Letters to the editor

Strong & free

Canadians, stand up and show the rest of the world why at one time it made us proud to sing “our true north strong and free.” Apparently, we have forgotten some very simple rules applicable in life and business such as “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

When I look at the status of free trade, it’s enough to make you sick. We have always known since its inception that free trade, quite simply, is American free trade, but the sequence of events in the last few years only serves to confirm this further.

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Worrisome drop in grain prices

Prices had been softening for most of the previous month, but heading into the Labour Day long weekend, the price drops were startling.

When a country bordered in its entirety by another continues its blatant assault against fair trade, the time has come to say ‘enough.’

We ranch along Highway 5 running from the Canada/U.S. customs and are continuously astonished at the sheer volume of American semi units crossing this border daily. They cross here uninhibited, freely dumping canola, flax and every conceivable grain, using our infrastructure Ñ roads, elevators, etc. which we have paid for, contributing nothing to us but depressed prices.

Remember, they will be reimbursed by Uncle Sam for their deficiencies. Effectively, their own infrastructure, particularly in North Dakota, has fallen apart, but I guess you really don’t need one if you can use someone else’s.

Remember when our trucks were blockaded, our tires were slashed and our drivers were mentally and physically assaulted because we were delivering into the U.S. market? It would seem they have forgotten who paid for and developed these very grains Ñ canola and flax Ñ that they so desperately depend on….

With two countries having crossed cattle and feed through both borders for over 100 years, let’s be realistic.

There are reasons why the Americans have not confirmed BSE; they choose not to. …

As a country, we Canadians have to aggressively pursue any and all countries who have in the past been fair and good trading partners. If we use the Japanese beef market as an example, they have in the past traded some $3.1 billion per year with the U.S.

If we are to compare in fairness our advantages over the U.S., one only has to look at our national ID system, which is second to none and one that our U.S. counterparts are years away from. Our testing supersedes all that is being done in the U.S. to date, and the genetics and quality of our Canadian cattle are respected throughout the world….

On a positive note, I still firmly believe today what I stated at the beginning of BSE. This border will open when the American people need and must have our cattle for their benefit. …

You can only bully your way around in any walk of life for so long before you become unwanted and disliked by all who know you. If that is the wish of the American people, mission accomplished.

Ñ Randy Pawich,

Cartwright, Man.

Senate whine

Every time I see the whining about senate reform and the democratic deficit, it refreshes my frustration at how we came so close to meaningful restructuring and reorganization during the constitutional reform efforts of a decade ago.

In that effort, Canada spent an enormous amount of money, time and talents on regional and national citizen forums, first ministers conferences and research activities and after all that work, in a referendum, Canadians gave it a big shrug and said “nahhh.”

I will always remember the incredibly annoying nasal pronouncements by Preston Manning to “for the love of Canada, vote no.”

As far as I’m concerned, we had a chance to make it better including Senate reform but the majority gave it a pass. Armchair quarterbacks then and still nitpicking the big picture.

Ñ D. A. Taylor,

Spruce Grove, Alta.

GM meaning

The GM prefix to a noun has been used for years to create instant recognition of the subject of the sentence. GM has stood for General Motors and Genetically Modified as the most popular prefixes.

GM may also stand for Get Money or Give Money. GM developers may give money to a GM political party to possibly assist in GM government to influence a zone classification.

When we read in the media about year-end statements of agriculture lobby groups, we don’t see the amount of money transferred to political parties. Maybe these organizations are not making such contributions.

Third world countries have political structures that require payoffs to assist in the transfer of commodities. In North America, a GM judge may be influenced by a GM group to make a G.D. ruling on trade issues.

Should Canadian democracy sit proudly on the sidelines while trade partners fall into these third world GM tactics?

Ñ Harvie Reekie,

Clarksburg, Ont.

Where’s CGC?

I have waited, to no avail, for a public response from the Canadian Grain Commission in defence of farmers or even itself, regarding an article entitled, “CGC deflects industry critics” in the March 3 issue of the Western Producer. The following is my personal view of the article.

Murdock MacKay, vice-president of Agricore, in charge of the terminal services division, is urging the government not to lift its moratorium on CGC fee increases. The brief which the Western Grain Elevator Association presented to the House of Commons agriculture committee Feb. 24 stated any move to a greater cost recovery is unwarranted as the current fee structure is burdensome and not in line with the industry efforts to reduce and eliminate costs.

To set the record straight, the CGC fee of 38 cents per tonne for weighing and inspection of wheat was frozen by the federal government in 1991. The data I have access to, from 1997 to present, indicates that handling fees charged to western Canadian farmers by grain companies to handle wheat inland have went up by an average of 25 percent, cleaning fees 30 percent and port terminal handling fees 26 percent.

It seems it is OK for grain companies to raise tariffs and handling rates while the CGC must depend on government handouts to compensate a fee structure that isn’t able to generate enough revenue to do all that the CGC is mandated to do.

It is time farmers looked closely at their grain cheques and saw what some grain companies are charging in the name of the CGC for weighing and inspection fees.

There seems to be no response from the CGC regarding this overcharge of fees. Maybe they are too broke financially to defend themselves, let alone uphold producers’ rights and enhance the integrity of grain transactions.

Ñ Gordon Fritzke,

Golden Prairie, Sask.

