Mike
Well-known member
What is the maximum number of times that the Check-Off can be collected and paid on any one animal?
DejaVu said:How many times can an animal be bought and sold? One dollar collected every time.
NCBA: Assessments of $1 per head are collected on ALL cattle sales, including over-the-fence trades between neighbors or friends and any packers who own cattle for more than 10 days before slaughter. Failure to pay may result in legal and financial penalties: USDA can assess civil penalties of up to $7,500 per sale, plus unremitted checkoff assessments, interest and late fees
DejaVu said:mjr, I have to respectfully disagree with you. I believe the beef checkoff is the biggest hoax ever thrown on producers. I believe we are paying salaries for people who are living well and hoping we never figure it out. I believe it was conceived to screw the little guy and benefit the registered guy. You explain to me how a registered outfit can sell a $450,000 bull and pay $1 and I sell 75 calves and pay $75. Sorry-I've got to have someone explain that to me. I can't see how the checkoff has benefited the beef industry. Why are we importing Brazilian beef? Have you ever seen a 'Beef' info pamphlet on an airplane? When was the last time you saw anything originating from your checkoff $$$?? Maybe it's there and I don't realize it. Sorry for the rant but the checkoff really gets my blood riled.
mrj said:DejaVu, I'd like to be able to say you just don't understand the Beef Check-Off law, and maybe you do not, but you seem to be supporting the OCM, which has always fought against the Beef Check-Off. It's board is heavy with people who are directors of various state Farmers Union groups, also against the check off from first attempts at having one. They are at best careless with facts about NCBA and the Beef Check-Off.
Partly because other organizations besides NCBA worked to implement the Beef Check-Off, mechanisms were put into the law to assure no one group alone could control or 'own' it. Many routine and called outside audits have proven time after time that, with exception of a few quickly corrected errors, the finances have been protected by a strong fire-wall of separation from NCBA's membership division funding. There is a complex system where employees account for their time according to projects they work on in 15 minute increments. Errors do happen, but are corrected diligently. I have heard that there have been more times the mistakes have hurt NCBA than helped. Certainly, there has been NO intentional diversion of funds to NCBA membership/policy division.
For the record, any cattle related group with a history of time serving the cattle industry can bid on projects for the Beef Check-Off. One reason not many do so is that those contracts are paid for on a cost recovery only basis. NO profit is allowed from Beef Check-Off contracts! NONE. I don't know how many groups have had contracts, but do know that NCBA is not the only one.
A quick look at the website for OCM shows they are allies of several groups which work against cattle producers. First and foremost is HSUS, the money supplier for the OCM lawsuit against NCBA and the Beef Check-Off! HSUS may tell you they support 'family ranchers', but their founding members set the mold for that organization as doing everything they can to eliminate all uses of animals, whether as pets or food. That goal simply does not work for people making a living raising beef cattle!
That Water Watch is no friend of cattle producers, either!
mrj
leanin' H said:I see registered vs commercial as apples and oranges. Maybe you can explain it different but I don't follow your argument.
J.Johnson said:One reason some of us don't regularly see checkoff dollars in action locally may be due to how they are distributed. The way I understand it is check off "rich" states like Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, etc. send check off dollars to "poor" states like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, etc. Basically, these "poor" states need more dollars for promoting beef because they have very high populations with very, very small amounts of check off dollars collected.
I feel like this is a good bang for our buck because we are exposing potentially 10s of thousands in New York City vs a few dozen in a small grocery store in rural Kansas.
I guess I should also mention, I am a pro check off guy.