Dear Sir,
I have been closely following the sequence of events leading to a new packing plant coming to San Angelo. This has been met with upset and dismay by existing facilities in the area. What has happened to free enterprise and entrepreneurial spirit? Could it be that they do not welcome competition and only support monopolies? A monopoly is ONLY a good thing for the owners OF the monopoly!

As a goat producer, I feel that the new plant offers us a new and viable outlet that has NOT been serviced by the packing plants in the area. There have been numerous occasions where goats have been offered and turned away by these plants. I have been told that the existing facilities have stated that there aren't enough animals to service a new plant and I beg to argue that point. My feelings are that the addition of another plant encourages more producers to stay in business and to increase the sizes of their herds or flocks. Texas raises the majority of the goats produced in the nation and existing facilities apparently have no outlet to service these producers. They need to realize that the new plant is leveling the playing field. The new plant has the opportunity to bring a new market to our area. This will help keep the prices higher for the livestock producers and will additionally bring in a large source of revenue to be spent in the San Angelo area economy.

San Angelo should welcome this plant with open arms and be proud of the potential revenue influx into the local economy. New businesses need to be encouraged to come to San Angelo and existing businesses need to learn to be competitive instead of attempting to stifle competition.

Tucker White
Sanderson, Texas

Dear Sir,
While I am not a subscriber to your fine paper, my father has been since the late 40s. He even had his picture on the front page in one of your earliest editions. We have been in and associated with the cattle business for three generations.

This letter is a response to the story in your December 2 edition on the comments by Jim Schwertner of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. His comments are nothing new; many industry groups within agriculture espouse the same line whenever times are tough — better marketing and more dollars back for the industry because the "middleman" is getting more than his fair share. While I understand this line plays well to industry constituents, this usually misses the big point and it definitely misses the point with cattle feeding.

The main problem is that there is great over-capacity in the cattle feeding industry. Big lots and big money are chasing too few cattle (if cattle numbers are closely matched with demand at any given time) or if the numbers from the cow-calf operators are sufficient to keep the pens full, then we have too much beef to sell profitably. Mr. Schwertner wants us to believe that nickel and dime answers will take care of $50 to $100 losses.

Not addressing the fact that many cattle are purchased with a built-in loss the day of purchase because of the price paid for replacements is no fault of "middlemen", the government, or some other scapegoat that people would like to find. Until the industry participants individually and collectively decide to make good business decisions instead of decisions based largely on ego, then they have no one to blame but themselves.

I would urge Mr. Schwertner and his organization to objectively point out the facts to their members and the public at large instead of putting out a politically correct line that does not help anyone.

Allen C. Stollings
Via E-mail