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R-Calf$ creative accounting?

Bill

Well-known member
R-CALF Member Numbers Uncertain -- Budget Fudged

Colorado Springs, CO April 3, 2007

The following has been drawn from over 160 pages of documents from swifthorses.com, an R-CALF insider expose website chronicling the implosion of R-CALF to “Remnant R-CALF.”

The removal of R-CALF President Chuck Kiker on Feb. 8 by its board of directors was ostensibly over a Jan. 8 Kiker letter to USDA Secretary Johanns. It asked Johanns to disregard a letter sent a day earlier by CEO Bill Bullard accusing USDA of making mistakes and following improper procedures in their over-30-month BSE proposal. Some board members considered Kiker’s letter too placating and sufficient reason for removing him. In protest of Kiker’s removal without proper by-law procedures, three board members and nearly all committee chairmen resigned.

But other issues were disturbing R-CALF members.

There were some cutting comments on swifthorses.com from R-CALF folks regarding the board members who had seized control.

Dennis McDonald, a director who resigned in March after the Thornsberry-led remnant board started removal procedures against him, described the remainder as, “shameless rascals.”

As for Remnant R-CALF’s focus, Brett DeBruycker, International Trade committee co-chair wrote, “[the board will be] figuring out how to yet again sue USDA and spend producers’ money in the manor [sic] of a drunken sailor.”

“If the current program continues until the funds dry up, my fellow producers and I will again be at the mercy of the NCBA and their partners in crime.” Tom Moulden, member.

“The CEO now has complete control of R-CALF by virtue of having a puppet for a president and a group of pawns as a board.” Brett DeBruycker

“Lettersgate” lit the fuse but serious questions involved membership numbers. Jan Wooster, COOL Committee co-chair and a CPA, examined R-CALF’s books.

There is a puzzling discrepancy between the number of R-CALF members renewed in 2006 (11,658) and reported total paid membership (15,020), she reported. She said Bullard brought it up to her. Neither of them understood the discrepancy. Bullard’s report to the convention had noted a membership drop in 2006 to 15,000 from a claimed 18,000 (2005).

In an e-mail, Membership Committee Chairman Judie Manuel asked if Bullard’s salary included calculations based on membership. She pointed out the membership committee had spent their own money recruiting members. She wondered, if Bullard was getting money from membership, maybe that money would be better spent reimbursing volunteers. She also asked whether Bullard got paid on new members vs. renewals, wondering if that was why the renewal letter to all delinquents since 1999 (12,000) hadn’t gone out even months after board approval.

Swifthorses.com provided answers from Bullard’s contract. Besides R-CALF wanting to brag on the highest possible membership, Bullard would have his own incentive for maintaining high numbers. Seems his contract included a $5/head bonus for members above the 2004 base when he arrived, added to his base salary and calculated quarterly. A quarter’s thousand new members meant another $5,000 added to Bullard’s base salary, with evidently no provision for downward adjustments. There was also a five percent annual automatic cost-of-living increase.

One person suggested a clue as to how R-CALF swiftly signed so many members.

“I’ve known people ...very surprised to find their name, plus their spouse’s and children’s names, on an R-CALF membership list and have gone to great lengths to get them removed,” an anonymous blogger said on Swifthorses.com.

Either way, neither two membership committee chairs nor the CEO really knew how many members R-CALF had and few knew Bullard benefited financially if the number erred high.

Then Jan Wooster, committee chairman and CPA, discovered that neither Bullard’s R- CALF convention financial reports nor his spreadsheet for the board told the whole story. Some $400,000 owed Stewart & Stewart (R-CALF’s D.C. attorneys) was not listed on the financial statement as liabilities, she noted. Neither were bills ($18,000) owed to Miller Group – more attorneys.

The failure to list large liabilities on the financial statements meant the financial surplus of $276,000 on the statements at convention really should have reflected a negative net worth of around $140,000, she concluded.

AFF would add that even Bullard’s spreadsheet only breaks out revenue into three broad categories: membership, miscellaneous and “Contributions/Litigation Funds/Calf sales,” the latter broad category providing over half the revenue. Controversial revenue sources could hide there. The Organization for Competitive Markets, for example, an R-CALF partner group, has gotten funding from non-agricultural, liberal activist foundations. Has R-CALF?
 

Bill

Well-known member
Yep! Who ya gonna BULLeeeeeeeve? Bullard and Co. who have their collective tail between their legs and are now trying to dance and bluff their way out of scamming their fellow member/ranchers or the various reporters and other sources who are trying to expose the truth?

:oops: :lol: :lol:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
You champion a shadow figure named "Faster Horses" for openness and honesty and now you associate the word "truth" with Dittmer. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

As long as they say what you want them to, eh?

Tam, if you don't like it, drop your membership.
 

mrj

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
You champion a shadow figure named "Faster Horses" for openness and honesty and now you associate the word "truth" with Dittmer. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

As long as they say what you want them to, eh?

Tam, if you don't like it, drop your membership.


What?????

Isn't "Faster Horses" one of our 'own' ranchers.net 'family'? And no one has questionned her "honesty and openness"!

And isn't swifthorses.com the "shadow figure" you disdain because he/she/they do not say what you want them to say?

Said with much kindness in trying to keep you "open and honest", though your slip may have been accidental.

