NCBA Paying OFF CBB

[Anonymous]

I have to agree that this needs to be investigated back to day one of NCBA's involvement with misuse of the Checkoff funds- and that NCBA shouldn't be allowed to just pay back what they got caught stealing and walk away without even a handslap...

I've been saying for years this has been happening- and know it was going on long before the looked at years...And its too bad they didn't do a complete forensic audit of NCBA's activities with the Checkoff- or I'm sure the amount for even those 2 years would be much higher...

NCBA- thru their antics- years ago lost all credibility with me- but this sure puts another very dark stain on the credibility of the CBB and the Checkoff program (which I believe could be a good program with removal of NCBA's control) ....

Compliance Review of NCBA Completed



California Farmer, Jan 17, 2011



Following a third party review, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association has agreed to repay the Cattlemen's Beef Board nearly $217,000 to clear up spending discrepancies and accounting errors that occurred during fiscal years 2008 and 2009, and the first five months of fiscal 2010 .

January 17, 2011



USDA, Justice Urged to Reject NCBA Ploy to Deflect Charges

of Misuse of Beef Checkoff Funds; Full Investigation Requested



Washington, D.C. – Today, R-CALF USA sent a formal request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (Justice) to request that a proposed resolution between the Cattlemen's Beef Board (CBB) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) that is designed to absolve NCBA of its misuse of Beef Checkoff (Checkoff) dollars be rejected. Further, R-CALF USA requested that NCBA's contract with CBB be suspended, pending a full and complete investigation into NCBA's misuse of Checkoff money.



CBB and NCBA have apparently agreed to an arrangement in which NCBA would pay CBB $216,944 for its improprieties initially identified by Clifton Gunderson in a July 2010 compliance review. Both organizations are asking USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to approve this agreement. The compliance review covered only a sample of actual financial transactions.



"NCBA's improper expenditures of $216, 944 are intolerable, and these serious violations represent not only disrespect and disdain by NCBA for its legal obligations to the Checkoff, but also to the hundreds of thousands of independent U.S. cattle producers required to pay into the Checkoff," said R-CALF USA Checkoff Committee Chair Joel Gill. "Many cattle producers believe USDA is subsidizing NCBA's political and policy agenda with Checkoff dollars. There are deep concerns that CBB has decided not to demand reimbursement for NCBA policy activities within its final resolution, even when all expenses were found to have been charged to the Checkoff."



In documents that support the agreement between CBB and NCBA, CBB identifies NCBA actions that violate the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 (the Act), the Beef Promotion and Research Order (the Order), and the contract between NCBA and the Beef Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC). The documents reveal that NCBA used thousands of Checkoff dollars to: 1) pay legal fees to maintain NCBA; 2) pay NCBA's credit card fees; 3) pay employee's time for non-Checkoff activities; 4) pay for employees to participate in NCBA's charity golf tournament; 5) pay for spouses' travel; 6) pay for meetings, travel, and speaker costs for non-Checkoff activities; and, 7) pay for expenses incurred by NCBA's policy division, which is the non-Checkoff division that advances the organization's political and policy objectives.



"If AMS approves the joint agreement between CBB and NCBA, it would confirm concerns that subsidization is ongoing and would make it appear that NCBA's repayment of $216,944 for its misuse of Checkoff funds was actually a no-interest bearing loan to NCBA by the Checkoff for NCBA's several improper expenditures," Gill pointed out.



"NCBA has violated the trust of every U.S. cattle producer required to pay into the Checkoff by committing numerous wrongful and unlawful acts of charging the Checkoff for improper and ineligible activities, and we urge USDA and Justice to immediately suspend NCBA's eligibility to contract with CBB until a comprehensive investigation has been conducted and the findings reviewed," he emphasized.

 

[Sandhusker]

I'm sure this will be appealed. SH and MRJ said that it wasn't happening. They'll clear it all up.

 

[mrj]

And because OT, R-CALF and Sandhusker, 'spinmasters' all, say this, we are supposed to believe it????

With both CBB. who controls the Beef Checkoff, rather than NCBA as OT claims, and USDA, whose function is oversight to assure the law is followed, having members determined to take any participation in the checkoff away from NCBA, can we really believe that this 'report' is unvarnished truth???

It does remind of when the split took place in R-CALF and how they treated their former heroes who had the audacity to diverge a little from the 'party line'.

 

[Anonymous]

And because OT, R-CALF and Sandhusker, 'spinmasters' all, say this, we are supposed to believe it????

