In reference to the March 25 letter from Victor Pittman, titled Fact #9, he states that the CWB squanders funds generated by grain sales to pay for things such as demurrage, part expenses, salaries, wages and unemployment insurance for employees and staff.
I wonder if he were in CWB management, would he be able to get staff to work for free? Further along he states that the CWB has stolen too much money from western grain growers. A rather strong statement, I would say. Perhaps he has the same hard evidence that he could provide, showing that such is the case.
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As I understand it, his fact #9 says this: If the CWB would not deduct their own costs from the prices for grain that are paid to growers, there would be plenty of money to pay legitimate transportation costs for grain delivered to tide water ports.
Well, we could turn that around and say that if somebody else paid the costs of producing the crops on his farm, Mr. Pittman would have much more money in his pocket.
Both of these statements are fantasies rather than facts. He is right when he states that people cannot be fooled forever. They can see through fact (or fantasy) #9 and realize that the business world does not operate that way.
– Don Budesheim,
Grande Prairie, Alta.
