mbox-33: Fw: reality

------=_NextPart_000_004D_01BE889D.DB586940
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

check out a organic growers web page
http://www.rain.org/~sals/my.html
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Harry Shnurman=20
To: sals@rain.org=20
Sent: Friday, April 16, 1999 6:20 PM
Subject: reality

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS I am writing to you today to =
express my concerns about the way the local and city government are =
moving with plans for the future, that have no security or hope for the =
dignity or lifestyle for the small farmers of Madison County. I have =
been farming in Madison County for 20 years---six of my seven children =
were born in this house---when I came here my vision was to have a =
legacy of a lifestyle of land stewardship, which is a blessing, to pass =
on to my children's children's ,children..that vision is being =
dismantled by no planning from our officials, (city, county, state, or =
federal) and by them allowing the realtors, mortgage bankers and the =
home developers to muscle their way into this county with their lure of =
easy money by enticing the farmers with greed, to become sell outs to =
the big money capitalist that are only concerned with the bottom line of =
net profit and not what can be done on a whole for the betterment of the =
entire community. We small farmers have no support, we have no voice, we =
have no hope ,when our officials are fulfilling their own agenda's that =
pertain to special interest groups that have their big money lobbyist =
with their hands in the pockets of the leaders that are suppose to be =
the voice of the people, when it actually is the voice of who has the =
most money. Money to buy votes, money to buy legislation, money to buy =
county, state and federal elections, this to me is a clear sign that we =
are dealing with two distinct class's of people---the rich against the =
poor -the haves against the have not's---this is not Kosovo where they =
are shooting guns and firing tanks to decide which class of people will =
remain with their ethnic cleaning policy-this is America where the same =
separation of classes of people are being cleansed out , not by guns and =
tanks but rather by MONEY, GREED, and FEAR---the rich must always live =
in fear that their mass wealth will not crumble, so the rich deceive the =
people and government to think that our salvation is by investing into =
their self serving interest in order for the rest of humanity to =
survive, and to this point the delusion that the corporates have held us =
under has worked. The corporates have destroyed the small hog producers, =
they have destroyed the cattle producers, and are now about to embark =
upon controlling all of the raw commodities that are grown in the U.S. =
When Lugar of Ind. dismantled the farm bill , he was acting on the =
lobbying advice of ADM, Cargil, Con-Agra, Continental Grain, to turn the =
farmers loose to the free market enterprise system, knowing that those =
corporate conglomerates, control the C.B.O.T.(the free market) by their =
ability to buy or sell millions of bushels of commodities everyday on =
the free market and that , that activity is the determining factor as to =
which way the markets move(up or down)-that to me is a monopoly-that is =
a conspiracy to not have any control on SUPPLY, and with no set aside =
program this year to control SUPPLY-and with an estimation of 78 million =
acres of corn(at trend line yield translates to another 10 billion =
bushel corn crop) and almost the same acres for beans(which will be =
another record breaking yield),the corporate big MONEY conglomerates =
have been very successful at assuring that their raw commodities input =
for 1999 will be one of the cheapest ever and that their profits will be =
in 1999 one of the highest ever-BUT where dose that leave me and my =
family and my neighbors-only to the mercy of the corporates---GOD =
FORBID-I need help-not in the form of money-not in the form of physical =
strength;

But what I am asking for is a level playing field---where is our white =
corn processing plant so we can make our own tortillas and our own corn =
chips,--where is our own clear helium soybean plant, so we don't have to =
plant #2 yellow corn and #2 yellow soybeans for the corporate =
conglomerates, where is our own beef and pork processing plant for =
Madison county so our producers are not at the mercy of IBPand Excell =
which are subsidiaries of the corporate conglomerates, where are our =
value added food programs so we can grow our own vegetables , and create =
some diversity in our lifestyle---why are we in Iowa importing 80 to 90 =
percent (Patty Judge Ag secretary says) of our food goods in to the =
state instead of raising for our selves and for export instead, where is =
our Madison County ethanol plant. We need to have these uncertainties =
removed from the minds of our fellow citizens so that we can restore =
dignity, integrity, and confidence into all classes of people that there =
is equality in this great nation---stop showing the favoritism to the =
rich and lets start showing kindness , gratitude, and generosity to the =
hard workers, and physical laborers, which are the back bone of America. =
here is a little motto that I live by---Have you had a kindness =
shown??----Pass it on ---T'was not given to thee alone !!! Pass it =
on---Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe anothers tears ---now in =
Zion the deed appears ---Pass it on!!!!!! Let's pass this uniquely =
fertile farm ground on to our children, or to those young future farmers =
of America who are waiting for an opportunity to step into a lifestyle =
free from agricultural economic bondage.

In the name of Life , Liberty , and the Pursuit of Happiness let us cone =
together so that we as citizens of Madison County(and the rest of the =
nation) don't find ourselves having to rely on the enticement of GREED , =
MONEY , and FEAR from the corporate conglomerates to be our leaders into =
the 21st century.