Maxine-- I figured you'd show up and defend your precious NCBA some way..... And blame someone else in your way of denial :roll: :roll:

Are you trying to say that NCBA is agreeing to pay back $217,000 (which comes to over a $100,000 a year that was what they were accused of embezzling/stealing) just out of the goodness of their hearts :???: :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
And this was only on the 5% of the NCBA/CBB $ transactions looked at by the auditors in the compliance review....

NO MAXINE-- I have posted on here for years (7-8-9-?) and told you that your precious NCBA was ripping off producer tax dollars- and embezzeling Beef Check Off dollars-- and this only goes to further prove all the examples I've put forward over the years.....

The only thing is- years back- I know it was much more (probably in the millions $ per year) because back then the NCBA officials were much more open about it-- until some folks finally questioned it and put some pressure on them.....

The investigators have only skimmed the icing on the cake of the theft, fraud, and embezzelment of NCBA on the cattle owners checkoff (tax) dollars that has occurred over the past 25 years....

The sad thing to me- is that I think that if independently run the Beef Checkoff could be a great thing- and used greatly to promote USA BEEF- but as long as its in the hands of NCBA (who long ago crawled in bed with the Big $ and Corporates) it will do nothing to help the average cow/calf operation....

In order to meet what the other nations are doing/paying to promote their cattle industry - the Beef Checkoff fee probably should be doubled or tripled-- but the corruption thruout the NCBA control will guarantee that producers/taxpayers will never agree to that.....

Today- the District Brand Inspector was at the house... He gave me the new Montana Bill of Sale forms- since as of Jan 1 Montana Brand Inspectors no longer collect the Beef Checkoff (new ones have an address where folks are supposed to send it too :roll: )... And as we discussed- they are going to be busy tracking down folks to collect- and with all the crap NCBA has done to ruin the Checkoff- its a load off the Inspectors backs in trying to collect (and taking the anti-NCBA thievery rhetoric) anymore.....

 

[mrj]

OT, you sure are quick with accusations and generalities with NO verification other than your own opinion.

That just doesn't prove much of anything other than you have personal gripes.

You fail to realize that NCBA cattle producer members are the people, along with some Farm Bureau members, who got the Beef Checkoff passed, and who most want it to succeed, FOR THE BENEFIT OF CATTLE PRODUCERS.

It defies logic to believe that they would deliberately sabotage it.

There is some logic to believe, as I suspect is possible to likely, that people within some state Beef Councils, and the CBB who resent NCBA for their own reasons, not the least of which is the successes of NCBA projects for CBB have sabatoged it.

No system of checks and balances is perfect, and this one probably had more complex coding, numbering in at least hundreds of codes) to ASSURE proper assignment of funds than is manageable by the diverse groups of staff involved.

USDA has oversight to assure the laws of the Beef Checkoff are followed. Why did they not catch these problems? They certainly are not 'controlled' by NCBA.

Part of the problems is the jealousy because there are few contractors for Beef Checkoff projects. Obviously, few organizations want to participate in cost recovery only contracts.

Some of you insist that NCBA controls the checkoff. I say that is not possible, due to the broad diversity of organizations making up the governing bodies.

To date, we have heard little other than the R-CALF accusations. Maybe judgements should be reserved untill ALL the FACTS are known, but that wouldn't fit your agenda, would it?

mrj

 

[Anonymous]

:roll: Yep- its all my fault that NCBA has a bunch of crooks and has now further ruined the credibility of the Beef Checkoff program.... :lol: :lol:

I do hope that it is my fault that some of the illegal activities I've witnessed and reported over the years finally got them caught....

 

[Sandhusker]

And because OT, R-CALF and Sandhusker, 'spinmasters' all, say this, we are supposed to believe it????

With both CBB. who controls the Beef Checkoff, rather than NCBA as OT claims, and USDA, whose function is oversight to assure the law is followed, having members determined to take any participation in the checkoff away from NCBA, can we really believe that this 'report' is unvarnished truth???

It does remind of when the split took place in R-CALF and how they treated their former heroes who had the audacity to diverge a little from the 'party line'.

You don't have to believe anything but the check NCBA is cutting.

 

[mrj]

Did you boys actually read the reports? The Summary of Reimbursements Due to CBB from NCBA and the Federation of State Beef Councils (which is NOT NCBA, but works with them to save costs so more work can be accomplished with checkoff dollars!!!) is probably available at the CBB website. I found it at the Drovers Journal site. There are detailed reports and accounts of remedies.

