Thank you LLoyd for the compliment and the response. I always like
statistic's and wonder where you got your information. I also question if
it is 47 % of the honey consumed or 47 % of honey packed by packers. I
can't believe that more red blooded US Americans would not take up bee
keeping if the wholesale prices of honey were better. Many made strong
commitments by expanding their operations when the wholesale prices were up
last year and now the expansion has come to a halt with the lower prices
        I recognize that the NHB is a real part of the beekeepers life mandated by
congress at the request of honey industry ( mostly packers) . So we can not
arbitrarily abolish the NHB and the bee keepers of America could control
the growth and direction that the NHB takes in the future if we could get
up off our collective lethargic dead behinds and make our voice heard .It
has always amazed me that beekeeping takes more courage, grit and
determination then most occupations and yet beekeepers are willing to be
like the masses in America who are like oysters sitting on the ocean floor
with their mouth wide waiting for whatever might fall in regarding
Beauracratic Intervention into their lives. This bothers me and I fear for
my children's future if these feelings of impotence expressed by the masses
by not voting, staying informed about the issues, and not challenging the
issues as they are brought forth by the Beauracrats at the urging of some
special interest groups who have learned the ease of buying influence.
         I do not pretend to know the answers and I do know that the issues should
be decided by the group that the action will affect. The NHB pending action
will cost all U S honey producers of any size a penny per pound in addition
to the penny per pound that the bee keeper pays when his price is reduced
by the first handler. The money could be well spent and the US producers
should have the control always in how the program is structured. Hells
Bells we pay for it. Whoops I'm about to over look the huge contribution by
the packers for the 88,000,000 million pounds of honey that was imported
last year. And man they should not be forgotten and they do have the
control. If producers got control maybe the fee for foreign honey could be
2 or 3 pennies per pound. All these foreign countries have Value Added Tax,
Duties, and Tariffs or restrictive import regulations that make it costly
and difficult to export US honey into their country. And the advertising
dollars are important and we could spend more of the money on advertising
at home to drive up per capita consumption in AMERICA. Maybe we could make
the sources of origin statement accurately reveal the amount of US honey is
in the jar. About corporate subsides why should US taxpayers pay for
"Branded Marketing Program " which is brokered by the NHB to pay 50 % of
cost that are incurred by a company trying to enter a foreign market.
Mostly for large companies as there is a $ 10,000 minimum. Problem is that
the large packers get 50 % of there marketing efforts paid for by federal
subsidy and they sell imported honey. I hope I ' m not too far off on my
statements and if I am I can take the heat, flame away.
        My fellow beekeeper Americans it is time for us all to take a stand and
collectively, like our beloved honey bees worked towards the common goals
that will reinforce and jump start the US Beekeeping Industry. We could put
some of our young and retired people to work tending to the Divine
pollinators, and keep America strong.
        Some one please advise if this posting gets on Best of bee-l.
----------
> From: Lloyd Spear <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: NATIONAL HONEY BOARD  IMHO
> Date: Sunday, January 25, 1998 6:45 AM
>
> Walter, I think you said it very well.  The only problem is the "NHB" is
all
> we have.  It would certainly be better to have something else, but the
NHB
> was established by an act of congress and as a matter of reality it
exists
> and we have to work with it.  In my opinion, the real problem is that the
US
> only produces 47% of the honey that is consumed.  If we were producing
> 80%-90% and honey were sitting in warehouses because it couldn't be sold
it
> would be another matter.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Walter Patton <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Saturday, January 24, 1998 1:56 PM
> Subject: NATIONAL HONEY BOARD IMHO