R-CALF comments on NAFTA

[cowsense]

OT- Hat & MR have degenerated this into a name calling contest. I'm gonna go check cows. Might pick this thread up with you again. There's more ground to cover

[SMS]

[quote="Oldtimer
So what you are saying is that if the shoe was on the other foot, the puritan peoples of Canada would spread wide their arms and unrestrictually open the border? BULL FEATHERS-- Your 10 years of Anaplas and Blue tongue science, which just happened to all have overnight changed when the Canadians were trying to get the border reopened, have proven Canadians play NAFTA for the buck too......[/quote]

The relaxing of the testing requirements for Ana and BT have happening over the last 10 years. In the late 90's, there was the north west feeders project which has now evolved into the current regulations. Any bull that I bought in Montana only needed one BT and Ana. test. This is the same requirement that is required to take a bull from montana to Denver Stock show in 2001 and 02. I know this cause i took some from here down there, as well as a bull that i bought in Montana in the fall. All required BT, TB and ANA tests. Nothing changes over night in politics and trade agreements. We are both old enough to know this...lol

[Oldtimer]

[Bill]

[SMS]

OT, in hind sight i would hope that we would make our decision's based on science, but whats politics and big money get envoled, who know's.

In 1999, when RCalf used NAFTA to impose a duty/tariff on Canadian Cattle, I asked Leo what was really behind this. His response was that he didn't feel it was right that the US feeders had to pay more for Canadian Barley than I did, he blamed the CWB for that. I tried to explain basis to him, but didnt want to accept that as a reason. Also he brought up the BT and ANA testing, but couldnt give me an example how it hurt him moneywise. He just wanted it to be cancelled. It may have hurt some of his patrons that had bulls in his test station at the time, especially the ones from oklahoma. In fact at that time i was one of those patrons, that had bull at Midlands, but the exchange rate took all the profit.

The last thing I have to comment on tonight here is. In 1999 when NAFTA worked for Rcalf it was great, now that some CDN ranchers are using it in reverse it is the worst thing created. GO FIGURE...

[cdncowboy]

“Foreign entities should not have the ability to attack U.S. standards. Trade agreements like NAFTA should be a force for progress and a force for raising health and safety standards, rather than abused as a tool to lower those standards. "

By that statement should Canada not also be able to set its own standards and policies. Yet US Farm groups continually are attacking our Canadian Wheat Board, using NAFTA, WTO even after losing every challenge brought forth. The exception, oddly enough was the duty imposed by the US courts. But I guess we are just lowly Canadians and should due as we are told by our US counterparts.
Its to bad in the "global economy" all of us can't be on a level playing field that allows us to make a decent living.

[Sandhusker]

[Oldtimer]

[Bill]

[Oldtimer]

Bill- I guess if Canadians have that big of concern, they shouldn't have dropped the restrictions--But politics makes strange rules-- I do know that Montana State University did several years of studies by drawing blood from herds thruout the state and all were negative........

[Mike]

[Bill]