Errors in assigning codes for expenses and disagreement over what constitutes proper documentation for an expense, both soon corrected as agreed, with proper assignment of funds is far from criminal activity.

mrj

 

[Anonymous]

Errors in assigning codes for expenses and disagreement over what constitutes proper documentation for an expense, both soon corrected as agreed, with proper assignment of funds is far from criminal activity.

mrj

Yep-- thats about what every crook says AFTER they are caught ... :lol:

The intent is pretty clear since they've been continually "making mistakes" for 25 years- and even after they were told by the CBB they couldn't do many of these things- continued to...

Either that Maxine- or like you're trying to say: the NCBA administration overseeing these deals is all a bunch of babbling incompetents..... :???:



My vote is they are crooks- knowingly ripping off the cattle producers of their tax money.....
The reason we need a full fledged in depth investigation and forensic audit of NCBA's usage of our cattle tax dollars...

If NCBA is so pure as you contend- they should be screaming for this USDA and Justice Dept complete indepth investigation too-- just to clear their even more mud stained image....

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Errors in assigning codes for expenses and disagreement over what constitutes proper documentation for an expense, both soon corrected as agreed, with proper assignment of funds is far from criminal activity.

mrj

Yep-- thats about what every crook says AFTER they are caught ... :lol:

The intent is pretty clear since they've been continually "making mistakes" for 25 years- and even after they were told by the CBB they couldn't do many of these things- continued to...

Either that Maxine- or like you're trying to say: the NCBA administration overseeing these deals is all a bunch of babbling incompetents..... :???:



My vote is they are crooks- knowingly ripping off the cattle producers of their tax money.....
The reason we need a full fledged in depth investigation and forensic audit of NCBA's usage of our cattle tax dollars...

If NCBA is so pure as you contend- they should be screaming for this USDA and Justice Dept complete indepth investigation too-- just to clear their even more mud stained image....

Shouldn't CBB been providing oversight all along?

 

[Anonymous]

Errors in assigning codes for expenses and disagreement over what constitutes proper documentation for an expense, both soon corrected as agreed, with proper assignment of funds is far from criminal activity.

mrj

Yep-- thats about what every crook says AFTER they are caught ... :lol:

The intent is pretty clear since they've been continually "making mistakes" for 25 years- and even after they were told by the CBB they couldn't do many of these things- continued to...

Either that Maxine- or like you're trying to say: the NCBA administration overseeing these deals is all a bunch of babbling incompetents..... :???:



My vote is they are crooks- knowingly ripping off the cattle producers of their tax money.....
The reason we need a full fledged in depth investigation and forensic audit of NCBA's usage of our cattle tax dollars...

If NCBA is so pure as you contend- they should be screaming for this USDA and Justice Dept complete indepth investigation too-- just to clear their even more mud stained image....

Shouldn't CBB been providing oversight all along?

Like the past CBB CEO told me years ago--its pretty tough to do anything to the group that ultimately hires and fires you (NCBA)- since thru the makeup of the CBB they have so much control...

That NCBA control of the CBB board is what many folks have been fighting for years to change.....Especially when so much of their direction is anti to those paying the checkoff tax....

 

[Anonymous]

Sandhusker: "SH and MRJ said that it wasn't happening".

That's a damn lie Sandhusker. Par for your course. Didn't think I'd catch it huh?

I never said anything of the sort and you know it. If you believe otherwise, bring the quote but I doubt anyone with any common sense will hold their breath.

If beef checkoff dollars have been misused then those infractions need to be corrected to the extent of the law deemed necessary by the majority of the cattle producers paying into it, PERIOD. I will not support any deviation from what checkoff dollars were intended to be used for.

I've never stated anything different but you would have to paint that picture of me since you wrote the book on blind support.

I have no doubts that R-CALF supporters like you will feed on any checkoff dollar infraction, whether large or small, like a rabid dog.

I'll let the courts decide the degree of infractions and what corrections need to be taken rather than listen to anything R-CALF conspiracy theorists have to say with their dismal 0 and 9 record in court.

I am all for accountability of checkoff dollars but what you consider infractions could be nothing more than a difference in opinion on how checkoff dollars should have been spent. I'll wait for the results of an objective unbiased investigation as opposed to anything you or OT had to say. Let legitimate checkoff dollar accountability be free from populist conspiracy theories.

Start telling the truth Sandhusker, it would be a nice change of pace for you.

For the record Old Timer, what you have been saying has been occurring, you have been saying because that is what you wanted to believe, not because you ever had a smoking gun to prove it. You fool nobody but yourself.