Accrual method

Although I have lost my farm and had back surgery years ago, I still feel the need to lobby all governments and farm groups to get back on track and save rural Canada before it is too late.

Today’s cash filing of income tax, crop insurance, and Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization farm program are the major causes of numerous farmers going broke.

Cash filing of income tax makes farmers pay income tax while losing money. Crop insurance has little to no coverage left. It’s just a bill for farmers. CAIS by design can’t be accessed by the majority of Canadian farmers. It’s just another bill for farmers….

Government should make it mandatory to have all Canadian farmers file income tax on the accrual method, with a one year break on first filing. Farmers will have to claim one and a half crops the first filing. This way crop insurance and CAIS could be eliminated with all administration dollars from them flowing to farmers.

Accrual filing deals with all farm losses, makes all farmers file one piece of paper per year. No CAIS or crop insurance forms to fill in and no CAIS/crop insurance premiums to pay.

(We) could have governments refunding farmers 70 percent of their losses per year and make refunds of losses immediate based on last year’s losses….

We need to get 100 percent of all farm losses into Stats Canada so all levels of governments can deal with today’s farm crisis before we completely lose rural Canada.

I want and will continue to lobby for accrual filing as our only “super” farm program. It’s the only program Canadian farmers need because it’s the only one that will work to save rural Canada.

Ñ Lloyd Pletz,

Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask.

Other credit due

It was very kind of the Western Producer to report on my receiving the Pork Industry Leadership Award from the Alberta Pork Congress. The ultimate complement to a researcher is to be recognized by the industry he serves.

However, it should be noted that other awards were handed out that evening to much more deserving winners, including the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Sam Jaikaran and the Farm Team Award to Prairie View Colony of Sibbald, Alta.

At the same banquet, Olymel of Red Deer recognized pork producers who had achieved particular success in producing the highest quality pork carcasses in various categories. Their accomplishments, earned every time they market hogs, were truly exceptional.

Overall, the banquet was a celebration of all that is good about our industry.

I hope everyone recognizes that individual awards represent the efforts of many people behind the scenes. Life is truly a team sport, and none of us can achieve any degree of success in isolation of others.

In my instance, I have the tremendous support of the staff and students at the Prairie Swine Centre and the University of Saskatchewan, the support of pork producers across the Prairie region and of course, my family. I would be remiss if I did not remind your readers of this simple but essential fact.

Ñ John F. Patience,

President, Prairie Swine Centre,

Saskatoon, Sask.

One voice

When will all the different farmer organizations come under one umbrella? One voice, one voice, one large voice, which our deaf and dumb federal government must pay attention to.

I can’t read all the letters of complaint in the Producer anymore. It’s too much; we read each other’s letters, but do these letters ever get to our prime minister and his ministers in charge?

Various farmer organizations must come together under one voice and hopefully each provincial government would help endorse and promote movement.

If it doesn’t happen, I can see no real action. Also write those good letters directly to (prime minister Paul) Martin or his ministers.

Ñ Rose Bohush,

Sherwood Park, Alta.

Democratic reform

Now more than ever before in the history of Canada, we need serious democratic reform. The nation the Fathers of Confederation created in 1867 was as good as it gets for a parliamentary democracy but times have changed. We are now in the 21st century and Canada needs reform.

Let’s start with the Senate of Canada. It made sense in another time in history to appoint senators but in today’s modern Canada I believe we should … elect or abolish the Senate.

The current senators are political appointments and while they are certainly honourable people, the point is they are not accountable to the people of Canada.

What should be done?

There should be a national task force on democratic reform. That task force should be composed of respected Canadians and reflect the multicultural mosaic of Canada.

The mandate would be to determine what to do with the Senate of Canada and also to consider proportional representation for the House of Commons. …

The United Nations has consistently ranked Canada as one of the best nations in the world to live. We are a very multicultural and progressive nation. Now is the time for democratic reform in Canada to make Canada the best democratic nation in the world.

Ñ Michael McCafferty,

Regina, Sask.

No to trade

I was saddened by the recent closure of the border to beef and announcements of lower grain prices. Perhaps it is an opportunity to make real changes domestically that could turn things around without relying on exports and imports.

Now perhaps we will be forced to close our borders to imported beef and other imports. After all, we have all the raw resources to run an entire nation with prosperity unlimited.

If we were to properly price our farm raw material we could still have a booming economy and show the way for the rest of the world as there is no basis for free trade. Free trade throughout history has proven to benefit a few rich traders to the detriment of and slavery of the citizenry.

The consumers of 1924-25 were told that if they were to buy the $15 high quality imported watch from Switzerland, instead of buying the $30 high quality American watch, they would have an additional $15 to spend in the economy. Here is what actually happens:

1) America lost the sale of and production of that $30 watch.

2) America also lost the $15 to a foreign country.

3) Total loss to the North American economy for every $15 import sold: $45.

4) It culminated in that same consumer losing his job.

This same scenario can be applied to every automobile sold in Canada that is not manufactured in Canada, or the same applies to any import.

Our present world order free market leaders that are running our economy are so slick at passing off their dictatorial trade practices as democracy and are so successful at it, they would make Adolf Hitler wretch with envy.

If we don’t change our present course and direction, because of ignorance and greed we will lose our freedom and the free enterprise system.