AFF Sentinel Vol.5#37

Presidential Candidate Envisions Unionized U.S. Agriculture

If you're a cattle feeder, did you know that Barack Obama wants to help you run your operation?

Believe it. Obama sent a letter to a Northwestern feedyard expressing his wish that employees at all their feedyards be unionized and emphasizing his support for unionization of all American farm operations.

You may recall the AFF Sentinel of 6/20/08 (Sen. V5#28,"Union Deploys Vicious Methods on Natural Beef Program & Feedyard"), revealing the United Farm Workers' (UFW) exploitation of a loophole in Oregon law to attempt pressuring Whole Foods and Country Natural Beef into a secondary boycott of Beef Northwest. Beef Northwest is a cattle-feeding company based out of North Powder, Or. The UFW had pressured Whole Foods into insisting that Country Natural - which sold a large share of its beef to Whole Foods -- had to feed its cattle in a unionized feedyard.

AFF Sentinel Vol.5#36

Waging Political Wars; Now Hijacking Faith

Colorado Springs, CO August 29, 2008

Edi. Note: The following remarks are the second half of excerpts from an AFF presentation to the recent National Meat Assn. summer conference. The first part dealt with the vegetarian goal that underlies the efforts of the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS).

We have a message we have to get out to our fellow Americans. If the "cruelty" and "misery" HSUS alleges were really common in the livestock industry, the industry would have collapsed years ago. If today's professional farmers and the rest of the livestock chain really created conditions in which animals were not contented, did not thrive and grow, they would lose their livelihood and their money. HSUS does not understand economics any better than it knows the real instincts and needs of animals.

But they do understand emotional appeals to voters and the political approaches to getting what they want. They have been successful at banning common livestock production practices in Florida, Arizona, and Oregon. They have forced legislation that is a defensive surrender in Colorado. Restrictive proposals are on the ballot in California's election this fall. Observers feel their strategy is to get legislation or constitutional amendments in 12-15 states and then use those results to pressure Congress into national legislation.

AFF Sentinel Vol.5#35

Learning What We're Up Against

Colorado Springs, CO August 21, 2008

Edi. Note: The following are excerpts from an AFF presentation to the National Meat Assn. summer conference this week.

The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.
Plato

"Evil" is a bit strong in most of the cases we deal with in this industry. But I submit that a do-gooder with a Congressman, Senator or judge backing his play is just as destructive -- and harder to fight.

The Agribusiness Freedom Foundation (AFF) promotes free market principles in agriculture's food production chain. Plus we have the freedom to cite facts and counter critics and do-gooders not only up and down the food production chain but also across to the chain of critics. And our facts and reasoned analysis are also heard in government agencies, the media and Congress.

AFF Sentinel Vol.5#34

Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over (Where's That Whale Oil Lamp?)

Painful fuel costs could yield some positive effects on politics and economics. Perhaps in time for elections, consumer/voters may have had the supply and demand lesson they have steadfastly pretended didn't exist.

Prices exceeding $4.00/gal. and ridiculous calls from Al Gore and Sen. Barack Obama to be fossil fuel free in a decade have spotlighted the political left's incredible ignorance of both economics and technical reality. Personally, I would love to see both of them take a flight in a solar, windmill or battery- powered commercial airliner - next week would be fine.