The way I understand it is the more honey you make, the more your vote is
worth. It's the big operations that are paying 10, 20, 30 thousand dollars a
year to keep the board going who seem most likely to vote the board down. At
first  when the board was started the assesments where volintary, you could
get out of it by filling out some paperwork. Then it was changed so you had
to pay with threat of jail time. Of course honey makers only pay about half
the assesments the other half comes from imports that the packers bring in.
No doubt the packers will vote for the board its been working just fine for
them. The big producers, well time will tell. If the board is voted down I
have to say, in my opinion, they had thier chance. Some of big beekeepers
tryed to get on the board but failed, apparently they where considered a
threat. The old saying, it's best to keep your friends close and your
enemies closer may have been a good strategy for the board to follow.
Rick Drutchas