Fight over farms: Issue 2 would decide who regulates animal car...

Jim Heimerl sees State Issue 2, which would create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, as a way to keep his 2,500-acre family farm in business.

[Charles Wildman]

Issue 2 is an attempt to bring some reasoned structure to what seems to be inevitable, increased regulations and restrictions. Reasoned regulation seems preferable to the uninformed illconcieved bans pushed by HSUS and PETA. Issue 2 gives consumers yet another reason to have continued confidence in the outstanding job farmers do to provide safe, affordable, local, food raised in ways acceptable to society.

[AAA]

A couple of things:

-the producers "says his farm would be severely affected if a livestock-standards constitutional amendment is not approved," but there is no alternative at this time to be affected by, nor is what the board will do a foregone conclusion (or is it, Farm Bureau?)

-"Fearing that the Humane Society would propose a ballot issue ... Ohio Farm Bureau and other agribusiness leaders approached state lawmakers earlier this year." Yes. This is simply a result of fear. The proponents hope that they can extend that to voters and scare them into amending the constitution of our state.

-This is a CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT we're voting on!

-

[CarMeL]

I don't think it is wise to amend the constitution of our state to create a board that voters have no idea what they will do. If I am going to vote on animal welfare standards, I want to know what I am voting for. This issue has no content on which to decide. A board sounds like a good idea, but they could really do anything they want with no further approval from voters or elected officials. I'm not willing to give up my say on this issue forever by voting to let this board make decisions for me and all the livestock farmers in the state.

[Handala]

Government INTRUSION = less production at higher cost.Best depicted in the auto,housing,banking,isurance and health industries but coming to destroy a farm near you soon!

[Timmy]

It's okay to make money on the farm, but it's not okay to have a chicken and it can't flap it's wings. Or a cow that can't excersise after being milked. I own a farm and work on the farm while my family was alive. Now it's mainly used for hay. I undestand whole heartedly what this will do. But I also understand what this will cure. There has to regulation on the food industry period. It's not like in the sixty's where you knew what you were eating. Today it's anyone guess. Weather there's steriods in it or not. I as a citzen of U.S.A. want these COMPANIES tested and regulated period. Please don't damage my vision of the family farm form the 20th century it's all country people have left. I feel for the 21st century farmer, but it's another time and much more people to feed. As we have learned America no longer feeds the world under this new world order ! It's OPEN SEASON.

[oh boy]

I always find it amazing that this marketing claim of agriculture being the number one buisness in Ohio is constantaly repeated. Less then 2% of the population is involved in agriculture in Ohio. As a portion of the states gross domestic product it is statistically accepted that it makes up less then half a percent. OSU cooperative extension uses grocery store workers, food service workers and factory workers making everything from soup to candy to make this boast. Agricuture production is a totally seperate issue from this list. Please explain what is meant when the term is used by people interviewed for articles. That said that is why few people know about the issue in the article because it truely effects few Ohioan's

[StayTheHellOut]

The do gooders are trying to regulate the family farm. How about regulating every household with a pet , requiring inspections of the premises, record keeping by the pet owners, and registration fees and taxes for the inspections. Stay the hell out of our business you crying liberals

[Howard]

I don't know him personally but I can tell you he runs a clean effecient operation. I agree with ethical treatment of animals, but I haven't seen anythg that would suggest otherwise out of his farming operations. I am still unclear of how enacting issue 2 would help or hinder their operation.

[HumaneSocietyWor ker]

"On the other side, Wayne Pacelle, chief executive director of the national Humane Society"...The way the media and the Humane Society of the United States speak about HSUS is misleading to the public and damaging to local humane societies. Please stop referring to them as the Humane Society. HSUS is a political activist group. Your local Humane Society has NOTHING to do with these battles, their job is to find homes for abandoned DOMESTIC animals and the misleading way these stories are written hurt their very noble cause. They are also local, nonprofit organizations that rely on private donations. If you donate to HSUS it does not go to support your local Humane Society. Also, your local Humane Society is not involved in these activist issues.

Just trying to set this straight wherever I see it. So those checks you or your wife has with cute little puppies and kittens on them that they got from HSUS, it pays for attack ads and things like what you read about in the article above. If you truly love dogs and cats, just donate directly to your local humane society or animal shelter and remember that HSUS is not affiliated with them.

[Jeanie]

If we're in such dire straits financially in Ohio, why are we even thinking about this sort of expenditure?

[Gordon Shumway]

Isn't it obvious to most, the Ohio farmers are trying to prevent any type of initiatives which the HSUS may plan.

