More Government Involvement of Beef Checkoff

More Government Involvement of Beef Checkoff

Yesterday I reported that USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has been asked to make changes to the beef checkoff proposal. Vilsack stated he would like the participating organizations to work together for a solution before he becomes involved. Colorado Cattlemen’s Association Executive Vice President Terry Finkhauser shares what the implications might be if it comes to USDA becomes more involved with the national Beef Checkoff program.
Finkhauser: “My concern about more and more government involvement is that you increasingly politicize a non-political program. You limit the ability for the industry to be dynamic and effective with its $1 — or in the case of the future — $2 investment. I think that producers would agree in very large percentage with the notion that they would prefer to keep that program scientifically-based, research-based, marketing promotion about the health, safety and nutrition of the beef we produce in this country as a opposed to being more influenced by government talk or government speak. I say that because that goes to the very core legal challenge of whether this program is government-speech or not government-speech. We know that it has been ruled as government-speech but it certainly convolutes the message to the consumer.”

 

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