~SH~

 

[Anonymous]

OT: "Especially when so much of their (NCBA - edit) direction is anti to those paying the checkoff tax...."

Please give me a FACTUAL example of where checkoff dollars have been used that is contrary to those who pay into it.


~SH~

 

[Anonymous]

OT: "Especially when so much of their (NCBA - edit) direction is anti to those paying the checkoff tax...."

Please give me a FACTUAL example of where checkoff dollars have been used that is contrary to those who pay into it.


~SH~

Well the # 1 that comes to mind is from the poll of Checkoff payers that USDA commissioned the Gallup Organization in 2006 to conduct-- and 92% of those polled wanted their Beef Tax to be used to promote USA Born and Raised Beef....Even if promoting only U.S. born and raised beef meant canceling the checkoff assessment on imported beef and beef products, 75.4 percent of the survey respondents still agreed that a portion of the checkoff dollars should be used to promote only U.S. beef.

So what does NCBA do-- oppose the labeling of US born and raised beef... :roll:

Several other issues that came to light in that poll- like 82% of the producers supporting periodic votes on the Checkoff-- have been fought tooth and nail by NCBA...

That poll also said 66% of the taxpayer producers polled wanted the list of those able to contract with CBB expanded to allow universities and others to be allowed to apply for Checkoff funding-- but you already know that NCBA won't agree to that and cut their hand off from the cookie jar rip off set up they have....

 

[Anonymous]

OT: "75.4 percent of the survey respondents still agreed that a portion of the checkoff dollars should be used to promote only U.S. beef."

That is not an example of how the beef checkoff was used contrary to those who pay into it. First off, in order for US BEEF (born, raised, and processed in the US) to be positively identified, you have to have source verification WHICH YOU OPPOSE. Your opposition to positively identifying beef origination is precisely why we have "CAN-MEX-USA" labels on beef at the retail level. YOU DIDN'T WANT TRACEBACK! So there is no way to differentiate US Beef from imported beef making your argument totally irrelevant.

Don't give me that "C" and "M" brand R-CALF rhetoric. USDA, you know the agency that actually has to enforce the worthless "M"COOL law, stated that the only way beef could be identified to it's orgin is with source verification which is totally understandable if you understand beef fabrication. YOU OPPOSED SOURCE VERIFICATION. So blame yourself OT. That brand only brands the hide, not the beef under that hide.

In addition to your refusal to prove what you demanded be proven, 95% of the beef at the retail beef counter is US BEEF so promoting US BEEF accomplishes absolutely nothing. There's nothing to differentiate US beef from which is why most NCBA members opposed "M"COOL. They knew it would accomplish absolutely nothing which is exactly what it did.

Now if you had agreed to source verification to differentiate your product from the 5% sliver of Canadian and Mexican beef available at the retail beef counter, Canadian and Mexican beef would have outsold US BEEF due to it's rare novelty status the same way New Zealand lamb outsold US Lamb once it was differentiated. NCBA members realized that as well because, as a group, they understand the retail beef industry.

What value is the promotion of US BEEF when 95% of the beef at the retail beef counter is US BEEF (if it could be positively identified) or all the consumer sees is "CAN-MEX-USA" labels because you didn't want to prove origination with source verification. You have no argument either way.

LOOK IN THE MIRROR OT, THIS ONE IS YOUR FAULT AND THOSE WHO THINK LIKE YOU DO. Promotion of US BEEF is worthless when there's nothing to differentiate US beef from.

If you think US shoppers are loyal to US products you need to start looking at country of origin labels at Walmart. Consumers are far more loyal to their pocketbooks than country of origin and that's a fact.

Nobody would oppose promotion of US Beef if 50% of of the beef sold at the retail beef counter was imported beef. Then it would make sense IF IT COULD BE POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED WITH SOURCE VERIFICATION. Again, you oppose that.

As far as a vote on the checkoff, that is part of the checkoff.

As expected, you struck out again.

Once again, give me an example of where the beef checkoff has not been used as it was intended.


~SH~

 

[Tommy]

SH...Once again, give me an example of where the beef checkoff has not been used as it was intended.


How many do you want Scott? I can give you many. Here are a couple.

3. Law Firm September 30, $2,474 Legal invoice for work performed
2009 regarding NCBA's trademarks (Beef
USA), entity registrations, entity
structure, and copyrights. These
charges are to maintain the existence of
NCBA.
NCBA RESPONSE: We acknowledge that there were mistakes made in processing this
invoice. These mistakes will be corrected. We anticipate this will result in a credit to the
checkoff division of approximately $1,700.


