52% have spoken

[Fransisco]

If half don't care enough to fill out a ballot that is sent them in the mail. When they don't even have to drive to a polling station to vote. Would this half even care if the CWB no longer existed? I don't think they would.

Again the comparison to government is not a good one. If we decided to get rid of government because of low voter turnout there would be anarchy. When it comes to the CWB life would carry on without so much as a hick-up.

[LWeber]

2006 Census:

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/95-629-x/5/4124201-eng.htm#48

Total wheat farms:

MB - 7,156
SK - 24,488
AB - 11,791
BC - 237

Total - 43,672

"Total wheat" includes "Spring wheat," "Durum wheat" and "Winter wheat."

I've never been able to make sense of the number of eligible voters in CWB elections.

The CWB used to use 85,000 as the number of farmers it represents:

http://www.ccag.com.cn/downloads/a_wto_cnag_fs/AgriProd_Line_Asso/eng/%5Beng%5DCWB.ppt

Then 80,000 farmers:

http://www.nupge.ca/news_2006/n11my06a.htm

Then "75,000 farmers"

http://www.cwb.ca/public/en/about/investor/pdf/funding_factsheet.pdf

and yet less than 65,000 are eligible to vote based on the 06 and 08 elections and 22,000 less actually are classified as wheat farmers.

Add on landowners in permit books are one reason. Anyone have anything else?

[TOM4CWB]

Fransisco,

The whole election system is a BAD JOKE.

I was at a meeting last night... and a politician who supports the CWB single desk was boasting how his family farm had 4 ballots returned.... and could have had one more.

Our family had 1 ballot... and farms much more.

THis whole election is a farce... it should be one vote for each person involved in a farm... or a vote per actual farm unit.

Better yet... the farms should be selling by the true test of democracy... where they want to sell their grain to.

We had a good meeting... good discussion and lots of opinions and options... he said after the meeting.

I stared him in the eye... you mean choices... and he turned red faced.

The CWB has no legit moral authority to do what they are doing.

The single desk is dead even in Aussieland... which proves... never say never.

[LWeber]

It is like the 70's when the more permit books you had the more malt barley cars you were eligible for.

Today its the more permit books you have - the more votes you get.

How many of you have more than one permit book on your farm?

[Fransisco]

And who is more likely to apply for more permit books when the only reason for it is to get more votes? I'd argue its the monopolists.

[wilagro]

Why don't you just accept the results of the vote and quit bellyaching?

Sore loser or what?

[LWeber]

Willy:

How many permit book numbers do you have?

Is primary producer still acknowledged by 00 prefix?

Do you still have a 00?

How many 01's?

Just trying to rationalize the 2006 census to 2006 and 2008 votes.

[Fransisco]

Nobodies disputing who won. But given these results the question can be asked, does it matter?

The way one headline put it, it's " Politics as Usual" when it comes to the CWB. The business of the wheat board is politics it just sells wheat on the side. As long as that's the case more and more farmers are going to be less and less interested in it.

The real vote is happening every year as acreage and tonnage keep dropping. Single deskers keep winning these little political battles but they're losing the war.

[TOM4CWB]

Wilagro,

"Sore loser or what"

You bet I am a sore loser... with the cost being over $150/ac... only a fool would ignore CWB tactics!

This CWB marketing plan (or the lack thereof) makes about as much sense as the three amigos with the Bloc Veto running my farm in Alberta.../this country.

You folks will eventually make us angry enough to do something about your arrogant words...!

[AdamSmith]

What you just said Fransisco!

Politics is about manipulating numbers to fit your message, trumpet those numbers that help make your case, and dismiss those numbers that don't.

Politics! Yuck!

As far as I'm concerned the worst, absolute worst thing about the current governance of the cwb and the concept of director elections by farmers is we've handed a major portion of our industry over to third and fourth rate politicians.

Not one of the directors elected (ever)or failed canditates has ever been qualified to sit at the helm of a multi-billion dollar enterprise. How many have had experience in the international grain trade? How many have had boardroom experience in anything other than a farm organization or the local co-op board, or the local curling club?

I just can't stand it. We're riding a train we know is doomed to crash yet we're powerless to stop it.

With no disrespect intended here to the people who put their names forward to run,

but just who in the hell do you think you are to think you are qualified to sell my grain, run my bussiness.

little own every other wheat farmers grain in western Canada?

Not one of us would hand over the keys of our operations over to a federal or provincial politician, but merrily go ahead and hand the keys of our farms over to failed and third rate political wannabes.

I swear to god, we're getting exactly what we deserve.