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U.S. appeal on cattle imports to be televised

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    U.S. appeal on cattle imports to be televised

    Tue June 21, 2005 5:55 PM GMT-04:00

    By Sophie Walker

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A courtroom battle by the U.S. government to restart imports of live Canadian cattle amid claims mad cow disease in that country may pose a risk to U.S. consumers is to be televised next month.

    The Canadian Broadcast Corporation has been granted permission to televise the proceedings, a clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit in San Francisco told Reuters.

    The U.S. Agriculture Department is appealing a March ruling by a federal court in Montana that halted, at the request of U.S. ranchers group R-CALF USA, a government plan to allow imports of Canadian cattle under 30 months of age.

    The ranchers blame Canada for introducing mad cow to the United States and want to keep the border closed. So far the only U.S. confirmed case of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), was found in December 2003 in a Washington state dairy cow raised in Canada.

    The case is likely to attract renewed interest since the USDA announced a second suspected case of mad cow disease 11 days ago. More tests on that animal are currently under way.

    A total of four cases of mad cow disease stemming from Canadian cattle have been identified since May 2003. Currently only Canadian beef from young slaughtered cattle -- which are believed to pose the least risk -- can be exported to the United States.

    PUBLIC HEALTH

    Some 67 consumer, food safety, agricultural and other groups filed "friend of the court" documents supporting R-CALF and urged the appeals court to keep the U.S. border closed to Canadian cattle imports to protect public health.

    R-CALF said on Tuesday the court was yet to rule on allowing the documents to be presented. If they are accepted the three-judge panel will review the documents.

    Of the 12 regional federal courts only two -- the 9th District Court in San Francisco and the 2nd District Court in New York -- have a policy of considering media requests to broadcast.

    While cameras are banned from trial courts amid fears they might have an adverse effect on witnesses and jurors, the rules are different for appeal courts -- which have neither witnesses nor jurors.

    David Madden, assistant circuit executive for public affairs at the 9th Circuit, said cameras were regularly permitted for oral argument in civil appeals cases.

    "If you recall the California governor recall election, when Arnold Schwarzenegger became governor after it -- that case was broadcast live out of our courthouse here in San Francisco. We do it particularly for very high profile cases where there's a lot of interest from the public."

    The three judges for the appeals case have been named as U.S. Circuit Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld, Senior Judge A. Wallace Tashima and Senior Judge David R. Thompson.

    #2
    I would suspect that watching RCALF present their case would give most of us heartburn !!!

    Comment


      #3
      The Canadian and probably the North American consumer as well will hear R-Calf tell them Canadian beef (and by inference U.S. beef) is not safe to eat. It just keeps getting worse.

      I wonder if the CBC and other TV networks could be lobbied to reconsider carrying the R-Calf message to consumers. There is simply no validity to the R-Calf message yet because they are controversial and sensational they get press. Surely our government could speak to the CBC and discourage this broadcast.

      R-Calf is playing a very dangerous game. I cannot understand how the U.S. cattleman tolerates it.

      Comment


        #4
        Given the fact that the Conservatives have been granted permission to make their case in court, you would think that Martin and crew would not want it broadcast on the CBC.

        Comment


          #5
          If I recall, it was Belinda Stronach that spearheaded the Conservatives appeal of the R-Calf ruling.

          See: http://www.appletonlaw.com/cases/MPs_Motion_to_Intervene.pdf

          But my concern was that televising the appeal would only give a forum to R-Calf and their 67 supporters to spread the message that our beef and all beef is not safe to eat. The Conservatives and other groups like the CCA that have filed Amicus Briefs would likely not even get to speak to their brief. Even if they did, it will be R-Calf's negative message that sticks in the consumers memory.

          Comment


            #6
            R-Calf will be partying in Reno on July 13.....

            "June 21, 2005

            First Ever Regional Membership Meeting
            Slated for July 13 in Reno, Nev.

            (Billings, Mont.) – R-CALF USA members will have an opportunity to participate in the organization’s first summer regional meeting, slated for July 13 in Reno, Nev., titled “Now, More Than Ever: Challenges and Changes in the U.S. Cattle Industry.”

            “This will be a great way for members to get updates on R-CALF efforts to address the challenges and opportunities that face the industry today,” said R-CALF USA Region IV Director Jon Wooster. “We want producers to understand the importance of becoming involved in R-CALF. We are the only national organization that works to provide fair, competitive markets and continued profitability for U.S. cattle producers, and we also work to maintain the highest standards of beef production for consumers.”

            The meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. PDT, with registration to begin at 1 p.m. PDT. The event will be held in the Mandalay Ballroom of the Circus Circus Hotel and Resort, 500 N. Sierra St., in Reno, Nev. R-CALF USA has blocked off rooms for a rate of $65. To make reservations at this rate, call 1-866-447-7728, and identify yourself as part of R-CALF USA.

            First on the agenda at 3:15 p.m. PDT is Robert Taylor, Ph.D., agricultural economics professor at Auburn State University, Auburn, Ala., specializing in the industrial organization of the U.S. livestock sector. Taylor will give an overview of captive supply impacts presented in the Pickett v. Tyson case. He was an expert witness for the plaintiffs in that litigation.

            Scheduled to take the floor at 4 p.m. PDT is R-CALF USA Region VI Director Max Thornsberry, a veterinarian from Richland, Mo., who will discuss the current bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) situation. Thornsberry chairs R-CALF USA’s BSE Committee, and is a past president of both the Missouri Stockgrower’s Association and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. He owns TNT Cattle Co., a certified feeder calf preconditioning enterprise; Avanco Feeds, a veterinary and nutrition company that serves beef, dairy, swine and companion animal owners in central Missouri; and Cattle Baron Specialty Meats, a value-added meat-processing facility.

            After a short break, R-CALF USA President and Co-Founder Leo McDonnell is on deck at 5:15 p.m. PDT to discuss the organization’s goals for the U.S. cattle industry. McDonnell owns Midland Bull Test in Columbus, Mont., the largest seed stock operation in North America.

            At 6 p.m. PDT, R-CALF USA International Trade Committee Co-Chair Dennis McDonald will give a report on the organization’s fact-finding trip to Central America, a mission to study impacts to the U.S. cattle industry should Congress pass the U.S.-Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). McDonald also is a current appointee to the U.S. Senate Agricultural Advisory Panel on Trade – WTO, and also serves as the current president of Montana Cattlemen’s Association. McDonald operates a cow/calf business and raises registered Quarter Horses near Melville, Mont.

            McDonnell will close out the meeting with a few brief comments at 5:45 p.m. PDT.

            Sponsors for the regional meeting include: No-Bull Enterprises; MIX30-AgriDyne; Powder River Livestock Handling Equipment; Anipro Xtraformance Feeds; Pfizer Animal Health; and, Ainsworth Feedyards, Ainsworth, Neb."

            I don't quite know what to think about this timing. I also DO know what to think about the Pfizer sponsorship, and you can bet I'll be talking to the sales rep about it!

            Televising this thing has potential to be good, if our side wins. I would hope the Canadian consumer has enough sense to recognize crass protectionism and self centered shortsightedness when they see it.

            If by some miracle the CBC puts out an unbiased representation, and the court opens the border, perhaps the message will hit home once and for all just how goofy this whole thing has been from the start.

            Problem with that is we're at the mercy of the CBC, and that makes me very uncomfortable.

            Comment


              #7
              How fitting that R-calf is having their "meeting" at the "Circus Circus"!!

              Good place for a bunch of clowns and snake-oil salesmen!!!
              TOOO FUNNY!!!!

              Pfizer and Powder River products are taboo around here from now on,too.

              Comment

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