Editor:
On Nov. 3, 2009, the Ohio voters spoke loud and clear. By a landslide 67-37 vote they authorized the creation of a livestock board to regulate animal care in Ohio.
This was in response to the plea of those who introduced the ballot initiative to keep animal-care policy in the hands of Ohioans and out of the hands of the radical Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). But it was not to be, Gov. Strickland, conspiring together with his agricultural secretary and two Ohio agricultural “leaders,” negotiated behind closed doors with the president of the HSUS and reached an agreement that pre-empted any action that the livestock board might take in regulating animal care.
It was an act of treachery perpetrated by the governor against the citizens of Ohio.
According to media reports, HSUS representatives and their surrogates have been showing up in force at meetings of the board. Their object is to intimidate the members of the board into believing that if they adopt measures not approved by these radicals, a ballot initiatives will be introduced at the next election by the HSUS mandating draconian animal-care regulations. (The response of the board members to this should be: Bring it on.)
The people spoke and Gov. Ted Strickland, his agricultural secretary, and the hapless farm organization “leaders” didn’t listen.
Will Gov. Kasich listen? Will he declare publicly that the agreement brokered by Strickland and the HSUS is null and void? Will the Republicans, who now control both the Ohio House and Senate, listen? Will the members of the livestock board listen?
In short, will animal-care policy in Ohio be governed by the voter-created livestock board or will it be governed by radical out-of-state vegan pressure group fanatics? The voters are watching and waiting to see which it will be.
Clyde Nehrenz
Huntington Twp., Ohio
Were those 500,000 signatures from “out of state, radical vegans”? Keep ignoring your consumer, your neighbor, your constituents, market trends and the public at large and see how that works out for you.
It’s very likely that at least a third of those 500,000 signatures will be thrown out. So by all means, wave your empty threats. HSUS compromised because they didn’t have enough signatures and knew it.
HSUS brought in paid signature gatherers after putting out a call to animal rights groups for assistance. There are numerous complaints about the paid signature gatherers lying to people about what people were signing. If HSUS had nothing to hide, why lie?
Your answer has already been made by the Ohio Livestock Careboard. A couple days ago, they approved a measure from the swine committe. Let me make this perfectly clear…THE APPROVED RECCOMENDATIONS WERE NOT-REPEAT-WERE NOT-BASED ON SCIENTIFIC REASEARCH BUT ON PUBLIC OPINION ONLY. Gestation crates ARE scientifically PROVEN to benefit swine production…the board KNOWS that and actually had the audacity to change the “grandfather” clause because farmers that utilize this system had a SIGNIFICANT profit advantage as to loose sow systems to which they are forcing farmers to change to. (there is NO other system that has been shown to be superior to gestation crates for swine production-and the board IS aware of that)
And how were farmers compensated for this??? NOTHING-ZILCH….”SCREW-YOU”…crap on farmers, once again. Pathetically sad as it is from a “pro-farmer” board intiated from “pro-farmer” groups.
The Livestock Careboard is nothing but an anti-farm puppet of the Animal Rights movement. NONE of the groups that originally proposed it EVER consulted with their members-neither when it was originally thought-up of, or, when the “deal” was made with Strickland…completely dictatorial. In fact, the swine board was swayed because of implications of “the deal”.
I URGE ALL FARMERS to contact Kasich and let him know that they were NOT truthfully represented by the groups that bargained for the agreement with Strickland-and that they are NOT in favor of the “agreement” or ANY of the Proposed Livestock Careboard Reccomendations-as they are being formed by OPINION instead of SCIENTIFIC FACT…I also urge farmers TO NOT RENEW membership with ANY “pro-farm” group that favored the deal that was made between these groups, the pathetic HSUS, and Strickland. We farmers were sold-out, backstabbed, and crapped on by these “pro-farmer” groups when that deal was made.
That said, Clyde-You(and all of us) are now seeing the first step towards state-run control of farms…was as the case in the late Communistic Governments…Little by little our freedoms are being stripped away and we are being forced to do things based on a very few arrogant, brainwashed radicals who lied, decieved and frightened a few spineless wimpy cowards to override the US constitution and strip us farmers of our rights.
We ALL need to remind Kasich that, like Strickland, HE can be voted out also…We dont need ANY new rules or regulations..just let us farmers do what we do best-produce an abundant supply of safe, nutritious food at a reasonable price-WITHOUT ANY government interference!!!
“Scientifically proven to benefit” means to maximize productive capacity without concern for animal welfare. You use cruel and violent means of raising animals while pretending to the world that animals grow up on some sort of idyllic and loving farm and then you’re surprised that people are outraged? This is just the last 50 years of animal abuse finally coming back to haunt you-don’t blame the government, don’t blame the “vegans,” blame yourselves.
It’s time to catch up with the rest of civilization and stop living in the 1950’s. These changes are coming whether you want it or not. If you don’t want it, then move to China and raise animals without regulation or compassion.
The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board was voted in by Ohioans. HSUS as well as many other animal protection groups were against the Board formation. It’s crazy to say the Board is an anti-farm puppet! Ohioans asked for the Board and is now upset that they are doing their job?! Where were you two years ago when this issue was on the ballot? This is not about “farming”, the Board or HSUS. It’s about money and old white pot-bellied men trying to get away with whatever they can to rake in big profits!
I sat in on an advisory committee meeting for the OLCS Board. They argued about whether SOP’s should be written out!! What other industry gets away with having no written standard operating procedures? “Farmers” have comfortably lived behind closed (barn) doors for years without any regulations or standards of practice. It’s about time Ohioans demand more and better as a matter of public safety, health, the environment and for the animals.
