A growing international movement seeks to combat the depradations of factory farms. These atrocities foul waterways, bays, and oceans; they contribute mightily to global warming; they incubate public health disasters like e coli contamination and swine flu viruses; they destroy family farms; they fuel the unhealthy distortion of the American diet; and they institutionalize cruelty to animals. New efforts to regulate and restrain such farms are coming from international and national bodies concerned with public health, the environment, and animal rights.
The ever-vigilant Ohio political machine -- comprised of both Democrats and Republicans -- has struck to preemptively stop such regulation in the state. The preemptive mechanism is Issue #2 on the November 3 ballot. Issue 2 would create a deceptive "Livestock Care Standards Board" with broad powers to ward off any outside (i.e. federal)or health-agency regulation.
Issue 2 is supported by Governor Ted Strickland and a wide variety of Democratic and Republican Ohio lawmakers, including Hittite-Republican Jean Schmidt. It is opposed by virtually every environmental group in the state, and by Schmidt's insurgent Democratic opponent, David Krikorian.
Issue 2 is proposed as a state Consitutional amendment, already passed by the Ohio legislature and signed by the governor, now up for ratification by voters in ten days.
It would create a "Standards Board," comprised of thirteen members, ten of whom would be appointed by the Governor, with an additional two appointed by the heads of the Ohio House and Senate. The 13th member would be "the State Veterinarian," who is also appointed by the Governor.
The board would be given virtually exclusive power to determine "best practices" for all livestock issues, ranging from "biosecurity" to "food safety" and food "affordability." In other words, we don't want no frickin' CDC or blue-helmet World Health Organization weirdos telling Ohio farmers what to do.
While the board's membership would be defined in the Ohio Constitution in vague terms as "family farmers," representatives of "farm organizations," and "food safety experts," nothing would stop an Ohio Governor from stacking the board with representatives of Agribusiness. Which is precisely the point.
And of course, Big-Ag interests are engaging in a PR campaign for Issue 2 full of big-time deception. The initiative is billed in ads as "promoting food safety," "promoting locally grown food," "protecting consumers," and ensuring "the well-being of livestock." That would be the slit-throat, crowded pen, feed-trough type of well-being. Why wait to ingest e coli? Wretch now.
The Ohio state government has quite a record in this regard. In 1857, the Ohio legislature passed a bill calling for eradication of the Passenger Pigeon as a threat to state agriculture. Within twenty years the humongous flocks were gone, and on March 22, 1900, the last wild passenger pigeon seen anywhere on the planet was shot by a boy in Sargents, Ohio, a few hundred yards from where I sit. The Passenger Pigeon is extinct -- thank the Ohio pols.
Don't anyone think that this ballot question is only an Ohio issue.
Politically, Issue 2 is the incubator of the coming 2010 showdown between bipartisan machine interests in the state, and a new generation of insurgent anti-machine politicians. In my congressional district, OH-02, incumbent Jean Schmidt and machine Democratic challenger Todd Book both support Issue 2. Book already pimped for Issue 2 in the Ohio House.
On the other hand, the leading Democratic primary challenger, David Krikorian, yesterday moved to the forefront of statewide Issue 2 opposition with this press release:
David Krikorian Urges No Vote on Issue 2
Constitutional Amendment May Harm Ohio Citizens and Family Farms
Cincinnati, OH - October 22, 2009 - David Krikorian Candidate for U.S Representative, Ohio Second Congressional District, is calling upon the people of Ohio to reject Issue 2 at the polls on November 3rd. In an editorial piece circulated to the district media today, David Krikorian clarifies the proposed amendment to the State Constitution known as Issue 2.
The editorial can be seen here (Some Clarity On Issue 2 and Why You Should Vote No) [link below] Please forward to all mailing lists so that Ohioans can better understand Issue 2 and its harmful consequences to our public health, environment and our democratic form of government.
"I do not see why any Ohioan would vote in favor of creating an unnecessary regulatory body of political appointees with vast, undefined power to control livestock production in the state of Ohio", said David Krikorian. "This law is being pushed by big agriculture and may result in higher food prices, higher farming fees, new regulations and an uneven playing field for family farms."
