Alberta Government or CWB website

[wmoebis]

I was passing on the info as I recieved it. I don't know whether Mr.schell was privy to the CWB's cost on this or not. I would question why he should be, when we aren't, as it is our money.

I believe that all expenditures of all transactions that are not directly related to the sale of grain should be posted on the CWB web site. Open and transparent. We should be made aware of all endevors past, future and presant that the CWB is undertaking on our behalf. Accountability.

If the CWB is building weather stations, or what ever, with money from our grain sales I feel we have the right to be asked if this is where we want to invest our money. Furture more, it should be the most cost effective way of achieving the goals that it is set out to do.

If the CWB was open about ALL expenditures of our money I believe that a lot of questions and accusations, that we all have, would be answered and alleviated. If supporting a group of people to tour the port is going to increase my bottom line I say, go for it. Other wise I don't want to even pay a farmer relations wage to organize it.

With tight margins that we are faced with we are all scrutinizing our expenses and the CWB is one of our expenses. They have to expect to be scrutinized and questioned on each and every dollar that they are spending on our behalf.

You can be sure that at the end of the day our bankers and accountants will be going over our books with a fine toothed comb. I wonder what they would say if we told them that "I could have made that payment on my tractor, but I built a weather station in Frontier instead".

These issues have absolutly nothing to do with monopoly, single desk selling or dual marketing they have every thing to do with open, transparent accountability.

In my opinion, untill we are operating in a market place where our money after the sale is made ,at least, is all accounted for and is there for us to see where it has gone and that the industry, as a whole, is operating with integraty on our behalf using my commodities, so I can see the true value of my commodity then and only then can I or any one else, in my opinion, make a true judgement on the value of monopoly or any other method of disposition of commodities. Whether it be grain,cattle,pigs,milk,hay or goats.

Don't get me wrong I am not accusing anyone of miss managing or using my money. I don't have any records of how my money is being spent or what value I get out of it.

I would like to see them so I can make an open minded, honest opinion.

[wmoebis]

On the lighter side guys.

Maybe we will be able to predict the weather better than the weather men. Not wrong AS often.

[mschell]

Hi All.

A friend of mine from Alberta told me that there was some discussion in this forum using my name. So, I thought I would chime in and see what was being said.

First of all Mr Moebis, I think it was rather unfair and sneaky of you to contact me only to post my words without my approval to try and support your argument against the CWB. I thought you were genuinely interested in the project. For the record, the reason that I did not provide the exact amount SWT contributed for the weather stations is because SWT's expenditures are private and I cannot divulge those amounts without my Board of Director's approval. I will tell you that the units in question are surprisingly inexpensive.

The trip to Vancouver that was attended by some of my staff and our Board was paid for entirely by SWT. The CWB merely organized the tour. In fact, the CWB arrange trips like this each year and anyone that wants to attend can do so provided he is willing to pay his own way. You only have to contact your local CWB Farm Business Rep.

I also find it rather ironic that the person asking "Why are website owners anonymous?" has a name called Incognito.

Intricate Networks is managed separately from SWT. My understanding is that some area farmers approached Intricate and asked if they could develop a forum where info could be exchanged about the CWB. SWT or the CWB is not involved in this forum. In fact, I was actually at a convention out of the country when this forum was set up.

It appears from the flavor of some of the posts that many believe that there is some secret relationship between SWT and the CWB. I can only tell you that we have close relationships with all industry players including the CPR, the CNR, ITAC, the CGC, Rahr Malting, Cargill, A/U, JKI, the CWB as well as any other organization that is involved in the grain trade. Afterall, my objective is to move as much grain from the farmers that own SWT and make a profit that is returned to those farmers. The only way to achieve that is through strong, healthy, relationships.


Mark Schell

[TOM4CWB]

Dear Mark;

Incognito wanted to use his own real name... and did for a while... until the Agriville Management MADE him scrap his own name.

I heard a good one at Grain World;

The CWB is NEVER wrong... it has just become less right!

[parsley]

mshnell,

You have certainly tried to put wmoebis in his place.

