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Animal Health Black Ink Book Reviews Caren Cowan Cowboy Heroes Estrays Farm Bureau Minute Global Economy In Memoriam Jingle Jangle Lee Pitts N.M. Federal Lands News N.M. Livestock Board NMCGA Presidents Letter Obituaries Old Times & Old Timers On the Edge of Common Sense Riding Herd Scatterin' the Drive To The Point View From the Backside	Category: Beef Checkoff Now That´s A Checkoff Now That’s A Checkoff — by Lee Pitts Because it has become a litmus test for its diehard supporters, I am often asked to clarify my position on the beef checkoff. It seems you are either friend or foe; you are either in the fraternity or you are not. But I didn´t quit their club . . . they quit me. Before the vote on the third attempt to pass a beef checkoff I wrote in this very newspaper that I was going to vote yes, albeit with some reservations. … Read the rest Gone in a Mushroom Cloud Gone in a Mushroom Cloud — by Lee Pitts Whether you like your beef with or without mushrooms, a recent decision by the Supreme Court is going to leave a decidedly toadstool taste in the collective mouth of the beef industry for a long time. In upholding a previous ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court the Supremes ruled the mushroom checkoff´s advertising program violated the free speech rights of mushroom growers. In doing so it struck down the mushroom checkoff and opened the door to a challenge of the beef and pork checkoffs. … Read the rest Showing Their True Colors Showing Their True Colors — by Lee Pitts It´s getting downright dirty out there. On July 5, the judge in the federal district court in South Dakota hearing the Livestock Marketing Assn.´s case dropped a bombshell. You´ll recall the LMA is challenging the validation process used by the USDA to verify the 145,000 signatures gathered up by the LMA for a referendum. After the mushroom decision, the judge in that case, Judge Kornman, in effect said, why should I rule on whether there should be a vote on the checkoff if it is unconstitutional in the first place?… Read the rest Backlash Backlash — by Lee Pitts Prior to the National Cattlemen´s Beef Association summer conference in Reno, they put out a press release announcing a new wrinkle. According to the release the NCBA officers would host an open microphone forum in Reno and be available to respond to member´s questions and receive input on issues. In other words, they decided to let their members voice their own opinions at a meeting. What´s newsworthy is the organization had to put out a press release to let people know they´d have a chance to express their opinions at an NCBA meeting.… Read the rest Check-up On The Check-off Check-up On The Check-off — by Lee Pitts In case you thought it was just we here at the Digest making a big deal about the merger and the subsequent confiscation of the beef checkoff by the NCBA, we share with you quotes from other interested parties. Admittedly, we present more negative comments than positive, figuring that the CBB and the NCBA have already spent four million of your dollars in the last ten months telling their side of the story.… Read the rest Is Anybody Happy Is Anybody Happy? — by Lee Pitts This can´t be what industry elders envisioned when they arranged the merger of the NCA and the Beef Board four years ago. When the NCBA gathers this month in the Phoenix desert for their annual convention they will do so under a big thundercloud of doubt that this marriage of new money and old tradition was maybe not such a good idea after all. With two states recently calling for the removal of NCBA´s head lobbyist in Washington and at least one former NCA President and Beef Board Chairman going public in the past year with their displeasure with the merger, the NCBA “shareholders” confab is more apt to resemble a dysfunctional family reunion.… Read the rest You Be The Judge You Be The Judge — by Lee Pitts With at least three serious challenges to the beef checkoff currently in the works the NCBA could soon experience a nearly 90% reduction in its budget. Then it would have to go back to earning its money the old fashioned way: by selling memberships. When they do they´ll find a new competitor in the neighborhood also vying to become the official mouthpiece of this nation´s cattlemen. R-CALF USA, or Ranchers Cattleman Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America, came from humble beginnings.… Read the rest « Older Entries Newer Entries »	Categories Aggie Notes Beef Checkoff Black Ink Book Reviews Climate Change COOL Cowboy Heroes Cuts From the Edit Room Floor Endangered Species Environment Estrays Factory Farming Farm Bureau Minute General Global Economy In Memoriam Jingle Jangle Lee Pitts Letters to the Editor Marketing Our Products Merger Nat'l Animal ID System NM Federal Lands News NM Livestock Board NMCGA President's Letter Obituaries Old Times & Old Timers On the Edge of Common Sense People Press Release Press Releases Price Reporting Property Rights Riding Herd Scatterin' the Drive Strategic Alliance To The Point View From the Backside
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