DEAL or NO DEAL

[rockpile]

Gentlemen, I've gone from peddling grain to forcing you to buy my natural gas or freeze in hell, in the last couple of years. I have to admit, Tom 4 and I are diametrically opposed on some points of view, but I do agree with him on one thing - you better get your act together and start co-operating. The fact is, it might even be too late now. The CWB debate raises some interesting questions that I would like to pose-
1.Where would price discovery occur?
2.What would happen to the premium on Malt, as relative to US prices?
3. What is the durum market and who are the buyers?
4. What is a price premium?

[rockpile]

Gentlemen:
With or without a CWB, none, and I emphasize, none of you have ever had the foresight to display the future, one way or the other. Guaranteed, the Grain companies, the RR's and all other interested parties have played through this whole exercise - once more the farmer 'politicians' will be the fodder. What price expectations do you have - higher prices without the CWB, or freedom to pick prices without the CWB? From the threads I've seen recently, I must say that there is a large constituency, even pre-Tom 4, or myself, that don't have a clue as to how rough it can get. As much as anyone may hate the status-quo, keep in mind that with structual change under Nafta, there is no going back. Finally, for all you CWB haters, if you don't like the current performance parameters, then sell your farms and go start diggin ditches, cause the fact is, you ain't applying managerial skill sets, and in the real world, there is no promotion for bitchers. Tom 4, I do have a new level of respect for you. Adam Smith and Francisco, I think you guys work for the Govt, you sure as hell don't know the meaning of sweat-equity. For the rest of you - here is a heads up. Strahl - B.C. M.P. - with all the Prairie Mp'S - why him? Adm - owns most of all western grain handling - B Mulhroney on Board of Dirs. Paul Newman_- do we have a failure to communicate? Please, people, if not this, then what, don't prattle on about utopia- prepare for the new reality - Tom has.
Rockpile

[wilagro]

Most of the Anti-CWBers think that after the CWB is gone a magic wand will appear and a cloud of pixie dust will fall from the heavens along with buckets of extra dollars and KABLAM their farms will be profitable for the first time ever and the only true Utopia will have arrived.

Glory, hallelujah.

[silverback]

What kind of innovation have we seen with the cwb in place for the past 60 years rock?

How have they helped us get set for the next 60?

How have farmers had to adapt? The only way was to get bigger or get out of the way.

Those that have tried something new or different were either shut down or put in jail. Do you think other farmers don't notice those things? We are basically all law abiding citizens who usually don't like going to jail for trying to sell our own products.

Getting the cwb out of the middle will let some of us start the process of finding a more profitable future. There are plans here of forming some joint ventures or (gasp) co-ops and that will be just the start.

No more boys from the liberal party telling us to calm down and just grow grain. Some of us want to control our own lives and if we fail it will be our doing and not by the dogma from the throne in winnipeg or ottawa.

Thanks for the fearmongering though.

[just_wondering]

ADAM SMITH
Stephen Harper should challenge Dion and the Liberals that if they (the Liberals) can even take just ONE rural grain growing Western Canadian riding from the Conservatives in the next election

What do we do if Dion takes the deal? Then Ralph Goodale wins his seat again, do I still have to follow their Dogma?

[AdamSmith]

JW

the deal is the libs have to take one FROM the cons.

ie a switch from con to lib in a rural designated area riding.

[just_wondering]

we should take that bet.

I wonder how Easter's farm voters like him spending all of his time on the CWB, and bashing Harper every chance he gets.
I'll have to look up how close that riding was and if the rural vote was what got Wayne elected?
International stuff plays well but all elections are local