Cwb wants farmer vote.

[samhill]

I believe it is up to citizens to defend their rights
and that the rights of the individual are paramount.
I don't know what the many many lawyers argued,
but I know that the courts are not always judicious.
I also know that lawyers are known to make
compromises that are not in the best interest of
their clients, but the lawyers always benefit. If they
(lawyers) could not present this argument
successfully then there is a large problem with the
judiciary in this country. If we expect parliament to
change this then it is Stephen Harper who will do it
and the CWB and their farmer vote or not should
have no say in the matter.

[TOM4CWB]

Samhill,

I agree. Good to hear from you! What part of Canada are you from?

[sumdumguy]

I'm sure the board directors can shove their
policies down their faithful followers throats now,
as for the rest of us- see you later.

[parsley]

samhill..
The CWB is legally obligated to sell yr grain for what they think is reasonable. Not best price.

The CWB liceingin part of the act, requires all barley and wheat loads to sport a CWB license to cross the border. The Board issues free licenses to all but The Designated Area.
The Bof D sit on the left side of their fat haunches and deny Western farmers export licenses.

That deny-policy is blatant discimination. Pars

[sumdumguy]

What happened to Vader? Must be gulping for air.

[parsley]

sumdum,
Nope.

Two days in the outhouse
Sittin on the throne
Fear a goosin' through him
Finger on the phone

Waitin for the dread-call
Puckered lips and ass
Bein told the Board's done
Causes still more gas.

[sumdumguy]

Maybe he's busy making ballots for dead cats.

[buzz]

parsley you are quite a poet...

[jdepape]

Thanks to Fransisco for posting my earlier article on leadership and the single desk. Here's a followup:

“I BELIEVE IN DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES”

Concerned about my assertion that the future of the single desk shouldn’t be left up to permit book holders, someone calling himself (or herself) “I believe in democratic principles” wrote this on my blog:

“Why should a school teacher, truck driver or shop keeper have any say in how I run my business and market my grain? Do I have a say in how much of a raise the teachers get or how much the shop keeper charges for his product? As for if a person votes conservative it doesn’t mean they support their entire mandate. A person would hope that they would leave it up to the people that grow the grain to decide how to market it, not everyone that lives in the MP’s riding.”

Since I guess I wasn’t very clear before, here’s my take on it.

It has never been proven that the single desk of the CWB adds any revenue to the farmers of Western Canada. The CWB has argued (supported by studies commissioned by the CWB) that it gets higher prices on behalf of farmers than they would in an open market.

Unfortunately, they don’t take into consideration enough to make the arguments comprehensive. They don’t address the fact that the CWB costs are higher than the premiums they allegedly get (last year the CWB reported costs of over $10/tonne and premiums of about $6/tonne - a net drain on farmer revenues). In recent years, US spring wheat farmers could sell their whole production at the lowest price of the year and still get more than Western Canadian farmers get through the CWB.
In addition, they have never considered the impact the CWB has on non-CWB crops. I previously showed the prices of non-CWB crops such as canola and peas are lower because of the CWB. So the CWB is a drag on all farmers – even those that don’t grow or sell CWB grains.

A farmer once told me “I don’t care if the CWB gets me the best price or not; it’s more important to me that we all get the same price.” To me, this is selfish and narrow-minded. And the fundamental flaw with the CWB.

So much is sacrificed for the sake of equality. With the CWB system, farmers receive less for their efforts, regardless of what they are growing. But farming is the foundation of rural economies across the prairies. When farming is bad, so is everything else. When farming is good, everyone gains. Everyone on the prairies likes high grain prices because farmers spend more on trucks, tools and taxes. Local economies do better when farmers make more money.

And when farming is bad enough, taxpayers – through government programs – get tapped to provide support for farmers. Everyone – and I mean everyone – has a stake in how farmers fare. When there is evidence that the CWB is creating a drain on rural economies, it hurts us all. In an open and competitive market, market forces favour those that are creating the best opportunities through the simple ability to choose. But when a quasi-governmental organization with a monopoly is the impediment of wealth creation, its future cannot be left up to those that would selfishly keep it at any cost.

I agree with the reader that brought this up; farmers should have the right to decide how to market their grain. Absolutely. But when it comes at a cost that we all bear, they lose the right to mandate it over the rest of us. If it was clear and undeniable that the CWB created wealth for Western Canada, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

I believe in economic or “market” principles. Because there is nothing more democratic than the market.

END

Just to be clear - again:

1. The CWB should be voluntary
2. No one group (farmers) should have a say over the CWB when it impacts (hurts) everyone.
3. Someone should grow a couple and just do the right thing - it's called leadership.