------=_NextPart_000_004D_01BE889D.DB586940
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS I am = writing to you=20 today to express my concerns about the way the local and city government = are=20 moving with plans for the future, that have no security or hope for the = dignity=20 or lifestyle for the small farmers of Madison County. I have been = farming in=20 Madison County for 20 years---six of my seven children were born in this = house---when I came here my vision was to have a legacy of a lifestyle = of land=20 stewardship, which is a blessing, to pass on to my children’s = children’s=20 ,children….that vision is being dismantled by no planning from our = officials,=20 (city, county, state, or federal) and by them allowing the realtors, = mortgage=20 bankers and the home developers to muscle their way into this county = with their=20 lure of easy money by enticing the farmers with greed, to become sell = outs to=20 the big money capitalist that are only concerned with the bottom line of = net=20 profit and not what can be done on a whole for the betterment of the = entire=20 community. We small farmers have no support, we have no voice, we have = no hope=20 ,when our officials are fulfilling their own agenda’s that pertain = to special=20 interest groups that have their big money lobbyist with their hands in = the=20 pockets of the leaders that are suppose to be the voice of the people, = when it=20 actually is the voice of who has the most money. Money to buy votes, = money to=20 buy legislation, money to buy county, state and federal elections, this = to me is=20 a clear sign that we are dealing with two distinct class’s of = people---the rich=20 against the poor –the haves against the have not’s---this is = not Kosovo where=20 they are shooting guns and firing tanks to decide which class of people = will=20 remain with their ethnic cleaning policy—this is America where the = same=20 separation of classes of people are being cleansed out , not by guns and = tanks=20 but rather by MONEY, GREED, and FEAR---the rich must always live in fear = that=20 their mass wealth will not crumble, so the rich deceive the people and=20 government to think that our salvation is by investing into their self = serving=20 interest in order for the rest of humanity to survive, and to this point = the=20 delusion that the corporates have held us under has worked. The = corporates have=20 destroyed the small hog producers, they have destroyed the cattle = producers, and=20 are now about to embark upon controlling all of the raw commodities that = are=20 grown in the U.S. When Lugar of Ind. dismantled the farm bill , he was = acting on=20 the lobbying advice of ADM, Cargil, Con-Agra, Continental Grain, to turn = the=20 farmers loose to the free market enterprise system, knowing that those = corporate=20 conglomerates, control the C.B.O.T.(the free market) by their ability to = buy or=20 sell millions of bushels of commodities everyday on the free market and = that ,=20 that activity is the determining factor as to which way the markets = move(up or=20 down)—that to me is a monopoly—that is a conspiracy to not = have any control on=20 SUPPLY, and with no set aside program this year to control = SUPPLY—and with an=20 estimation of 78 million acres of corn(at trend line yield translates to = another=20 10 billion bushel corn crop) and almost the same acres for beans(which = will be=20 another record breaking yield),the corporate big MONEY conglomerates = have been=20 very successful at assuring that their raw commodities input for 1999 = will be=20 one of the cheapest ever and that their profits will be in 1999 one of = the=20 highest ever—BUT where dose that leave me and my family and my = neighbors—only to=20 the mercy of the corporates---GOD FORBID—I need help—not in = the form of=20 money—not in the form of physical strength;

But what I am asking for is a level playing field---where is our = white corn=20 processing plant so we can make our own tortillas and our own corn = chips,--where=20 is our own clear helium soybean plant, so we don’t have to plant = #2 yellow corn=20 and #2 yellow soybeans for the corporate conglomerates, where is our own = beef=20 and pork processing plant for Madison county so our producers are not at = the=20 mercy of IBPand Excell which are subsidiaries of the corporate = conglomerates,=20 where are our value added food programs so we can grow our own = vegetables , and=20 create some diversity in our lifestyle---why are we in Iowa importing 80 = to 90=20 percent (Patty Judge Ag secretary says) of our food goods in to the = state=20 instead of raising for our selves and for export instead, where is our = Madison=20 County ethanol plant. We need to have these uncertainties removed from = the minds=20 of our fellow citizens so that we can restore dignity, integrity, and = confidence=20 into all classes of people that there is equality in this great = nation---stop=20 showing the favoritism to the rich and lets start showing kindness , = gratitude,=20 and generosity to the hard workers, and physical laborers, which are the = back=20 bone of America… here is a little motto that I live by---Have you = had a kindness=20 shown??----Pass it on ---T’was not given to thee alone !!! Pass it = on---Let it=20 travel down the years, Let it wipe anothers tears ---now in Zion the = deed=20 appears ---Pass it on!!!!!! Let’s pass this uniquely fertile farm = ground on to=20 our children, or to those young future farmers of America who are = waiting for an=20 opportunity to step into a lifestyle free from agricultural economic=20 bondage.

In the name of Life , Liberty , and the Pursuit of Happiness let us = cone=20 together so that we as citizens of Madison County(and the rest of the = nation)=20 don’t find ourselves having to rely on the enticement of GREED , = MONEY , and=20 FEAR from the corporate conglomerates to be our leaders into the 21st=20 century.

Sincerely and=20 Respectfully,

Harry Shnurman

Madison County Farmer

Friday, April 16, 1999