Interesting report from the CBC

[Fransisco]

Some folks just can't get over their desire for free government money. I've never really understood why someone would actually want to be a welfare bum.

[LWeber]

Franny:

I'm trying to determine if you walk the talk and sent the welfare cheques back or if you are a hypocrite.

Since you began farming, have you ever cashed a cheque from the Government of Canada or the Government of Manitoba as it relates to agriculture - a cheque that taxpayers funded?

a Yes or No answer is that is required.

[charliep]

Larry

Just to clear, are you saying that negotiators gave up government
guarantees too quickly with limited offset by other WTO countries
(realizing nobody has given up anything at WTO including Canada
since nothing has been agreed to)? Or the CWB government
guarantees provide a net benefit that farmers should be
compensated for if they are lost in negotiations? What is the
benefit and how do measure it? Covering transactional risk?
Guaranteeing initial payments? Is there no other lower cost way to
do this?

If compensation is made should it be to all farmers as individual
payout for losses or a lump sum payment to a new type of CWB that
allows them to set up a contingency fund or some other mechanism
that will increase their chance of survival?

[Fransisco]

It's kind of a silly question Larry, here's what it looks like in reverse.

Have you ever been part of a transaction in which there was no government money involved? If so then you must be a hypocrite as well.

Yes, I've cashed my share of government cheques. I don't think there's a farmer out there who hasn't. So what! That doesn't make it right. That doesn't mean I have to like it. And it certainly doesn't mean I can't say so when somebody goes cap in hand, supposedly on my behalf, for another B-train full of taxpayers money.

There's lots of things about my farm, farming and my colleagues that I am proud of. There are a lot of smart, honest, hard working, productive people in the ag sector.

But I have to admit that I am embarrassed by all of the ones who feel that the world owes them a living, who wake up every morning looking for the next handout and cry themselves to sleep every night because the crow is dead. It was a stupid policy that never should have been implemented in the first place. Get over it already.

I don't want or need any compensation for making the wheat board voluntary. Kodiak's right, if anything we should be asking for compensation if they DON'T remove the monopoly.

[parsley]

Has the Federal Government met their financial obligations the debts they accumulated pre termination time?

Has anyone on this thread spent time doing an accounting of the debts still owing on foreign sales? And owing from Government-terminated wheat sales?

Good thing to check.

The Federal Government would undoubtdly be more than happy to download their financial burdens on farmers.

Pars

[bduke]

The last info I had is that credit sales were
guaranteed by the GoC.... and the Gov't would
rather pay the 3 to 5 per cent interest over the BoC
rate than absorb the debt.

By paying this interest to the CWB the loans were
technically being serviced, and hence no breach of
accounting rules.

However, that was for sales of many years ago, so
your point is well taken.

Does anyone know if the CWB has sold grain on
credit with out the GoC guarantee?

The BoD should know.... Bill

[parsley]

Well, I'm not exactly sure if farmers should accept what appears to be magic bookeeping that is being presented, either.

Quite a lot of grunt work was done, and the numbers still owing, are not pretty.

Nice pile of manure on the Government's stoneboat.

A decimal is quite important, right Bill? LOL Pars

[bduke]

I agree... a decimal can be very important.

I've heard a period can be extremely important also!

LOL.... Bill

[parsley]

Scheesch, charliep, I'll let you answer that one.

[haveapulse]

If compensation is made should it be to all farmers as individual
payout for losses or a lump sum payment to a new type of CWB that
allows them to set up a contingency fund or some other mechanism
that will increase their chance of survival? Charlie is right on.

Francisco it may be a difficult concept for you (however I note the WWGA were happy to support the dirction of farmer funds from rail overcharges to the Western Grains Foundations, versus vote to return the money to farmers directly (must be charity of a different sort as it seems a bit at odds with the perceived hatred of hand outs, or is it OK if it is handovers?) It is a fact of life that governments intervene in industry and economies, and that the CWB intervention has created inefficiencies which we have paid for.

Perhaps farmers should be simply grateful to be released from the prison and that is sufficient.

But I expect the change in trade patterns will add for a period of time a cost of adjustment.

I believe we have cause to ask the Gov. for contingency funds, to assist in the transitional costs which will occur. Indeed if support for dual marketing is real, the ability to adequately define a decent mechanism of execution should be order.