"Not the Canadian Way" Quote from Ken Ritter

[bobn]

"The head of the Canadian Wheat Board, Ken Ritter, criticized the farmers' refusal to follow rules and then insist on being jailed as grandstanding.

Such protests are "not the Canadian way," Ritter said. "In Canada we debate, we discuss, we compromise and we believe in democracy."

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2002/10/31/farmers_021031

According to Ken Ritter democracy is at work in Canada. Mr. Ritter's own example of democracy smacks of pure Chretienism! He should include lying in his quote!

When Mr. Ritter ran for CWB director in this region, he ran on a platform of "Supporting Market Choice". However after he was elected he quickly changed his mind to being a strong supporter and defender of the monopoly.

He claims he was persuaded to this position. This is pure bunk! I was told at the time of the election that another candidate running on a platform of "Keeping the Monopoly" was telling his supporters to pick "Ken Ritter" as their second choice on the ballot as Ken was really a supporter of the monopoly. Ken's reward for this liberal style politicking was to become the CEO of the CWB. For those that believe change at the CWB will happen through democracy, please wake up!

[TOM4CWB]

Bobn;

Further, I find it ironic that the CWB Ministers own Western Grain Marketing Panel had many unanomous "Canadian compromises", yet Chairman Ritter refuses not issue the Free export licenses as requested by this Report!

Organic products were recomended to be released from the single desk.

If the WGMP Report had been heeded, those changes if implemented would have gone a mile to acting as a saftey release on the building pressure on the CWB.

Chairman Ritter, and Director Flaman are getting exactly what the CWB deserves... no respect... as we are getting no satisfaction!

[bobn]

TOM4CWB,

Excellent points!

Another important issue I believe is the fact that this monopoly was never actually voted in by farmers. Why is it so important that it has to be voted out?

This comparison of Ritter's with Microsoft is absurd. I don't see the government sending anyone to jail because they sold an Apple computer. I don't see any customers complaining about having one of the most productive tools at their fingertips that we've ever seen. Gates has made computers that used to cost millions now available for a few thousand dollars. I can't think of one innovation from the CWB in all of it's 57 years existence.

Ritter also compared the CWB to other Marketing Boards in other parts of Canada and the world. He neglected to mention that those boards actually can set their own prices at a profitable level, something impossible in Canada with wheat and barley.

[TOM4CWB]

Bobn;

Unless the CWB had the power to stop imports, which it had 25yrs ago... it has no power to extract premium prices in the domestic market.

Contrary to CWB propaganda, the rest of the world is a multi-seller system, in which the CWB is only, now, but a very small player.

The CWB must compete against the lowest priced grain on the planet...

Plus the CWB has the odasity to admit that it "price discriminates" or low balls sales in competition with other lower quality grain products!

Take a look at Jan 2002 sales values reported in the CWB's Grain Matters...

2CWRS at $2.95/bu CANADIAN

SHAME

And the CWB says this is extracting a premium?

Plus the CWB was so proud for blowing all this 2001-02 wheat out the export spout... lowering inventories to the lowest in years... at the lowest value VS cost of production in decades!

If this was foresight and expert marketing advice... what will we do when the CWB actually makes a mistake...?