[Imc] Hog Farmers' Vote Thrown Out -- Your Action Needed! (fwd)

[Molly Stentz]

Here's info about the Pork Checkoff we discussed at Sundays' mtg..
-Molly

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 08 Mar 2001 13:14:31 -0500
From: National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
    <campaign at sustainableagriculture.net>
Subject: Hog Farmers' Vote Thrown Out  -- Your Action Needed!


Urgent Action Needed in Response to USDA's Invalidation of the Pork Checkoff
Referendum

Demand justice today!

The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture is forwarding this action
alert from the Campaign for Family Farms and the Land Stewardship Project
(LSP).  The USDA cut a deal with the National Pork Producers' Council
invalidating the pork checkoff referendum vote. LSP and the other groups in the
Campaign for Family Farms are asking everyone to call USDA and the White House
to protest.  We urge you to do so.

For more information contact:
Land Stewardship Project
3203 Cedar Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407
Phone: 612/722-6377 Fax: 612/722-6474


USDA & National Pork Producers Council Cut Closed-Door Deal to Continue Pork
Checkoff Tax--Throw Out Hog Farmer Vote.

In a backroom deal announced March 1st, the USDA agreed not to terminate the
mandatory pork checkoff. USDA's agreement with the National Pork Producers
Council (NPPC) is meant to overturn the democratic vote of hog farmers who
voted to end the pork tax 53% to 47% in a nationwide referendum held five
months ago. The Land Stewardship Project and the Campaign for Family Farms
strongly oppose this settlement. Through this settlement, the Bush
administration has declared war on the family farm and on democracy. It's time
to fight for justice.

The USDA/NPPC deal was taking place at the same time that Secretary Veneman's
office was refusing to meet with hog farmer members of the Campaign for Family
Farms. The deal was made as part of a settlement to NPPC's lawsuit against USDA
in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids, Michigan. If the settlement goes
through, the Campaign for Family Farms will sue on behalf of independent family
farm hog producers.

Hog farmers across the country voted to end the mandatory pork checkoff because
the program didn't benefit them. Since the mandatory pork checkoff began in
1986, over 250,000 hog farmers were forced out of business, hog farmers' share
of the retail dollar plummeted, and prices hit historic lows. The policies of
the NPPC, which receives 91% of the checkoff money, work against independent
producers who pay the checkoff. Their pro-corporate, anti-environmental
policies encouraged the expansion of factory farms and helped drive family
farmer hog producers out of business.

The mandatory pork checkoff is not just a hog farmer issue. The decision to
reject a vote of the people in order to benefit corporate agribusiness is
something that consumers, environmentalists, and all citizens who believe in
democracy should be appalled by. If you have made a dozen phone calls or never
made a call on this issue, we need you to take action today.

There are four calls you need to make:

1. Call Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman (202) 720-3631.  Veneman needs to
hear that the settlement is an outrage. She has betrayed American hog farmers
and trashed democracy. She needs to honor the vote and terminate the mandatory
pork checkoff.

2. FAX to USDA at (202) 720-2166 and the White House at (202) 456-2461.
Write a
short, hard-hitting statement about this issue and fax it to Secretary Veneman
at her office in the USDA and to President Bush at the White House. Many times
big business and big government shunt phone calls off to machines, but
thousands of faxes expressing outrage at USDA's action make a powerful
statement by themselves. If you don't get through the first time, try again.

3. Call Your Congressional Representatives.   U.S. Congress switchboard (202)
224-3121 (they can connect you to your Senators and Representative) Tell your
Congressional Representative and Senators that they need to call and write Ag
Secretary Veneman and President Bush and tell them to honor the vote of hog
farmers. The checkoff referendum was a binding referendum to end the checkoff.
Anything less than termination of the checkoff is a slap in the face to
independent hog farmers and democracy.

4. Call President Bush (202) 456-1414.  On Tuesday, February 27, President Bush
addressed a joint session of Congress. In his speech he said that people should
be able to spend their own money for their own needs. Hog farmers agree --
rather than pay the checkoff tax hog farmers should have the right to use that
money to benefit their farms and not be forced to give it to the NPPC so they
can promote more factory farms and corporate control.


End the Pork Checkoff Tax. Demand Justice. Call Today.