After winning in California, the Executive Director is now going to different agricultural states and saying "listen, we won in California, if you don't do what we tell you, we're coming after your state next". It's primarily blackmailing our farmers and if this is the draconian measures required to PREVENT this from occurring, then I'm all for it.

Another poster stated: HSUS is a political action group. They're very much like PETA, another whacked political group. Just ask PETA about their recent billboard ads "Save the Whales" and it shows a caricature of an overweight woman. I'm not sure how PETA figures that it would make a statement but they said "it was thought provoking, funny". Uh, yeah, sure!

Support Issue 2 and SUPPORT your local area humane society. These folks work HARD at what they do. My utmost respect to them.

[camille]

The Humane Society has a much bigger agenda than protecting little doggies and kitties. Do some reserach.

[HumaneSocietyWor ker]

camille, are you sure about that? Because I have worked at Humane Societies for years and that is all we do. Don't try to tell me what I do at my own job. I don't think you read what I said, Humane Society of the United States is NOT affiliated with your local Humane Society. That was my whole point. Do your own research, I live in the animal welfare world.

[Mike]

If Heimerl says the Ohio Pork Producers Council is "more than willing to blow the whistle" on cruel practices, why did they pay the legal fees for the Ohio factory farm accused of "euthanizing" lame pigs by wrapping a chain around their necks, suspending them from a tractor, and hanging them execution-style, and then applaud the court ruling as a "huge victory" for livestock production when the factory farm owner and his workers were acquitted?

[Dave in Delaware]

Camille is correct. The ultimate agenda of HSUS is to completely eliminate animal products. There would be no more livestock farming if HSUS could have it's way.

The HSUS is an animal rights terrorist group hiding behind the good names of your local Humane Societies.

[s thomas]

oh gees can't we just leave the farmers alone. they have been raising animils for a long time with out help from the constitution of our governments. the bleeding hearts dogooders with too much time on their hands need to find a hobby and leave hardworking citizens alone. we have far more important issues to worry about than this.

[Dean]

As always, follow the money. The leaders of groups such as HSUS and PETA are not about protecting animals. They are the non-productive members of society doing their best to live off farmers and other producers.

Their mode of operation is to make noise and headlines so as to solicit CONTRIBUTIONS – they are the parasites of the culture.

[Annie]

The Humane Society of the United States has admitted that it conducts little to no scientific research when writing its anti-livestock agriculture legislation and purposefully writes ballot initiatives to be emotionally appealing and vague. California egg producers are still arguing the language in Prop 2 because it offers no actual guidelines for caging laying hens.

Issue 2 is not being pushed by "bleeding-heart liberals." It's being encouraged by Ohio farmers who want an IN-STATE governing body keeping watch on animal care practices instead of anti-ag animal rights lobbies like HSUS. It's important that farms be held to standards for animal care - a code of ethics, if you will - but those standards need to be set by those who work with animals and understand agriculture and be based on science and expertise, not heartstring-tugging emotional campaigning.

As for the hog-euthanasia case, the practices videotaped are considered industry standard - they're not pretty, but death is never pretty. The behavior of the workers was disrespectful and, frankly, unacceptable, but the practices themselves are sometimes necessary in animal agriculture. It's not a sunshine-and-rainbows business, feeding the world.

Treating animals with respect is priority number one for the vast majority of farmers, whether because they are emotionally invested in their livestock or because they understand that healthy, well-cared-for animals generate more profit. My family raises dairy cattle, and I can assure you that I will be voting for Issue 2 in November.

[Ohio Patriot]

This article makes it pretty obvious - the new "commission" is an industry dominated sham group that will lead to no real improvements in the lives of the animals confined in factory farms. It is just a political scam orchestrated by agri-business lobbies with the full support & connivance of the Governor and both parties in the legislature. How disgusting! Could Ohio politics get any worse? I bet they plan on lying to the public during their campaign by claiming it is being done for the animals so the vast majority of voters too harried in their lives to know the real background will vote for it thinking they're doing something good when the truth is the exact opposite. With insane idiots screaming about "death panels" in health care and now this sham constitutional amendment, America's and Ohio's political culture are absolutely rancid -- it not only tolerates lies, it depends on them because our corporate crony politicians can no longer communicate with the public on the basis of the truth. Isn't this what Thomas Jefferson used to worry about?

[Eric]

I'm willing to pay more for naturally grown food, me, not by government regulation! Cheap food isn't good but if that's what you want that's your choice. More regulations will only make it harder for small farmers and growers to supply the good stuff.