Represent – Thoughts From The Middle of Nowhere

<a href="http://www.farmandranchguide.com/articles/2007/11/08/ag_news/letters_and_editorial/letter14.txt">Who does <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> represent – U.S. cattlemen or packers?</a> n n<blockquote>What should an independent cattle producer believe about the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (<acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym>)? n nI recently received a letter from the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> requesting my membership in the organization. In this letter, the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> claims to be lobbying in Washington, D.C., on issues important to cattle producers. This is true – the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> is very actively lobbying on issues important to cattlemen. They specifically claim to have improved language to fix country-of-origin labeling (<acronym title="Country of Origin Labeling">COOL</acronym>) in the upcoming farm bill. n nYou would think by the inference of the letter the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> was front and center in fighting for <acronym title="Country of Origin Labeling">COOL</acronym>. Well, it is true the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> was front and center in the debate and fight over <acronym title="Country of Origin Labeling">COOL</acronym>, the only problem is the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> was trying desperately to kill <acronym title="Country of Origin Labeling">COOL</acronym>. The <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> was working with the American Meat Institute (AMI) to kill the <acronym title="Country of Origin Labeling">COOL</acronym> law or gut the effectiveness of the law. The AMI aggressively lobbies for the packers' best interests. n n….. n nIn another segment of the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym>'s letter, it mentions success with the farm bill debate in the House of Representatives in regards to competition issues. n nThe <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> was successful in blocking the inclusion of any language in the farm bill improving competition in cattle markets. They go on to say, “The inclusion of competition language is still possible in the Senate, and the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> will continue to lobby against this.” n n nDoes this sound like an organization that is lobbying for cattlemen or meatpackers?</blockquote> n nAs you see, I am not the only one that thinks the <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> is nothing but an arm of the big meat packers. The <acronym title="National Cattlemans Beef Association, shills for the big meat packers">NCBA</acronym> needs to understand, just because something is good for the meat packers, doesn't mean it is good for cattlemen. For anybody out there interested in this kind of thing, check out the <a href="http://www.uscattlemen.org/">United States Cattlemen's Association (<acronym title="United States Cattleman's Association">USCA</acronym>)</a>. They are interested in working for cattle producers in Washington. In fact they are run completely by working cattlemen and want to grow the organization that way and maintain it only as working Cattlemen. n nMoo may represent an idea, but only the cow knows. Mason Cooley