes just like the rest of us and some are concerned with doing the right thing. My concern is not so much with the ethics of this case but more with the optics.

I think it is truly playing with fire to keep putting the issue of contaminated feed, contaminated meat in Canada and who knows what source of BSE before the consuming public. In any lawsuit wild claims are made by both sides before a mediated settlement is generally reached. But we cannot, in my humble opinion, afford to be looking at news stories over and over again that may be saying that our meat supply is unsafe, our herd is riddled with BSE and our cattle feed is contaminated.

We can expect to hear just these claims as this lawsuit goes into discovery phase. The worst part is that the claims will be coming from OUR side--the side of the farmers--as OUR side tries to prove damages. Do we really want to express to the Canadian public that the meat we are producing is unsafe? Is this not the same as what R-Calf is doing in the U.S? To me we are shooting ourselves badly in the head here.

I think this is seriously misguided and wrong and will have bad consequences for us in the end. Because, ultimately, any settlement reached by proving damages will result in a diminished reputation in the eyes of the public that will cost us many times more.

kpb

[rkaiser]

That's more like it Pallett.

I guess it comes as no surprise that I to cannot take someone calling me a whiner.

Your hours may be true, and I will not argue with that, but if you were to look at our webpage http://www.beef-initiative-group.com/, you can see what I am all about. I am one of the founding members of BIG C and work with Cam Ostercamp on an almost daily basis.

Our group has been across this country listening to the grassroots producer,and talking with government, and have come up with some very positive, forward solutions that do not involve blame and do not involve handouts, or legal winnings from our Federal or Provincial governments.

I bet that if we clocked hours on the phone, on the road, and at meetings I'd beat ya. But so what. Now at least we know where we stand.

I have also been partial to a movement of people all over this globe that challenge the theory of BSE transmission or infection. To call this a joke is a joke in itself. If you have the balls to read Mark Purdey's page at http://www.markpurdey.com/ and read it without bias, you will see truth. If you were of the mind to follow some of the new and exciting research concerning metal contamination, and the link between metals and the dreaded misfolded prion, you would also find some important information. Important to your very case. Ask and we will provide.

Guess what, this position I have taken has also taken time for meetings, phone calls and hours of research.

The way that I see this unfolding; the only true way to beat this whole BSE debacle is to finally show that the infectious theory is bogus, and BSE is simply an individual situation brought on by environmental and man made factors.

Just as you might loose your case Pallett, I may be wrong about BSE.

Thanks for not suing me. That would have truely been the end of my cattle career. Probably would have kept yapping however.

Randy

[grassfarmer]

So where do ABP or CCA stand on this one - for or against, has anyone heard?I'm guessing CBEF is for it?

[blackjack]

...it is so unbelievablely sad our industry has come down to the sue you mentality...if only the so called leaders would have rallied behind people like the Ostercamp group...but no WE as cattlemen let the cattle associations along with Chretien,Ralph,Shirley,Mr.Speller,and Mr. Mitchell get away playing the ad hoc games...who did these programs favor...we all know...these are the people that decided the family farms fates...

...Mr. Pallett...I would support you if you could sue government for lack of policy in assuring the family farm the profitable business it should be...

[mb_rancher]

CPallet-

I would like to talk to you over this matter. Could you send me an email @ ccstockfarms@hotmail.com

[farmers_son]

I for one would like to thank cpallet for taking the time to stop in at Agri-ville and discussing this matter.

Hopefully some consideration will be given to my off the cuff suggestion that this action offers the most practical method whereby the federal government would fund producer packing plants. I freely acknowledge my lack of understanding of class action suits but it seems to me that if government was facing obstacles to funding producer packing plants due to NAFTA, WTO or other international agreements that a law suit could provide an effective way around such restrictions.

It is my belief that if an action like this was tied to something positive like the funding and construction of a number of packing plants, for instance one in Alberta, Saskatchewan and, since this is Canada, one in Central Canada that there would be widespread support from producers not to mention a degree of support from within government.

I have always thought that at least government was responsible for the BSE crisis we face. That the government BSE handouts and compensation producers received was not just a gratuity but a form of damages. Which is why I was looking for more in the form of direct BSE support for cow calf producers instead of an over reliance on CAIS which reduced producers reference margins.

Please, would all in a position to influence these matters give some consideration to tying this action to producer packing plants. I think it would be good for all producers.

[intr3est]

It would be interesting though, if this lawsuit exposes where this supposed feed was processed.

Where was Feedrite manufacturing most of their feed at the time. I sometimes wonder if we are getting full transparency on the source of this "BSE contaminated feed" Is the CFIA staying closed lipped in the effort to continue our "friendship" with the US and the USDA? My spidey senses tell me we are not getting the full story on this whole thing!