David Krikorian's 2010 Republican opponent Representative Jean Schmidt is in favor of Issue 2. "Jean's position is not surprising to me as she has taken thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from big agricultural interests. Once again, if you follow the money, you will understand Jean Schmidt's postion on almost every issue", said David Krikorian.
Krikorian's primary opponent State Representative Todd Book voted in favor of Issue 2 in the state legislature.
Please join David Krikorian, the Ohio Liberty Council, the Ohio Sierra Club, the Ohio League of Women Voters and the Ohio Farmers Union in voting NO on Issue 2.
Krikorian For Congress
RingtheBell@KrikorianForCongress.com
The link is to an op-ed submitted yesterday to Ohio newspapers -- http://www.krikorian2010.com/...
Text follows:
Some Clarity on Issue 2 and Why You Should Vote No
by David Krikorian
Issue 2 is a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would create a Livestock Care Standards Board to set standards for livestock care and other agriculture related issues. This powerful and undefined Board would be comprised of political appointees selected by the Governor and state legislative leaders.
Issue 2 was created through an alliance between agri-business and Ohio politicians in a defensive move to negate a potential future statewide initiative advocating better treatment of farm livestock by the Humane Society and others concerned about the negative effects of factory farming on public health and the environment.
The proposed Constitutional amendment would grant the Livestock Board the power to decide how animals are raised and accounted for. The Board would have the authority to overrule the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Legislature and Ohio voters unless by future Constitutional amendment. Passage of Issue 2 will effectively create a new regulatory body that removes the public from future decisions on animal care.
In other states including Michigan, animal rights groups, agri-business and lawmakers worked together to develop a set of reasonable standards without resorting to an additional layer of government. I believe Ohio should follow that course.
Issue 2 backers include special interest groups including the Ohio Cattlemens Association, Ohio Pork Producers Council and the Ohio Farm Bureau, all heavily influenced by large corporate interests.
If big business interests gain control of agriculture regulations in Ohio, potential detrimental effects may include higher grocery prices, an unfair playing field for smaller family farms and new licensing and regulatory fees.
In essence Issue 2 moves Ohio away from the democratic process by shifting oversight and control of corporate agriculture to politically appointed officials. How difficult will it be in the future for a corporate agriculture interest to influence a small Board instead of the entire Ohio legislature?
Factory farming of animals is implicated in the fouling of waterways, and in the generation of threats to public health, including e coli contamination, and the incubation of new flu viruses (why it’s called swine flu). Because of this, it is not acceptable to remove the public from the regulatory process.
Agriculture is Ohio’s largest industry and proper regulation is necessary, however, the creation of a new political board with broad powers and backed by agri-business is not in the best interests of the citizens of Ohio.
Agriculture has existed in Ohio for at least 200 years without a standards board bureaucracy. Moreover the Ohio Legislature and State Board of Agriculture has the authority to negotiate with animal rights groups and implement prudent changes.
The Humane Society has stated that they will attempt to impose restrictions on farms with or without Issue 2. If the purpose of Issue 2 is to mitigate potential reforms from the Humane Society, it’s a waste of time and energy.
Ohio Farmers know their craft and I think they are willing to work with animal rights and public health groups to address any potential areas for improvement.
Please join me the Ohio Liberty Council, the Ohio Sierra Club and the Ohio Farmers Union in voting NO on Issue 2.
You can also donate to the Krikorian campaign at the link above.
Smash the Machine!
UPDATE: It's been reported that the Ohio Democratic Party has endorsed a Yes vote on Issue 2 -- unable to confirm. Some Cleveland-area county Democratic parties have endorsed a No vote, while some rural Democratic parties have endorsed a Yes vote. The Strickland home-base counties of Pike and Scioto are strongly Yes though no one actually understands the ballot issue. Once again, the Ohio Democratic machine is showing itself to be manifestly undemocratic.
UPDATE 2: Krikorian's op-ed has been picked up by the Cincinnati Enquirer, by far the largest paper in OH-02: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com...