Bismarck, North Dakota - News

I'm responding to your Aug. 7 article, "Ranchers cutting the rope."

The North Dakota Stockmen's Association has been protecting, promoting and serving North Dakota cattle producers for 76 years.

To do that, we affiliate with two national organizations, Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, that carry state policy to the national level.

Both organizations have value. R-CALF concentrates on trade and marketing issues, such as the Canadian dumping lawsuit it waged in the late 1990s.

The NDSA helped secure $100,000 for that issue.

NCBA works on trade and marketing issues, as well as property rights, tax, federal land, animal health, environment and research.

Its board comprises 65 percent cow-calf producers, 33 percent stockers and feeders and only 2 percent packers.

Although the NDSA doesn't always agree with all of the national organizations' policies, we can best serve our members by being at the discussion tables of both to effect legitimate change, being voters instead of just sideline complainers.

Splintering state associations is a regressive approach to resolving contrary views.

R-CALF President Leo McDonnell, a personal friend of mine and a NDSA member, also opposes fragmentation of state cattlemen's associations.

Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided against itself will not stand."

NDSA studies the issues and applies common sense for economic merit.

NDSA supports mandatory country-of-origin labeling.

However, the COOL rule, as currently written, only identifies 5 percent of imported beef and gives packers restrictive source verification leverage over producers.

In a meeting called to address these concerns to those critical of NDSA's position, we asked who among them had read the rule. Not one had. Still, they blindly forge on in support of the flawed document.

I personally expressed concerns about the Central America Free Trade Agreement to Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, particularly if there are no provisions to restrict those countries from being a springboard for South American products. We support aggressive trade efforts, but we want a fair balance of trade with all nations.

It's important to look at the big picture and learn the true story. That's what NDSA does.

We're committed to a united voice, substantiated by truth, not emotion.

That will work for North Dakota cattlemen, just like it has for the last 76 years.

(Leland is a McKenzie County rancher and North Dakota Stockmen's Association president. - Editor)

Disappointed in city of Bismarck

I recently traveled to Bismarck for the Antiques Roadshow and would like to express my disappointment in the city of Bismarck.

I live in Fargo. I am legally blind and use a service animal. I traveled to Bismarck on the evening of July 29, wanting to enjoy a meal at an ethnic restaurant.

I attempted to gain access to two restaurants and was, to my shock and surprise, barred from entering due to my service animal.

I find it extremely embarrassing, humiliating and frustrating that these particular restaurants could not provide better service for someone who is traveling with a service animal.

Let me make it quite clear that this is not a pet.

It is a mobility aid, which is clearly apparent by the harness-lead that it wears.

I assumed that since there have been numerous visually impaired state representatives and a few that have service animals, that the city would be familiarly hospitable.

Our federal government establishes these laws in the form of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Not only this, but every state and Canadian province has its own Statute or Century Code explaining that service animals are to be allowed access anywhere the general public is allowed to go.

It's unfortunate that these particular restaurants continue to be in business when they are not willing to accept the statutes enforced by the state. I have to wonder if these restaurants are required to follow these diversity and tolerance laws?

I have never had an access problem in any of the other cities I have traveled to in the state. It is extremely disappointing that it would have to be the state capital that I had an accessibility issue in.

The ramifications of this issue are that I no longer want to travel to Bismarck, if this is the way the city will allow persons traveling with their service animals, out of necessity due to mobility, to be treated.

Wind energy

just a farce

Finally, a sensible letter about wind energy. It's too bad that it could not have been written by someone in North Dakota instead of by someone from Round Hill, Va., namely, Glenn Schleede (Tribune, Aug. 8).

There would be no windmills being built if the federal government, in its infinite wisdom, had not mandated that energy companies had to produce a percentage of their power through "green" sources.

What a farce. We still have to have coal-fired power plants able to operate at full capacity so they can produce power on the days the wind does not blow. The massive subsidies given to companies building windmills come from the taxpayers' pocket, and the whole wind energy thing has become just another way to steal from the taxpayer.

Something I was not aware of is that these large windmill farm companies pay no income taxes. That figures, though, when one considers the government is backing these people.

It's funny how quiet the environmentalists are about the ugly blight these wind farms are on the landscape, and yet they holler about a natural gas well that covers a few square feet. The letter by Glenn Schleede should be required reading for all of the "brain-deads" promoting wind energy.

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