4. Law Firm November 30, $4,049 Legal invoice for work performed
2009 regarding NCBA's entity registrations
and trademarks (Beef USA). These
charges are to maintain the existence of
NCBA.
NCBA RESPONSE: A portion of this expense, approximately $750, relates to Beef
Promotion Operating Committee (BPOC) funding, which are 100% chargeable to the
checkoff. We acknowledge mistakes made processing this invoice and the remainder of
the invoice should have been charged to the policy division. We anticipate the net
adjustment to the checkoff will be a credit of approximately $1,400.


Scott do you actually think the NCBA would be paying back $217,000 if they did nothing wrong?

 

[cedardell]

Washington is "fucknutsville." So NCBA's expenditures are quite in tune with the behavior there. "In Rome do as the Roman's do." I wouldn't quote Ram Emanuel except for the fact that he is by far the leading contender for Mayor of Chicago and that is not the worst thing he has said or done. I credit him for our huge budget deficit. He sat by idly knowing his financial cohorts ran the mortgage industry 40 trillion dollars into dept and engineered a taxpayer bailout. NCBA is naughty but their sin is pennies on the dollar.

 

[cedardell]

You edited Ram Emanuel's bad word. If "fucknutsville" is used by the WhiteHouse chief of staff and the President of the United States it is politically correct and should be added to the English Language.

 

[mrj]

Tommy, there is a difference between errors in assigning expenses and fraudulent uses of checkoff funds!

You surely know that with the anti-NCBA people on the CBB there would be no way that NCBA would be allowed to get away with fraud, don't you????

Again, there are multitudes of different codes and processes for assigning expenses, designed specifically to micro-manage to ASSURE proper cost sharing. When these problems come up, the system catches them and corrections and improvements are made.

CBB gets paid back when mistakes are made. NCBA does not get when the mistake is in the CBB's favor and it cannot be supported with a paper trail, as has happened at times.

OT, there is a mechanism written into the laws creating the Beef Checkoff which provide for a vote. You are just in a sour grapes position because the LMA and 'friends' tried and failed to persuade enough cattle producers to petition for a vote, despite their cheating which was caught by USDA.

Are you very sure there is a 'list' of those alowed to contract with CBB?

Could it be the fact that the law allows NO profit for doing Beef ceckoff contract work that keeps most groups from bidding for contracts????

 

[mrj]

Big Muddy, the oversight is the duty of USDA, which is why OT, SandH and other R-CALF disciples don't have a leg to stand on when accusing NCBA of "running" the CBB.

CBB is comprised of members of virtually all US cattle organizations, including R-CALF, founded long after the Beef Checkoff became law, and Farmers Union who, fought tooth and nail to prevent the Beef Checkoff and even refused to participate in governance for several years, but now has seats on at least the SD BIC, so has as much control as they have credibility with fellow board members.

I would challenge OT to show us a list of members of state and national governing boards, with organizational affiliation of each before he insists that NCBA somehow controls the CBB. And list dual affiliations of those who are dues paying members of more than one group.

And, no, OT, it is not incompetence of administration, it is the fact that there are many staffers, and they must account for their time in 15 minute increments and assign that time to the proper task (and they may be working on various projects the same day or even have to decide what percentage of achievement should go to which project during a given time frame), then get the proper codes for each time frame, each project in a complex system that works great when there are no human errors.

How many of you critics have actually attended meetings and learned by intensively following, or participating in the work of even one committee?

You might get your eyes opened if you did! It is not easy to figure it out, but with some patience and asking lots of questions of both committee members and staff working for the committee, you will find that much valuable work is accomplished and much of it does have value and applies to cow calf producers, feeders, and consumers.

There have been, and will be mistakes made. That is the nature of work accomplished by committees. Beef Checkoff leaders have to learn and go on when an area of research does not work out as expected. Overall, I would challenge the return on checkoff investment to producers to other commodity checkoffs, as well as the control remaining in the hands of those who pay the checkoff. Though I have not always agreed with a given course of action, overall, I doubt there is a better system and am proud of it, to this point.

There may come a day when my family will not support the Beef Checkoff. That day will be when the leadership turns against NCBA.

We know from our experience that the Beef Checkoff, from its beginnings as a volunteer system which we supported totally, is better off since NCBA has been involved and the National Livestock and Meat Board was severed from it, leaving beef supporting only beef, and not other meats with our beef checkoff dollars.

mrj