Also from the Green Sheet: by Roger Gerdes, president of SD BIC
An article in the April 6 edition of The Green Sheet Farm Forum lambastes the SD BIC for not supporting a "joint Letter of Opposition to the USDA's OTM Rule" during the quarterly meeting on March 8. Unfortunately, that column told only one part of the story. I would like to present all of the facts.
FACT: The letter of opposition was circulated for signing to cattlemen organizations and sale barns. The letter's intent: to lobby the U.S. Senate Agricultural Committee to prevent USDA from allowing cattle over 30 months to be imported from Canada to the U.S. during an investigation of enforcement of Canada's ruminant feed ban.
FACT: Some producer members of SDBIC were, individually, supportive of the letter's goals, and a motion to support it as a State Beef Council board was made and seconded. However, a vote was not allowed. The reasons are explained in the remaining facts.
FACT: The SDBIC is strictly forbidden by law from signing such a letter. It is specifically prohibited by the Beef Promotion and Research Act & Order from engaging in any checkoff funded efforts as a board (quoting from the law here) "in any manner for the purpose of influencing government action or policy". It simply is not a matter of whether individual producer members of the Council support the measure or not--a vote on this particular issue would have been illegal. Suggesting that the Council is somehow denying member participation by following the letter of the law as a Council is irresponsible.
FACT: SDBIC members have a fiduciary responsibility that prevents them from knowingy authorizing any unlawful action on the part of that body, even if there is minimal or no use of funds. Allowing a Council vote on a measure that is clearly illegal, then, would be irresponsible in the eyes of the law.
FACT: Eight different South Dakota beef industry organizations who send Board members to the South Dakota Beef Industry Council are free to decide as separate organizations to sign on to the letter or not--but it is against the law for the Council to do so. If an individual member wants to pursue this policy issue, they are encouraged to do so through their separate organization.
When the facts are laid out, we believe they speak for themselves. The South Dakota Beef Industry Council members should be commended, not critiized, for following the law, In addition, Vaugh Meyers' article should have been printed as a "Letter to the Editor" or "Guest Opinion" rather than displayed as a regular news article from an unbiased reporter.
The Beef Checkoff program has funded thousands of promotional and educational programs, research projects, and new product development over its 20 year history. These programs are specifically designed to create postive market movement across the U.S. and right here in SD. The SDBIC board, made up of volunteers who work hard to make a positive difference in beef demand, has always been careful to make certain these programs are within our guidelines as laid out in the Act & Order--the law that we are bound to follow as an organization. We believe the state's producers can expect no less of us. You can rest assured your checkoff dollars are being used wisely and legally.
MRJ
An article in the April 6 edition of The Green Sheet Farm Forum lambastes the SD BIC for not supporting a "joint Letter of Opposition to the USDA's OTM Rule" during the quarterly meeting on March 8. Unfortunately, that column told only one part of the story. I would like to present all of the facts.
FACT: The letter of opposition was circulated for signing to cattlemen organizations and sale barns. The letter's intent: to lobby the U.S. Senate Agricultural Committee to prevent USDA from allowing cattle over 30 months to be imported from Canada to the U.S. during an investigation of enforcement of Canada's ruminant feed ban.
FACT: Some producer members of SDBIC were, individually, supportive of the letter's goals, and a motion to support it as a State Beef Council board was made and seconded. However, a vote was not allowed. The reasons are explained in the remaining facts.
FACT: The SDBIC is strictly forbidden by law from signing such a letter. It is specifically prohibited by the Beef Promotion and Research Act & Order from engaging in any checkoff funded efforts as a board (quoting from the law here) "in any manner for the purpose of influencing government action or policy". It simply is not a matter of whether individual producer members of the Council support the measure or not--a vote on this particular issue would have been illegal. Suggesting that the Council is somehow denying member participation by following the letter of the law as a Council is irresponsible.
FACT: SDBIC members have a fiduciary responsibility that prevents them from knowingy authorizing any unlawful action on the part of that body, even if there is minimal or no use of funds. Allowing a Council vote on a measure that is clearly illegal, then, would be irresponsible in the eyes of the law.
FACT: Eight different South Dakota beef industry organizations who send Board members to the South Dakota Beef Industry Council are free to decide as separate organizations to sign on to the letter or not--but it is against the law for the Council to do so. If an individual member wants to pursue this policy issue, they are encouraged to do so through their separate organization.
When the facts are laid out, we believe they speak for themselves. The South Dakota Beef Industry Council members should be commended, not critiized, for following the law, In addition, Vaugh Meyers' article should have been printed as a "Letter to the Editor" or "Guest Opinion" rather than displayed as a regular news article from an unbiased reporter.
The Beef Checkoff program has funded thousands of promotional and educational programs, research projects, and new product development over its 20 year history. These programs are specifically designed to create postive market movement across the U.S. and right here in SD. The SDBIC board, made up of volunteers who work hard to make a positive difference in beef demand, has always been careful to make certain these programs are within our guidelines as laid out in the Act & Order--the law that we are bound to follow as an organization. We believe the state's producers can expect no less of us. You can rest assured your checkoff dollars are being used wisely and legally.
MRJ