MRJ
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
My slip was accidental, and I don't hold fasterhorses in "disdain". I simply have reservations about believing somebody who created a site so that they can post the "truth" - behind a pen name. There's a reason behind hiding - and I don't think it is for personal safety.....
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sandhusker said:
My slip was accidental, and I don't hold fasterhorses in "disdain". I simply have reservations about believing somebody who created a site so that they can post the "truth" - behind a pen name. There's a reason behind hiding - and I don't think it is for personal safety.....

They and all the anonymous's posting there have about the same credibility as Dittmer and his fictitious AFF with me- which is absolutely none.....
 

Work Hard and Study Hard

Well-known member
I honestly believe if you joined R-Calf in the first place you aren't swayed by Swift Boat or Swift Horses for BS. If people who hate r-calf take solice in these groups then so be it. R-Calf isn't just a group, it's the way many ranchers have felt for a long time.
 

Tam

Well-known member
Come on Sandhusker BMR asked a question and we all know how you like being kept hanging when your questions aren't answered. :wink:

Answer him Was Jan credible when she belonged to R-CALF? :?
As far as that goes
Was Jon?
Was Leo?
Was Chuck?
Was Brent?
Was Dennis?
Was Jesse?
Is Jay Miller ?
Were any of these people that have been providing personal emails, letters and documents to the Swift Horses website ever credible? You have spent months if not years defending their every word and now you say they aren't a credible source for inside information on the goings on within R-CALF boardroom and Bullard's sorted involvement. :???: :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Whether we know who is personally behind Swift Horses or not it is painfully clear to those that read it, that who ever it is, is very well connected to everyone involved. :wink:

So here is a challenge for you Sandhusker and Oldtimer can help If we are to believe Swift Horses is a sham then I challenge you to bring verifiable documents that prove it.

Brett DeBruycker was quoted to have said some things, get a letter from him that says he didn't say what was posted

Dennis was said to have said certain things get a letter from him proving he didn't say those things,

Get a letter from Jan that states she isn't looking in to the R-CALF finances.

Come on you want us to believe you so bring us something that can prove your CREDIBILITY on the subject.

:shock: :shock: Did I just hint you might have some Credibility on any subject? :shock: :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

BRING IT SANDHUSKER AND OLDTIMER. We're waiting.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
You can believe what you want to believe, Tam - and I know you'll do exactly that. With your negetive infatuatuation with R-CALF, you'll always believe the worst and question anything else.

I choose to take a healthy pinch of salt with statements from somebody who doesn't want those statements personally credited to them.
 

Tam

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
You can believe what you want to believe, Tam - and I know you'll do exactly that. With your negetive infatuatuation with R-CALF, you'll always believe the worst and question anything else.

I choose to take a healthy pinch of salt with statements from somebody who doesn't want those statements personally credited to them.

Oh come on Sandhusker you can do better than that to back your beliefs. :wink:
If you truly believe Swift Horse.com is not telling the R-CALF members/ Public the truth then expose them for the fraud you think they are. Bring the "anything else" so we can question it, like you question what they are putting out. :wink: Scared to prove to yourself that you have been lied to by no other than your "HEROS" ? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


If we all took a pinch of salt with statements from somebody who doesn't want those statements personally credited to them, I'd say Econ and ocm better stop posting as with all the salt people are pinching on their behalf, someone is bound to have a heartache. :wink:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
I can honestly say I've never been on Swift Horse's site. I also don't plan on it. If they've got something to say, be man enough to stand behind it. Otherwise, they're just strirring crap. If they don't want what to personally stand behind what they write, I don't see why I would want to read it.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
I can honestly say I've never been on Swift Horse's site. I also don't plan on it. If they've got something to say, be man enough to stand behind it. Otherwise, they're just strirring crap. If they don't want what to personally stand behind what they write, I don't see why I would want to read it.

Anybody remember the guard on Hogans Heros?


Sargent Scholzhusker. I know Nothing, I see NOTHING.

I will not read swift horses so it must not exist. :gag: :yeah:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
Sandhusker said:
I can honestly say I've never been on Swift Horse's site. I also don't plan on it. If they've got something to say, be man enough to stand behind it. Otherwise, they're just strirring crap. If they don't want what to personally stand behind what they write, I don't see why I would want to read it.

Anybody remember the guard on Hogans Heros?


Sargent Scholzhusker. I know Nothing, I see NOTHING.

I will not read swift horses so it must not exist. :gag: :yeah:

I know it exists, but what value is it if the author won't stand behind it?
 

Bill

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
I can honestly say I've never been on Swift Horse's site. I also don't plan on it. If they've got something to say, be man enough to stand behind it. Otherwise, they're just strirring crap. If they don't want what to personally stand behind what they write, I don't see why I would want to read it.

That would make your comments on this subject pretty much worthless.

:roll:

Take a walk on the wild side Sandhusker. I bet you will find the only copy of an R-Calf financial statement you have ever seen.

:oops: :oops: :lol: :lol:
 

RobertMac

Well-known member
Rumor has it that swift horses is Dittmer :wink: :p :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

Tam

Well-known member
RobertMac said:
Rumor has it that swift horses is Dittmer :wink: :p :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

NICE TRY BUT If it is Dittmer why haven't those that are quoted on the website gone after him? :? :roll:
 

RobertMac

Well-known member
Tam said:
RobertMac said:
Rumor has it that swift horses is Dittmer :wink: :p :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

NICE TRY BUT If it is Dittmer why haven't those that are quoted on the website gone after him? :? :roll:

Why would anyone waste their time with Dittmer...except Bill. :roll: :roll: :p
 
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