You have made it abundantly clear to farmers on this website that SouthWest's relationship with agri-business is cozy, but is your personal attack on wmoebis a reflection of South West Terminal's attitude towards farmers?

He simply wanted to know where/how farmers' money is being spent. I would guess that a reporter could ask and get a more definitive answer.

"How much cash did the CWB give/spend on this weather partnership with SW Terminal?", of course leads to how many other terminals are "partnering" on farmer money. It adds up when you're shelling it out, mschnell.

That's the REAL point wmoebis was trying to make.

How much cash did the CWB give/spend on this Vancouver trip with SW Terminal?

Either:

1. Robert Chapman was volunteering his organizational time to SW

OR

2. Robert Chapman was being paid by farmers (via the CWB), in which case wmoebis has every right to question where his money is going.

Which is it, mschnell?

If it was the former, Chapman needs an apology. He can do whatever he wants in his spare time.

If it was the latter, make sure you understand that farmers have every right to question what their money is being spent on.

He asked. SouthWest declined.
And the CWB will do the same.

That is a "close relationship", indeed.


Parsley

[parsley]

wmoebis,

There is an education tax on famland in Saskatchewan. The Government gradually committed less and less money for funding education, and gradually taxed landowners more and more to make up the deficit in education spending.

In some areas, landowners are now paying over 90% of education costs.

Only the Government and the teachers are allowed at the negotiation table, deciding how the money will be spent.
(CWB and aindustry)

The funding-landowners are banned.

The teachers and the Government, too, had a "close relationship".

Landowners fought back.

On April 1, 2006, the Saskatchewan government will be adding 52.8 Million targeted to relief of farmland taxing. This will translate into a 38% reduction to the education portion of property taxes for farmland and will be a permanent funding.

The CWB funds everbody and everything with your money to keep the monopoly.
And farmers have quietly paid and paid and paid.

I understand that the Inland Terminal Association just came out with a position to support the single desk. Why wouldn't they? The CWB is their cash cow.

But how much money do farmers get from the pooling accounts?

Remember what I have posted so many times, wmoebis:

Humiliation, alienation, intimidation.

All tactics to keep the farmer 'in his place'.

Farmers will pay and pay more until you begin to question.

Parsley

[Incognito]

Thanks for taking a shot at my screen name. That happens when you are close to the truth.

I dont buy for a minute your cover up story:

1) a group of farmers approached SWT
2) I was away

You are a private company and have chosen to hide behind that veil and are not required to answer questons to the general public but your partner may.

Perhaps Cargill will answer the questons, as they have a larger vested interest in the Canadian grain industry than their share in SWT and farmers may want to know what they are and are not promoting through a website that they own at SWT.

So if you really want to know, phone Cargill.

[Incognito]

Hey mschell:

How come the CWBFORUM site never gets updated on weekends or after 5:00 on weekdays?

Those farmers who run the website must have 9-5 jobs from Monday to Friday just like your staff.

[parsley]

If I was on the B of D of South West terminal, I would tell mschnell not reply to you incognito.


1.First of all, it wasn't a good idea for mschnell to flog the farmer who guarantees SW's profit will continue.

mschnell attacked wmoebis, (who has been a Board supporter on Agri-ville), even if wmoebis is beginning to ask some important questions, like why is there no money in my pooling accounts and where has my money gone? Maybe mschnell could take him on one of those CWB organized trips, to kiss and 'make up'.

2. Secondly, it is bad business, to keep alive, the idea that big bad Terminals/business/corpoations are lobbying to KEEP the CWB!

mschnell carefully defined South West's "close relationships with all industry players including the CPR, the CNR, ITAC, the CGC, Rahr Malting, Cargill, A/U, JKI, the CWB as well as any other organization that is involved in the grain trade".

Believe him. They are close.

That is in stark contrast to what farmers have been told. The CWB and their partners have spent millions convincing the "little farmer" that the Terminals/business/corpoations actually hate the CWB.


They don't.

As mschnell says:

"Afterall, my objective is to move as much grain from the farmers that own SWT and make a profit that is returned to those farmers"

Couldn't be plainer.

Parsley