Beef Checkoff

I see a Federal Appeals court has upheld the <a href="http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=39901">unconstitutionality of the Milk Checkoff program</a>. Maybe this will be the final nail in the coffin for the Beef Checkoff program. For years groups have been fighting the <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2003/10/03/build/business/40-checkoff.inc">Beef Checkoff</a> and recently even got a ruling that it was unconstitutional, except that the same court also ruled that we have to keep paying until the appeals are all exhausted.<br />n<!–more–><br />nI see the <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?display=rednews/2004/02/12/build/business/49-beefcheckoff.inc">appea</a>l is being filed so it might get resolved before too much longer. I really doubt the appeal will be taken by the high court since the court has consistently ruled that mandatory checkoff rules are a violation of free speech.<br />n<br />nNow you might think by reading this I am opposed to the program. Well I am not. I feel that the What's for Dinner campaign has been a good one and has helped maintain beefs presence in front of the consumer. I can definitely respect those that do have a problem with the program and can understand there reasons for opposing it but I have always been a little uncomfortable with the mandatory aspects of it I'm sure the Beef Board will try to morph it into a voluntary program but I doubt it will bring in enough money to do any good. With a voluntary program it is just way to easy not to pay and I predict most people won't.<br />n<br />n<b>Free speech is not to be regulated like diseased cattle and impure butter. The audience &acirc;