Cattleprod24
Member
Thought you should all see the attached letter recently published in the Agri-News as a letter to the editor from two Montana ranchers who were among the first members of R-CALF when it was formed 10 years ago by Leo McDonnell. Here is where they stand with the organization today:
Enough is Enough
Dear Editor,
On Aug. 15th, 2008 Leo McDonnell was served a subpoena initiated by R-CALF-USA and its directors to appear for deposition Sept. 10,, 2008 in the continuing litigation against past president Chuck Kiker, past director Jon Wooster, Dennis McDonald, and as stated on the subpoena, “John Does 1-5.” It’s ironic that Leo’s deposition will take place almost ten years later to the day that the original dumping suit against Canada was filed. Even more ironic though is that this all appears to be happening with the knowledge and approval of people Leo considered to be trusted friends like Herman Schumacher, Kathleen Kelley, Johnny Smith, and Randy Stevenson to name a few. The fact that Leo McDonnell has to spend money to defend himself against the very organization he founded is a travesty. All of the time Leo has spent away from his family and his business traveling around the country trying to get R-CALF off the ground wasn’t enough. All of the money Leo has spent including co-signing notes to the bank to keep R-CALF from going under wasn’t enough. Now Leo and Sam have to spend more time and money to hire legal council to defend themselves against the “new R-CALF.”
Mike and I would like to know how many R-CALF members understand that part of your dues dollars are possibly being used to sue some of the original members of R-CALF? How many of you people that will donate a calf for a roll over auction this fall understand that some of that money may well be used to sue the very people who spent their time and money to get R-CALF started? Do you know how many members have left since the board shake up, or that R-CALF shut down their Washington DC office because as one director said, it was a waste of resources to keep an office open in Washington DC? What is R-CALF’s deteriorating financial situation? While this witch hunt has been going on against some of the original members, what has R-CALF won for you? They lost the over 30 month case, which as we understand, their own lawyers told them they had a 99.9% chance they would lose, and what did that cost you in dollars and political clout? Too bad they would not pursue a legislative alternative to stop the over 30 month rule like Leo and Chuck wanted to. Obviously their odds could not have been much worse. If a corporation was being run this poorly there would be a house cleaning before it went bankrupt. We think R-CALF’s house cleaning should start with the out of control CEO and the directors that are too weak or complacent to do the job they signed on for.
If you think we get any joy out of writing this letter, you are wrong. No one believed in what the original R-CALF stood for more than we did but we refuse to sit by while this is being done to Leo and Sam. This letter is meant to shed light on some of the things a few of the so called leaders in R-CALF are doing, and if you as members don’t start raising some hell about it we doubt R-CALF will last. That’s not good for any of us cow-calf producers. If you already know all of this is going on and agree with it, that’s your business, but we believe there are a lot of contributors that don’t know any of this is happening and it’s high time you did.
Sincerely,
Jack McNamee, Miles City MT
Mike Karrels, Terry MT
Enough is Enough
Dear Editor,
On Aug. 15th, 2008 Leo McDonnell was served a subpoena initiated by R-CALF-USA and its directors to appear for deposition Sept. 10,, 2008 in the continuing litigation against past president Chuck Kiker, past director Jon Wooster, Dennis McDonald, and as stated on the subpoena, “John Does 1-5.” It’s ironic that Leo’s deposition will take place almost ten years later to the day that the original dumping suit against Canada was filed. Even more ironic though is that this all appears to be happening with the knowledge and approval of people Leo considered to be trusted friends like Herman Schumacher, Kathleen Kelley, Johnny Smith, and Randy Stevenson to name a few. The fact that Leo McDonnell has to spend money to defend himself against the very organization he founded is a travesty. All of the time Leo has spent away from his family and his business traveling around the country trying to get R-CALF off the ground wasn’t enough. All of the money Leo has spent including co-signing notes to the bank to keep R-CALF from going under wasn’t enough. Now Leo and Sam have to spend more time and money to hire legal council to defend themselves against the “new R-CALF.”
Mike and I would like to know how many R-CALF members understand that part of your dues dollars are possibly being used to sue some of the original members of R-CALF? How many of you people that will donate a calf for a roll over auction this fall understand that some of that money may well be used to sue the very people who spent their time and money to get R-CALF started? Do you know how many members have left since the board shake up, or that R-CALF shut down their Washington DC office because as one director said, it was a waste of resources to keep an office open in Washington DC? What is R-CALF’s deteriorating financial situation? While this witch hunt has been going on against some of the original members, what has R-CALF won for you? They lost the over 30 month case, which as we understand, their own lawyers told them they had a 99.9% chance they would lose, and what did that cost you in dollars and political clout? Too bad they would not pursue a legislative alternative to stop the over 30 month rule like Leo and Chuck wanted to. Obviously their odds could not have been much worse. If a corporation was being run this poorly there would be a house cleaning before it went bankrupt. We think R-CALF’s house cleaning should start with the out of control CEO and the directors that are too weak or complacent to do the job they signed on for.
If you think we get any joy out of writing this letter, you are wrong. No one believed in what the original R-CALF stood for more than we did but we refuse to sit by while this is being done to Leo and Sam. This letter is meant to shed light on some of the things a few of the so called leaders in R-CALF are doing, and if you as members don’t start raising some hell about it we doubt R-CALF will last. That’s not good for any of us cow-calf producers. If you already know all of this is going on and agree with it, that’s your business, but we believe there are a lot of contributors that don’t know any of this is happening and it’s high time you did.
Sincerely,
Jack McNamee, Miles City MT
Mike Karrels, Terry MT