Fed Up &PO’d – couldn’t agree more. Time for many to wake up and take off the puppet strings. Enough already.
It is time for a major truck and tractor protest rally movement at the Ohio capital!
I am so sick of big city people who have no connections to agriculture dictating to us the way we have to operate our farms and ranches.(they sure like the cheap prices at the stores though don’t they?)
In the present day and age we live in a society where the majority of people who vote have literally no connection to agriculture, therefore those of us actually involved in farming are at the mercy of the whims of a gullible public who is easily seduced by visions of some whacko’s utopian vision of an idyllic farm setting. This is as Benjamin Franklin once said,”tantamount to two wolves and a sheep voting on what’s for dinner”!
It is time to rise up and take back our farms and ranches!
Kasich’s SOA has said he will be reviewing these “agreements”.
http://mobile.ohiofarmer.com/main.aspx?ascxid=cmsNewsStory&rmid=0&rascxid=&args=&rargs=9&dt=634266939624380000&cmsSid=44148&cmsScid=9&rt=cmsNews%26cmsc%3d9%26mlbtxt%3dLocal+News&rtl=Local%20News
“”We want to grow agriculture,” he said. “Ohio is losing 700 farms a year.”” says Jim Zehringer, Governor-elect John Kasich’s newly appointed director of agriculture.
A quote from the article from the link you posted says it all!
The Humane Society of the United States is NOT pro-jobs, pro-agriculture,pro-farming,pro-ranching,or even pro-eating of meat. They will do NOTHING to help produce jobs or save farms in Ohio or anywhere else!
Why does ANY politician even give them the time of day?
I am neither out of state nor a vegan. But I entirely support the agreement between the Ohio Farm Bureau, all the major state commodity groups, and the HSUS. I am glad Ohio consumers are attending the livestock board meetings to tell them they feel the same. And the livestock board that Ohioans voted in is taking a good hard look at all the regulations and deliberating them carefully. This much is obvious to anyone who attends one of these meetings.
The HSUS has “pre-empted” nothing and the regulations are not draconian. Having 15 years to phase out gestation crates gives everyone plenty of time to adapt, and battery cages can continue indefinitely for existing operations. It will be the law that sick farm animals must be euthanized according to AVMA guidelines. How is that radical or draconian? These are rules negotiated by the parties on all sides and widely supported by the Ohio electorate.
The process is working, and Kasich and Zehringer would be wise to let it continue. Many farmers have contacted them to tell them this. The agreement provides predictability and stability for farmers, who now know what to expect and have plenty of time to adapt. It would be foolish to throw all that away in favor of a expensive and nasty ballot measure campaign whose results could go either way.
Amy,
As a doctor who works on domestic and exotic animals, I respectfully disagree with your point of view, the HSUS uses fear and half truths to support an agenda. This is nothing new and there are several lawsuits filed against this agency (HSUS) throughout the USA.I have a FULL copy of the Strickland rule draft, it unfortunately will cause major economic harm. Not to mention it is false propaganda. It appears you either are an animal rights activist or your somehow on their payroll.
Truly,
“Doc”
you have just completely added more validity to my idea.
Amy K works for the HSUS..be aware.. oh and you can be sure she is not a farmer ..and has no idea who “many farmers” are.. bring on the ballot measure.call their bluff
Friends Do NOT let Friends Donate to the HSUS
Sorry to disappoint you, Darwin, but I don’t work for the HSUS and you would be an idiot to bring on the ballot measure. Fortunately, cooler heads than yours seem to be prevailing at the Ohio Farm Bureau and all the commodity groups.
Who do you work for then AmyK? You have no stake in the matter obviously, so your sinister remarks must come from? Actually sounds like veiled threats to “our way” or we;ll squash you like a bug. be honest and say what group you are from, represent. You;re far too busy in comments to be doing it for nothing.
The ban won’t work unless it is enforced. The breeding, sell, supplies, and even giving away the animals is banned. This means no more of this stuff at flea market, exotic animal and reptiles shows, pet shops should close (most of the animals and supplies they sell will be in the ban), Pet supply warehouses, pet departments in wal marts kmarts and the likes will shrink or go out. There will not be the need for any specialized vets, ect. A lot of people will be out of work but at least the animals will be banned. Even though most of the animals to be banned require a license or permit of some kind before the ban and most people was getting them in black market type locations that will continue to operate. That is where the real problem is not with the people that operate with in the law. Just enforce the ones already there. I have been to pet shops and other locations that offer back door deals, and flea markets that will sell anything to anyone with the money no matter what age they are.
I do not support this ban whatsoever, and here is my reasoning why. I believe that it will strongly affect Ohio’s economy and is taking the freedoms and rights away from the citizens of Ohio.
I own small monkeys as personal companions, and there has never been an
incident of my monkeys ever harming an individual. I believe that the list
of “dangerous” animals needs to be made more realistic, as it includes all
non human primates, and that simply is uncalled for. It is comparable to
having a pit bull attack, then deciding to put a ban on every single breed
of dog, even the toy breeds.
The monkeys I own are under 9 pounds full grown. Many people own monkeys
such as marmosets and tamarins, which weigh under 2 pounds fully grown,
and squirrel monkeys, and capuchins, which weigh under 9 pounds full
grown. These animals should not be considered dangerous as they are not
capable of killing a human being, nor would they try when raised by a
responsible owner.
Regulation helps weed out irresponsible caretakers, and it allows for the
responsible owners who have a passion to keep these animals do so. It also
allows for strict guidelines to be put into place, such as caging
requirements, lot size, care, and other requirements.
I believe there are many things we can do to prevent our 12.5 billion
dollar industry from falling. We need to put regulation into place, not a
ban.