COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and his GOP rival candidate John Kasich both declared their opposition to a ballot measure being planned by the out-of-state activist organization the Humane Society of the United States.
The Washington, D.C.-based animal rights organization has prepared to use paid petition gatherers to place on the November ballot a measure to overturn Issue 2, which was approved by Ohio voters by a nearly 2-1 margin just under four months ago.
The candidates spoke Feb. 23 to approximately 400 farmers, lawmakers, and guests during Ohio Farm Bureau’s Ag Day at the Capitol event in Columbus.
Issue 2 created the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board to allow broad public input into farm animal care issues. The HSUS plan would force the board to adopt HSUS-backed minimum care policies.
Both gubernatorial candidates endorsed Issue 2 and now agree that it’s wrong for HSUS to attempt to overturn the will of Ohio voters.
No deal. “If we want to eat, and if we want access to affordable and inexpensive food, it is important for the agricultural community within our state not to be hamstrung and to have their hands tied behind their back by those who do not fully appreciate the value of what happens on our farms,” said Strickland.
Referencing HSUS’ “extremism,” candidate Kasich said, “No outsiders ought to come in here and try to destroy our farms.”
Others agree. They join Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern and Ohio Republic Party Chairman Kevin DeWine, who also condemned the HSUS plan during a broadcast of OFBF’s radio program Town Hall Ohio.
“It’s pretty remarkable. We haven’t even had a chance to write the rules and somebody else is going to tell us what the rules should be,” said Redfern.
HSUS, which is not the parent of locally operated humane organizations, advocates for reducing and eliminating consumption of animal products.
In a statement following the Redfern and DeWine broadcast, HSUS alleged politicians “are stumbling over themselves to curry favor.”
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We must not allow HSUS to take over our farms and force them out of business. They WILL with their outlandish ideas of what is best for farm animals. Our Ohio vets and farmers are the experts when it comes to what a farm animal needs. We have laws against abuse and cruelty if that exists, and that needs to be enforced. HSUS is after aboloshing all animal ownership and use. They are working to close down commercial breeding (and they label ALL breeders, even our purebred responsible breeders ‘puppy mills’). They don’t have to get absolute bans on animal ownership to be passed; they will use economic pressure to give animal owners no other choices. Please, Ohio voters, do NOT sign the petition that is being carried by OUT OF STATE PAID people. They have no interest or investment in Ohio’s best interests. Anyone that thinks HSUS will be better needs to look at what is happening to the poultry business in California. They are being forced out of business! Is this what we want in our state? HSUS is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They present this facade that sounds wonderful, but when you dig into what their agenda really is, you will see this is an out of control organization taking away OUR rights!
There is a reverse corollary to your sentiment.
I’m originally from Ohio and now live in California. California Proposition 2 gives the poultry industry 6 years to make changes as to how they house their chickens.
Those changes include giving the chicken enough room to turn around in their cage. If you think the HSUS is evil for proposing that chickens have enough room in their cage so they can turn around in their cage, or stretch in their cage, then maybe you should re evaluate who is the good guy and who is the bad guy.
Your “buddy” Chris Redfern spat on Hillary Clinton in 2008 even though Ohio supported Hillary Clinton, for Redfern to posture about outsiders when he didn’t even follow the will of Ohio Voters in 2008 outrageous.
If California farms have to modify or purchase new cages, they have six years to do it, will get a tax write off, and will put other americans back to work actually making something.
Plus, the chickens actually end up healthier and with less diseases when they are given a bit more space, which means a better quality of egg.
Another provision of the California 2 Proposition ballot initiative was to prevent stacked chicken cages that drip feces onto the cage below.
I think we can both agree that animals can’t speak for themselves and if they have a third party speaking on their behalf, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
My concern with your approach is you may actually find something worth complaining about, but you are blending in actual positive things the HSUS has done and accusing them of being bad things.
You live in California… not Ohio. California is a just a different breed all together. I’m waiting for the fault line to crack the rest of the way and California and part of the Northwest disappears into the Pacific.
Where Machi came up with his ideas is unreal, i shudder to think about where he got his info, but where ever he got it, he is dead wrong.
I agree, I don’t think were quite ready for this plan yet.