Jeff Nielsen CWB district 2 director candidate

[Jeff Nielsen]

Well Parsley beat me to the punch here, and that's ok! I look forward to comments and questions!

Jeff Nielsen


September 8, 2008

Choice supporters!

Today I would like to draw your attention to my web site www.jeff4cwb.ca which will provide you with information on me personally and my campaign to be your CWB director. Additionally there are pages and links to information on the campaign in the web site.

On the platform and biography pages, there is a printable version of my platform available by hitting the tab at the bottom of the page. Perhaps this might be something you could hand out to your neighbours that may not have computer access or be aware of the site.

There is also a constituency map page. It might surprise you how large of an area district 2 covers. If you know producers in other parts of the district 2 that you can forward this web site on to it would be very much appreciated.

There are a couple of issues I’d like to emphasis today.

Firstly, district 2 has not had an election since 2000, therefore I would ask you to have a look at the voting for real choice page to refresh your memory on how to mark your ballot.

Secondly, changes to election rules this year allow any producer who has grown one or any of the seven major grains - wheat, barley, oats, flax, rye, canola or ****seed the right to obtain a ballot and vote. Visit the who can vote and how page on the web site for more Information. If you wish to vote, and have any questions, please give me a call and we can go through the process together.

Finally I’d like to ask for you support in two areas.

1. In contributing to my campaign - if you wish to help us out with this campaign - you can do so by going to the contributions page. There is a PayPal link there to donate via credit cards, or you can send a cheque made payable to Jeff Nielsen, (and marked CWB campaign donation), and mailing it to my address on the contact page. Donations can also be made directly at any Bank of Montreal. Call me for the account information.

2. I would also request you forward this email to producers in your address book who you know would like to have this information. I would really appreciate your help in getting my message out for real marketing choice.

In closing I want you to know that I am committed to real marketing choice and will build on the strong tradition of Jim Chatenay in representing the interests of farmers in district 2.

Warm regards,

Jeff Nielsen
RR #1, Site 12, Box 8
Olds, AB T4H 1P2
Cell: 403.556.0408
jeff@jeff4cwb.ca

Your first choice for Canadian Wheat Board Director in District 2!

[parsley]

Congratulations on letting your name stand. Coming from Chatenay's District, I'm hopeful you will be well grounded in remaining committed to marketing choice if you are elected, and not "wobble" in your committement , nor abandon it, as have some in other districts.


Did you find Jeff, that when you represented the WCBGA at the WTO in Geneva last month, that there was any angst, in the backrooms, by other representatives from other countries, against the CWB for the CWB's position on maintaining the single desk, or was it a non-issue?

Parsley

[GrainBeetle]

what will you do with moneies earned from this elected position?

[Jeff Nielsen]

For those that wish to ask questions, please email me or call. Being that I am who I say I am here, I'd prefer to answer questions from those who have a real name and preferred are actual producers.
Grainbeatle, CWB director fees are recorded in the CWB annual report. Perhaps a good place to start is to ask what the current directors have used their fees for.
I look forward to your email grainbeatle!
Jeff Nielsen

[parsley]

GrainBeetle,

I'm surprised you'd ask!

Wouldn't he do exactly what you and I would do with our earnings...buy mounted replica-specimens of giant butterflies from Borneo, identified by their Latin names, and then hand paint them by comparing them to the orginals?

I will email you, Jeff, and thanks.

Parsley

[LWeber]

The correct answer is pool the director's monies earned and get Beetle to manage the pool.

Fiduciary responsible directors get the same pay as say someone who attends 1/2 the BOD meetings and no consideration will be given to their proximity to 423 Main.

Those who eat less lunch at the BOD table won't be rewarded; those who eat more - not penalized.

The pooling system won't allow travel outside of western Canada without an export permit.

Buy backs for travel are the same for all directors and the cost will be decided in the manner the weatherbug vane is pointed that day.

A tried and true recipe for success.

[bucket]

Jeff

What do you think of the following ideas:

1. Once you commit tonnes to the cwb, they have to accept by a certain date or allow a producer to do as he pleases and that includes an export license free of charge.

2. US catchment area like the churchill catchment area where producers get a premium for being in a geographic area around chuchill.

3. Paying farmers the same storage charges as those paid for in montreal.

4. Reducing staff proportionally to the loss in number of actual producers.

5. Coming up with a system where we actually get a premium over the US producer.

6. Reduce the freight paid on wheat and barley if it is shipped direct to a mill or maltster. If grain doesn't see the inside of a rail car why should a producer pay the freight to the coast. On malt barley the producer pays the maltster's cost of freight to the coast. Go tell IPSCO to pay the cost of freight to get a new piece of machinery from John Deere,Case etc to my farm. Not likely going to happen, so why do producers have to pay someone else's cost of production. Elevation at the mills is a cost of production why does the farmers pay it.

[bduke]

Thanks for the levity tonight folks...its very the****utic this "harvest".

Jeff...I am also curious if Canada's credibility is noticeably affected by our official trade policy. I sat on the Ag Food and Beverage SAGIT in the late 80's, and we were certainly deemed neutered back then.....Bill

[bduke]

Sorry Jeff.....I intended to congratulate you in my previous post for being a candidate this fall.

Congratulations!.....Bill

[bduke]

Sorry Jeff.....I intended to congratulate you in my previous post for your candidacy.

Congratulations!.....Bill

[agstar77]

While I respect anyone who runs for a director position, I can't help but think his previous stance against the CWB will not be an asset. But who knows , maybe he will be turned to the Dark Side!

[Jeff Nielsen]

As I have asked prefer to answer questions one on one via emails, please write to jeff@jeff4cwb.ca
Bucket, I have printed your ideas off and will keep them with me. You got some good ones there that will have to be brought forward to the BOD for their considerations. I hope we have a new more progressive BOD and these ideas can be fully vetted and acted on.
Dduke(Bill) thanks for the congrats, I'll have to review our official trade policy , perhaps you can send me some more information on this.
In my trips to the WTO on behalf of grains, oilseed, pulse,beef and pork producers we fought our own internal battles that has divided this great country. This being our needs for free-er trade and supply management's need to maintain its status quo.
Jeff

[Jeff Nielsen]

Agstar
perhaps you need to visit my web site and read it. I am dedicated to choice marketing, and nothing will deter my goals of working towards that. Not just for the producers in district 2 - that for 10 years now elected a director committed choice - but for all producers of western Canada that want the same, a choice to market their own grains how ever they please.
Jeff

[agstar77]

So the CWB loses its control over farmer sales. How do you envision the free market working with what is essentially a grain broker? How will the brand integrity of Canadian grains be maintained or does it matter? Do we go for a free for all system as in the U.S.? Who guarantees payment and there is a real competitive market? Viterra basically wants all the market. Will grain companies work for better transport rates? If the U.S. decides they don't want you sending grain across the border individually, who will argue for you?

[parsley]

agstar wants his twenty-questions answered 'right now' before you even get elected, yet he doesn't seem to mind the CWB consistently explaining to the courts that the CWB has NO accountability to farmers, that they they are accountable only to the Board itself. Hmmm.

You'd think agstar would want to fix the corner post on his own corral before he turns his questions out.

Chatenay was the DA farmers' "go-to" guy that always had the patience and took the time to answer questions and I suspect Jeff, if you get elected, you'll get the same bulk of questions, and have already been swamped.

Parsley