Mickelson's Podcast

Jan,

I wanted to say I was incredibly disappointed in your broadcast today.  You were obviously far to uneducated on the subject to make any valid points regarding the dairy industry and migrant/seasonal labor in Iowa.  It quickly became evident that your agenda was to knock congressman Braley, when in reality you were the one that has not educated yourself enough on the topic to adequately contradict anything he stated.  The fact is, and one of the final callers pointed this out, that often times the AMERICAN Farm Bureau organization has very different political objectives than the Iowa chapter of Farm Bureau.  The fact you didn't know there was a difference was quite disappointing. On a national level, migrant/seasonal labor is a much larger issue than right here in Iowa. Congressman Braley was just trying to illustrate how the national organizations goals may apply here in Iowa. The Market to Market show last Sunday on IPTV ran a good story showcasing just how big of an issue it is.  They interviewed several farmers in California who depend on nearly 100% migrant labor to grow and harvest their crop.  Also, by constantly referring to them as "cheap" labor is another instance proving your lack of knowledge on the topic.  It is absolutely fact that a high percentage of migrant workers earn well above the federal minimum wage.
 
Also, the fact that you couldn't understand why the dairy industry can't produce their product and provide the same level of service as it did decades ago (home delivery) showed me just how out of touch with the agricultural industry you really are (which is quite concerning since you make a living offering opinions on such things in an ag dominated state).  One caller did a pretty good job of pointing out that the rise in retail cost of their product has significantly lagged behind the rise in cost of production.  The sad reality is that, much like yourself, the American people have no idea what it costs to produce a gallon of milk, and have decided they are not willing pay over $3 or $4 per gallon (such is the case with many, many American made products, not just milk).
 
I certainly don't always agree with your opinions, but you typically prove to have educated yourself enough on the subject to have developed a valid opinion.  Today you showed me that you let partisan politics significantly influence your show, instead of the facts.  Please go back to doing your homework and make this a 1 time fluke of a show.  Just because it’s a Democrat politician making a statement, does not immediately make it false.

 Sir:

 It usually does…   especially Braley…   he’s the guy who knowing violates the Constitution by using blackmail to accomplish an issue for which there is no federal jurisdiction…  he’s now pushing school based radon testing…..another non-issue at the federal level…Kadyn’s Law.      Braley has a pattern of expanding federal authority and spending on issues which should be done at the state level.   Now he wants an amnesty for people who have busted the border.    You just demonstrated that the whole agri-business political mix is so convoluted and rife with cost shifting the public is clueless about how many ways they are being shafted.     Conversations like these are very useful in demonstrating the corruption of the system.    Importing people whose productivity doesn’t off-set the costs of their presence is stupid….worse is destructive to our culture.     If the US can’t produce milk at a profit to the farmers without vast subsidies and imported labor,  then milk may be a commodity which shouldn’t be on the shelves.  If demand has fallen to the point where profit isn’t possible,  or supply exceeds demand,  then politics isn’t the solution.    I’d use the same principle for any commodity.     By the way,   I’m still waiting for the Iowa Farm Bureau to issue a press release  repudiating the American Farm Bureau position.    When it does,  you may have a valid point.    And California is a real piece of work.   Several years ago,  California taxpayers ponied up millions of dollars to buy out California dairy farmers in order to reduce supply and cut subsidies.      California dairy farmers used the money to buy more real estate, build fancy houses in the middle of feed lots,  and wait out the moratorium.   Then they went right back in business with bigger units and a better house….right back on the public teat.   

 Yah,  this is a big issue with many  inter-related issues.   But it isn’t that mysterious.     As long as everyone is willing to live at the expense of others we’ll have a problem.    BTW…  it is cheap labor….  Iowa is a cheap labor state.    As I’ve often reported,   my dad and I both worked in the processing industry in the late 60’s…..  we made twice what these workers are getting now.    Now the industry passes on the real production costs to the tax payers.     Our welfare state mentality has almost destroyed us….whether we’re talking about making babies or growing milk.     Government has distorted the market for both.

Jan

Where is ObaMerica?   Who lives there?   How did they vote.   What's the murder rate in ObaMerica?    Daniel Greenfield has an excellent think piece.    Then,  Tim Case wonders about "Lawless or Armed Citizens."   Useful.  Then,  why do dysfunctional politicians treat the rest of us as if WE are dysfunctional too?