Dear Sir,

NCBA repeatedly says it stands against government intervention in the beef industry. Most recently, they oppose the proposed packer feeding ban in the farm bill as unacceptable government intervention and intrusion. However, actions speak louder than words, and NCBA's actions belie their words.

In pro-government legal action, NCBA-funded intervenors have lined up on USDA's side in our lawsuit against the mandatory beef checkoff. In sworn court statements, NCBA and USDA are united in defending the checkoff as "government speech" which is "tightly controlled" by government officials, with "extensive involvement and input" from USDA, and "behind the scenes direction" from federal bureaucrats. NCBA's five lawyers are fighting shoulder to shoulder with USDA's six attorneys to uphold the checkoff as an "instrument" which USDA "uses to achieve the Department's own goals and objectives" for the beef industry. NCBA stands four-square behind the checkoff as a program where a government agency, not producers, is calling the shots, where government bureaucrats' "will is done" and USDA "gets what it wants".

We are NOT making this up, folks! Every one of those quotes is taken from sworn statements, trial briefs and documents filed in our case. You're welcome to read the legal transcripts or attend our April16 district court hearing in Billings and judge for yourself.

So much for NCBA's phony claims to oppose "government intervention and intrusion"... NCBA's court behavior proves how deeply it is entangled with government and shows how much this organization is willing to compromise us all to retain the strategic position of influence it has been able to buy with our checkoff dollars.

We hope our lawsuit will knock NCBA out of that position. Independent cattle producers may then be able to take control and bend our industry back toward honest, competitive markets and fair trade rules.

Several weeks ago I sent my son-in-law a copy of the Livestock Weekly to help him understand the way we make our living. Well, to my surprise, his interpretation of the articles took on a whole new meaning. Maybe in one of your upcoming issues you could explain to a very intelligent college graduate who was born in upstate New York lived and worked in Chicago and many other interesting places that a Polled Hereford has nothing to do with the Gallup surveys.

I'm sure you can do the job better than I, who obviously has screwed this up from the beginning. Maybe you can reeducate him southern style.

Very concerned mother-in-law,
Ann Schorre, Cuero, Texas

Dear Mother-in-Law:

Thank you so much for sending me the recent issue of Livestock Weekly of San Angelo. As you know, it's been tough for a city boy born 10 miles from New York City, who grew up outside of Boston and lived his entire pre-Texas adult life in Chicago, to grasp the nuances of the cattle business and country living.

But I sure have learned a lot, thanks to you.

First off, you really straightened me out on the technical term for a cross between a Brahman and a Red Angus. Here all this time I'd thought that Red Brangus was the All-American fullback for UT back in the 1920's.

Speaking of Brahmans, I'd run across quite a few Boston Brahmans in my prep school days — and I can see the Texas kind are similar — jowly, wrinkly, bones sticking out, and sometimes downright cranky.

And on the topic of being cranky and out of sorts, when those dainty little Red Angus heifers get all tangled up with those bony looking Brahmans, I can't blame them at all for being cross bred.

I see there's a lot of baldy Brangus cows running around, and I don't think it's nice of that magazine to call them names. Maybe "hair challenged" would be more polite. Anyway, has anybody in Texas ever figured out that these "baldy" cows might have a whole lot better self-esteem and produce more calves if the ranchers would buy them wigs? At least the bulls might get more interested.

Is it really true that at Christmastime in Kingsville the girls and boys get their toys not from Santa Claus but from Santa Gertrudis? Is that his wife or something?

I guess the cattle business must be going really well in East Texas. Saw a fellow there trying to unload 10 surplus Limousins, but he didn't specify if they were Cadillacs or Lincolns.

Saw quite a few ads in the equine section of the classifieds for Quarter horses — what kind of dumb cowboy would buy a quarter-horse when for about the same price you can get a full horse? And what's up with everybody wanting low birthweight bulls? Don't they sell by the pound?

Then I saw a weird ad for a guy in Hazelhurst MS who proclaims: "Guaranteed Death Loss on Fresh Calves from Florida." Guaranteed death? How the hell does this guy make a living?

Talk about weird, have to admit I was shocked to find in a family publication like Livestock Weekly classified ads for X-rated adult toys. Apparently they do something really kinky up in Amarillo called the "windmill" and the ranchers up there buy — this is an exact quote from page 6 — "sucker rod couplers for sucker rods. These males and females screw together... do double action as rod guides!" Gross! But I guess there's not much else to do around Amarillo than couple up some sucker rods. (I always thought there was something wrong with those Amarillo fellows ever since the Oprah trial. Oprah, by the way, lived just down the block from me in Chicago.)

Saw all kinds of ads for big cattle operations and auctions, in both Marfa, Texas and Roswell, N.M. Now just to show you what I've learned reading what you sent, here's a money-making thought I came up with on my own. This is so good, Pop might want to run it by the boys at the livestock commission — could revolutionize the whole business: crossbreed the Marfa and Roswell cattle, and you'll end up with "light" beef that's just out of this world!

Lots of love,

Your Yankee son-in-law

P.S. Thanks to all your tips and coaching, I'm now even better prepared to start running that 232-acre Texas ranchette of mine in Bertram. Just keep this good info going and I'll let you know how we are doing. Already, in just five years of ownership starting from scratch with pure pasture, I've become one of the biggest cedar growers in the area! And the mesquite looks like it's coming in good this year as well.

I would like to congratulate you and the Livestock Weekly for printing the article, "The Ban on Packer Ownership and Feeding of Livestock: Legal and Economic Implications" (Vol. 54 - No. 12).

Of all the agricultural publications we receive, including those we receive from cattle associations of which we are members, this was the first article that presented in-depth information challenging the response that is being presented against the Johnson Amendment.

SMS Ranches have been in the cattle business since 1882. During these many years, the operation has met and overcome many challenges. In most instances, these accomplishments were achieved without being dependent upon governmental help.

However, to prevent the continued increase in control of the free market system of the cattle industry by a few major packers, which I believe will further increase as they own and control more of their own cattle, will probably require governmental intervention.

Thank you again for printing the article.

Gary W. Mathis, President
Swenson Land & Cattle Co.
Stamford, Texas