Review of the CWB Election - Kevin Bender, WCWGA

[Hopperbin]

I hate CWB options of marketting. Totally ***@# up. I want the option to hold grain and price at the world price weather it be at harvest time or any time of the year. Give me open market.

[Fransisco]

As to the significance of the elections, yes, I think we both agree there is something important in the outcome. Where we differ is on what we think is important. You view the winners as all that matters(correct me if I'm wrong). I'm trying to take a bigger picture approach by looking at where all the votes went including the ones that went in the trash can.

I'm not sure where you stand on this but I think of director elections as only one of a number of ways of trying to measure support for the single desk. It is not a perfect measure, nor is it the only one. There is also the wheat boards own annual producer surveys and the barley plebiscite from a few years ago. I would love to see a large independent producer survey done over the designated area that would ask more neutral questions than the wheat board does in theirs but so far nobodies ponied up the dough for something like that.

Whenever I try to measure something I like to try and do it as many different ways as I can. Whether its a yield monitor on a combine, my inventory in the bins or the seed and fertilizer settings on my drill I find that I'm more likely to get it right if I can do the measurement a few different ways.

So I do place significance on director elections but not the ultimate significance. They are not the final say on the matter. They're a rough measurement at best.

[Fransisco]

Let me add this to the one person one vote debate. It doesn't always happen in political parties either. Federally, the Conservatives and Liberals both use some kind of a weighted ballot system to elect their leaders. And not that long ago the NDP heavily weighted their votes in favour of labour delegates.

[Burbert]

Sooo, Kevin's of the WCWGA most brilliant idea, is that someday farmers will be able to hire someone to market THEIR grain. WOWSERS, what a visionary. Only those who sell 349 T should be allowed to vote in cwb elections, brilliant. All the rest kin go to hell, again brilliant. MINDLESS DRIVELL to say the least. Now I know fer sure why I'll never join the WCWGA, all 20 of them musta had their heads together before they made this enlightning release!!!!!!!!! Don't know why people voted in the CWB election, like they did? Fear man, fear of goofballs taking over grain marketin and developin even a stupider system fer Comedians ta sell inta....

[Fransisco]

So how's about that final payment Burbert?

[wd9]

Francisco, the CWB is an Act in legislation. We don't have shares in it and it just barely is defined as a business. ITs a government program. Share structure voting while not impossible would seem quite difficult although it would be the absolute fairest way. But the data is always a year old. What do you do with new farmers? Drought? Crop rotations in an election year? One year feed, the next my barley makes malt and i go all thru board. One year feed wheat to hogs off board next year no rain at harvest and it is milling wheat. Oy, it gets complicated in a hurry.

[TOM4CWB]

WD9,

This proves that it is the people of Alberta... and the people of Canada... that need to step up and take responsibility for this system... not just grain growers. When the CWB messes up... it costs both Provincial and Federal tax payers in safety net payments (no wonder Burbert and BTOfarmall are waiting at the mailbox). Therefore all voters are who must be the responsible voters.

[Fransisco]

wd9 if you don't think the current system isn't complicated then you haven't looked at it closely enough.

[Fransisco]

wd9 said, "Francisco, the CWB is an Act in legislation."

Thats right it is and thats one of the reasons that director elections are not as significant as some would have us believe. The final say on things has always rested with the politicos not the farmers. 100% return rate with 100% of the votes going all in one directions wouldn't mean a thing if the folks in Ottawa want to go in the opposite direction.

[wd9]

And yet i read Minister Ritz is committed to ending the CWB, or giving marketing choice to farmers i guess more specifically. Maybe our words are different, but the end result i believe you and i want is the same. We need a minister who will actually do something is the issue here on the table, not arguing about the scraps on the floor.

When will Ritz do something?

[vvalk]

Burbert. your criticism of the WCWGA is a glowing compliment for the organization. I would be very afraid if I agreed with anything you have to say.

[monte]

I agree with Franciso's statement that the power to change the cwb is with the federal parlament...that is where the legislation can be changed.

Check the date on the Ritz statements....I think he has been Blaa..Blaa.. for years and he can't get anything done. The minority gov't can't do anything and they don't want to trade the cwb for something the bloc wants...