The Under-The-Radar Assault By The Agricultural Industrial Complex


On November 3rd, there will be a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot in Ohio. This is no ordinary ballot initiative. Its very existence and marketing has been bought and paid for--to the tune of millions of dollars-- by national and international agri-business corporations and their front groups, such as Pioneer Hi-Bred International (owned by DuPont and grantee of 100K to the effort),the National Pork Producers Council (113K), and the United Egg Producers (200K!).

(You can join the anti-Issue 2 Facebook Group and help us stop this underhanded effort)

What would it do if passed? It would create a 13-member board, 10 appointed by the Governor of Ohio (and, shockingly, they could all be from the Agricultural Industrial Complex), who would have ABSOLUTE POWER over regulating all conditions on farms in Ohio. The legislature, Dept. of Agriculture, and the people need not apply. Only another Constitutional Amendment could overturn a decision handed down by what will become our very own 18th Century House of Lords in Ohio. And if it succeeds here, expect to see it on your state ballot next.

So if unaccountable government (think "TARP"), wasted taxpayer money, corporate-controlled legislating, E. Coli, environmental degradation, animal cruelty, and bankrupted family farms are not your thing, you would probably be against this.

What can you do? Once again, join our Facebook group. Vote against this travesty if you live in the Buckeye State. If you don't, call and email your friends in Ohio and tell them to vote against Issue 2. Tweet it. Make it your Facebook status. And if you really want to get involved in Ohio, through the Facebook group you will have no trouble finding out how to do that.

Full Disclosure: I am proud to be involved in the effort to protect all that is good and right in the world from Big Ag


Cliff Schecter October 28, 2009 - 11:06am

'unintended consequences' - even results 180 degrees away from the intent - can result from the best of intentions.

These were proposed at the turn of the century in the Progressive era, and they've basically turned California into a third world failed state - and now we see how in Ohio these initiatives are simply legislation through massive cash outlays by the Corpocrats.

KingElvis October 28, 2009 - 2:13pm

between a federalist system (like thatused in DC), and the initative-based chaos of CA.

Having lived in OH (during its more federalist days in the 60's-82) and in CA since then, I've seen both sides....

CA drives me nuts....once people saw they vote themselves bread-and-circuses, it was off to the races! Now we have a governor who thinks he can't do anything (neo-Hoover I call him), and a legislature that is totally hamstrung by the Citizenry (mainly SoCal conservative voters).

OH once had a state constitution that enshrined some level of education funding, based on land apportioning (1/16 of a 'section' of surveyed land)and taxes raised from that schema...now Buddha alone knows what it is...

How to develop a system where Citizens feel they have a voice in the process without giving unfettered power, and a federalist, representative-based system that (at its best) can keep the Government on a responsible course? time to start spinning the roulette wheel, put on the blindfold, and throw knives at random solutions to see what works in your individual case.....

-5.75,-4.05
"God gives men a brain and a penis, and only enough blood to run one at a time." -- Robin Williams

justadood October 28, 2009 - 3:37pm

Mother Jones


Tolerating prostitution is tolerating abuse and torture of women and children.

adrena October 29, 2009 - 10:53pm

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