Unofficial election results

[parsley]

Zeefarmer,
Hoping the boys enjoy Stiuie as their dedicated
representative.
He will certainly work hard to add lentils and flax
to the single stick. And with a little luck for him,
he'll put oats back under the single stick so that
Penner will have written his last hurrah in the
National Post, did you read it, it is well done,

And also the oats under the CWB will be great in
the tubs and saunas salons sure to be added to
Main Street in Winnipeg;after all the stressed
staff need bonuses and raises for Christmas.

I am going to give you a well meant
message:unless you work hard, and focus on
making sure Canadians understand that the grain
you grow is YOURS and not Laytons, they will
indeed take it from you.

You will get what you derserve.

You don't know how to fight.

Your scrapper, Pars

[parsley]

Kodiak

Myobservation is that Ritz dealt face too face with
farm representatives who didn't have a clue what
they were doing because they were too busy
looking for an advancement for themselves, and
sold out.

We need hardliners negotiating.

Know what I mean? Pars

[freewheat]

congrats in district 7 Burbert, er I mean
Kyle.

What a frickin' joke.

[grassfarmer]

Kodiak,
"It's quite obvious that an increasing percentage of farmers, and a majority, are viewing CWB director elections as irrelevant, or an ineffective way of improving the business environment for their farms. There is no other way of explaining the low, and declining participation in the process.
The responsibility to make it relevant lies squarely with the Minister."

For a democracy to flourish shouldn't the responsibility always lie with the voter?

[charliep]

Will highlight the CWB annual survey and just highlight slide 8 and 9.

Older voters (I'm in that category) are more likely to express themselves democratically than younger voters.

Alberta is different than other provinces.

[URL="http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/farmers/surveys/producer/pdf/survey_060910.pdf"]2010 producer survey[/URL]

[Kodiak]

The CWB is a democracy? Don't think so. That would entail a new definition of democracy. Can a quasi-commercial entity, which does not have a voluntary membership, be categorized as a democracy?
Maybe if you really stretch your imagination.

[charliep]

Perhaps the governace issue is the thorniest and area of biggest
landmines for both the federal government and the CWB. Is the CWB a
political organization that looks after the interests of stakeholders that
vote for it or a business organization that looks after its commericial
interests? Will be interesting down the road when the CWB has a
contingency of 1 billion dollars to provide backing in a world of no
government guarantees.

Way off topic of the election. Sorry about that.

[parsley]

Grassy,
The CWB use farmers' money to work against
farmers and the amount is obscene

They should be thrown out on their collective
ears, into snow on sides of Portage an Main with
no money for even a gd taxi.
Nice thought.

Raining where I am. Pars

[parsley]

Charliep,
The shitface types who wear a cwb tie at the mgx
will whizz through $1B the same way they whiz in
the mens' room with the resident valet holding
toiletries and condoms. Pars.

[Kodiak]

Charlie, you're not off topic at all. I believe the reason for low voter turnout lies in your question.
Some see it as a political organization, and no doubt its board likes to imagine itself as that. They are quick to remind us they think their role is to influence, or even make policy.
Others see it as a commercial organization with a defined marketing role. These farmers are less likely to vote with a ballot, and more likely to vote with their business.
As long as the CWB is not clearly one or the other, farmers will continue to respond in different ways, depending on how they see it. And it is likely that voter turnout in director elections will continue to decline based on the demographics as you note in the CWB survey and on the uncertain function of the CWB itself.
(would note that the fact that the CWB polls farmers with a survey that tries harder to get at political issues rather than commercial performance tells you what the CWB thinks of itself)