We apologize, sometimes we get so desperate to end quota, that we feel like the bad guy and the quota holders are the victims. Yet, the quota holders have received over 6 billion dollars since the program was started, on quota certificates that were only handed out to Class 1 shippers for free. They have passed them down from generation to generation at reduced costs and borrowed on the assets to buy equipment, more cows, build dairies and the list of benefits go on and on, and all the while we the industry pick up the tab without fair representation on the board that oversees this tax, and they don’t think 6 billion dollars handed over to them as welfare payments is enough. They want more money…
How about them writing us checks for all of the money we paid for them in quota payments when the Class 1 sales did not earn enough in sales to make those payments? How about writing us a big fat check for all of the quota payments we paid and are continuing to pay for a program that was supposed to have equalized itself out and there would be no more quota? These same quota holders have spent millions these last 5 years denying us our right to vote, and our right to fair representation on the PRB. CDFA and the PRB did not follow the regulatory process when installing the QIP and it is therefore illegal, and our leadership at the COOP level, WUD and MPC are silent on this whole billion dollar scam being perpetrated on our industry..
Their silence about the composition of the board, and the denial of our petitions to vote on this program and their silence about a tax of a billion dollars only to give it to 300 dairyman, cannot be considered a good thing for our industry and yet they just sit there and do nothing. We just read MPC’s coverage of the CDFA’s meeting in Tulare on Frank’s proposal, and not one word about the claims made against CDFA that were not rebutted, not one. This is not good when we have leadership that is so weak, they will not step up and make CDFA accountable and make them do the right thing. Clearly 14 quota holders – 1 non- quota holder on the PRB, is not fair, and clearly CDFA lying to us about the 5 year re approval hearing and referendum is unfair, and clearly turning down 6 separate petitions to vote on the termination of the tax is un democratic and clearly when over 65 dairyman were overcharged by CDFA on their milk checks for two years, and they were not allowed to get that money back, is not only unethical, but a crime. Yet we did not see any of these actions taken against our industry in the WUD, MPC, CDC newsletters, or on the the Agendas of the Coops monthly Board meetings. Not a peep out of our Coops and WUD, MPC. or the quota holders.
We heard from a quota holder at the meeting in Modesto that he accused us of abusing the process by turning in a petition once a year. No, the abuse is that they turned down all of our petitions.. This is more then quota, this is a an act against our constitution, it is our government not acting in neutrality and their refusal to administer the program within the laws and regulations of our State of California. The Attorney Generals office allowing the taking of our money without going through the regulatory process is another crime against our industry..
They have the right Governor and Presidential candidate in Kamala Harris who has said over and over the illegal immigration is not a crime. The quota holders say over and over the quota is not a crime? We all know that Matt Swanson of Nutrius is a huge backer of Gavin Newsom and the democratic party to the tune of over $500,000. What does Mr. Swanson have against the non quota holders having a referendum to let the industry decide if we want this program or not.
Level the playing field and end these welfare checks to the Favored 300 Welfare Dairyman. If they can’t compete without out welfare checks, maybe they should consider another line of work like they did to our 500 dairyman they helped force out of the dairy business with this hardship. called quota..
We will not quit until this hardship is gone for good.
Stop QIP Dairy Tax
