So What Now With The NCBA-CBB Feud?

[~SH~]

[mrj]

Well, of course you "are positive....", OT. When did you ever give NCBA anything but abuse? All your "perception of impropriety..." and even more false allegations of misdeeds has been carefully and forcefully fed to 'the faithful' by R-CALF since before their existence, so it is little surprise that those who listen only to the 'saints' at the top of that group are so certain they are correct

WHEN there is proof of misdeeds, and this preliminary audit is certainly NOT, I will consider that there needs to be accounting for any verified abuse by NCBA. Not until.

Of course, you also denigrate USDA except when you THINK they may be 'in the pocket of R-CALF on an issue, so you are unlikely to believe the fact that USDA has ALWAYS scrutinized checkoff funds and how they are spent.

Tommy, here are some FACTS re. the 'workings' of the beef checkoff: any contract for beef checkoff projects is determined by groups of cattle producers, often beginning with a CattleWomens local group on their own dollar, gaining such success that many produers became convinced that it should go state and national, so was brought to the attention of first state Beef Councils, then the CBB.

Others began at 'cow colleges', or came from cattlemens groups seeing a need and carrying it forward. Budgets are determined, and projects are proposed. They must pass the scrutiny of the CBB Operating Committee, THEN are awarded to various contractors.

NCBA is the major contractor, mainly due to the expertise they have been able to assemble and put at the disposal of the beef checkoff. If others had done the same and had the better record of successfully achieving the goals stated in projects, doubtless, the Operating Committee would award more projects to other contractors! The major reason that hasn't happened is that NO ONE may profit from those contracts.

Finally, the CBB operates under the contraints of the Act and Order (the law creating it) and must stick with a 5% cap on overhead costs. This was done to avoid some pitfalls of previous checkoffs of other ag commodities. I recall at the time the fears of some of the bad deals that befell other groups and determination that there be no 'empire building' with beef producer dollars.

Personally, I think it highly proper that the largest national cattle producer organization, focused only on cattle, lead the way. I also belong to Farm Bureau and believe they generally are on the right track. The limitations there, and prime reason for focusing our family efforts on NCBA and its predecessor groups was that the emphasis of NCBA is only on cattle producers and what is best for us. If we raised grain crops, we might have done differently.

Those who claim NCBA is controlled by packers are off in lala land. There are some cattle producers who believe that working with packers on issues mututally agreeable is beneficial to us! Those of us with that belief happen to prevail when NCBA chooses to do that. If you don't like it, there are organizations where you will be happier. That does not make either of us wrong!!!! EXCEPT when you try to force us to conform to your choices. Isn't it the 'American Way' to run our business as we choose?

Tommy, re your comment on NCBA being a "no show" at that so called "open public debate" on the competition rule proposal, have you been to some such meetings staged by R-CALf and similar groups? I have and some have been very close to mob scenes, with shouting down ideas they didn't like, thinly veiled, if that, of bodily harm to some stating things they didn't like.......you get the picture, I hope. Mr. Bullard is a charismatic person quite able to foment such emotional reactions among his supporters while remaining quite 'above it all' himself. That is NOT productive public debate, tho has become quite useful to some populist, activist and political groups. Some of us were raised to be ladies and gentlemen and conduct ourselves properly so that true public DEBATE may be productive and HONEST.

My opinion, this is simply yet another in a long line of attempts at ending the beef checkoff for the purpose of stopping NCBA.

NEWS FLASH: NCBA isn't going to disappear, whether the beef checkoff remains or is killed! It will continue to be a group of dedicated, concientious suppliers of cattle, with members focused on producing the highest quality age verified, traceable beef available in the USA.

mrj

[Oldtimer]

[mrj]

OT, I would absolutely support an audit....and wouldn't it be great if those claiming "abuse" and worse! would back their mouth with the money to pay for such an audit? Further, will YOU admit that you were WRONG, when proven so in this instance??? Will R-CALF and friends write and publish an apology?

Do you ALWAYS insist that CLAIMS of wrong-doing are the final verdict and PROOF of such???

Do you understand that NCBA cannot "use" any money, and that CBB always must APPROVE the expenditures of checkoff money?

Do you recognize that the money has NOT been said by any authority to be mis-used? Only that there are ERRORS and uncertainty of what is meant by some codes for posting expenses? And in a FEW cases, which were re-imbursed, of innacurate designation of costs for spouse and family travel? What will you have to say if it turns out that CBB itself has approved costs for THEIR spouses to travel with them???

If, as you say, NCBA represents "only 1 out of 32 Beef Checkoff paying" cattle producers, then how many of that group is "represented" by R-CALF, or any one other organzation large enough to have members on the state beef councils and CBB????

(IMO, taxes are levied by governments for benefit of all citizens, or IN SOME CASES, for a few SELECT citizens such as welfare, or to benefit sportsmen) fees are set by groups assessing THEMSELVES for the benefit of all, such as the beef checkoff.)

Where is the proof that NCBA makes ANY profit from checkoff contracts. How is it possible to support lobbying without profit from contracts?

Checkoff spending is totally separate from "lobbying groups" because checkoff dollars DO NOT support NCBA Dues/Policy division. Any such spending was an error, and has been, or will be, repaid. Do not forget, there have also been errors made where spending properly for checkoff was erroneously paid by the Dues/Policy division, too.

Why would you insist that the beef checkoff lose one of, very possibly THE best, contractor it has because some people and organizations with a strong history of hating NCBA have promoted the MYTH that NCBA uses checkoff money for lobbying????

There are plenty of cattle producers who know and understand that their organization, NCBA is NOT guilty as charged. Why should we, who were largely responsible for building the beef checkoff, abandon it now and leave it to the not so tender mercies of those who fought against it when we worked to achieve the mandatory checkoff.

I am not unaware that AFBF was one of those groups who either wanted to control ithe beef checkoff or to keep it voluntary before the law was passed.

Farmers Union is another that fought against the beef checkoff.

Some of the auction markets, at least in SD, were among those who fought it, or who reluctantly agreed to not fight it, stating "when cattle prices fall, we will know who to blame".....totally ignoring facts of marketing in their zeal to have a 'whipping boy', the beef checkoff, to blame for any drop in cattle prices. Then they helped to found R-CALF and have participated in several efforts to end the beef checkoff. Not much success to be proud of in that history!!!

mrj

[Texan]

[Mike]

Thanks Randy. Anyone for raising the Checkoff now?

Ya know what? The Checkoff IS like a "tax". It is something the politicians can steal and spend at will!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[~SH~]

[Oldtimer]

[~SH~]