WOOSTER, Ohio — Signatures gathered by the Humane Society of the United States and other members of the 2010 ballot campaign called Ohioans for Humane Farms have yet to be validated.
“We don’t have any signatures from them yet,” Luisa Barone, communication specialist with the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, said on March 8.
On hold
That’s because HSUS decided not to file, after Ohio’s farm commodity groups and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation forged a deal with HSUS known as “The Agreement.” It was announced June 30, 2010, the same day the organization was to submit its signatures if it wanted to appear on the November, 2010 ballot.
The agreement specified the parties would agree to recommend certain provisions to the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board, and to the legislature concerning “dangerous” animals, in exchange for not pursuing a ballot initiative.
Now that the board is considering an alteration of the agreement’s recommentations, HSUS and its supporters are reminding the board of its 500,000 unofficial signatures, and the renewed threat of a ballot initiative.
HSUS needed a minimum of 402,275 signatures in 2010 and had hoped to get at least 600,000, to be safe. The unofficial signatures HSUS collected represent about 6 percent of Ohio’s 8 million registered voters.
They can still be submitted, Barone said.
But there are restrictions — namely — the signatures are good only for the petition for which they were collected.
“It would be the same petition from last year that they’ve already certified with the attorney general,” Barone said.
If HSUS wants to pursue a different ballot initiative, it will need to certify a new petition, and complete the whole process again, including re-collecting signatures.
The countdown
Barone said the longer an organization waits, typically the fewer valid signatures it will have, due to people moving out of the state, and other issues affecting validity.
Patrick Galloway, director of communications for former Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, told Farm and Dairy in June that a group typically turns in double the number of signatures needed.
He added that, in his experience, when the group shoots for double the number needed, it usually works out and the group has enough valid signatures.
Because of the small margin, he said he was doubtful that Ohioans for Humane Farms would have made it.
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Yeah, it was pretty obvious that OHF didn’t have nearly enough.
HSUS wanted the ballot initiative to happen so they could run a smear campaign against Ohio agriculture. They certainly wouldn’t have settled if they had enough signatures.
And the Farm Bureau would have?
No one’s trying to smear agriculture. We want to give animals room to move. If you’re against that, you deserve to be smeared.
And I’m sure you have tons of expertise in handling livestock, Cody.
One of HSUS’ primary goals in running ballot initiatives is not just banning common agricultural practices – it’s undermining public confidence in agriculture.
So they absolutely wanted to run their ballot initiative. They just didn’t have nearly enough signatures to do it.
I’m aginst it.
no matthew, you missed the point. it is easier to work with any interested groups and reach a solution that is fair to all. smear campaigns are for those with no facts, no courage or understanding that the over breeding of any animal is unfair to the people that then must fund “dog pounds” and kill over 5 million pets per year.
Matthew I think you are right thats my thinking too.
Cody, please show us 1 piece of legislation that had no financial impact on any animal owner that the HSUS backed or initiated and it acutally benefitted HSUS, the animal owner and the animals.
If HSUS truely cared about Animal’s then they would actually donate a substantial portion of the funds they get from donors to help animals instead of dumping millions of dollars into legislation backing to shut down animal owners (i.e. Missouri and Ohio).
Very well said.
if your living is made from breeding animals, no matter what species, and invest nothing back into the care of the animals which are your livelihood, you are not a good manager. are you giving the animals quality food, proper shelter from the elements, regular vet visits and rest period between breeding? if so, what is the big deal.
the hsus does care about the above referenced needs. the national hsua is the like the nra. they have local and national groups that work together to forward their agenda. so this should be an easy question, what are you afraid of if everything is above board?
Cody, you say you want animals to have room to move, and they need to be cageless, and they are free spirits, etc. Yet recently it has been made aware to the public, that cage free chicken are more often killed and hurt then caged chickens, because they fight, peck at, and trample eachother when they are free together. This idea of, “we are just trying to give animals more space” is the same B.S. arguement HSUS used in Missouri with their “Save the Puppies” campaign, which I might add, when it was enacted, killed dogs by the dozens due to limited shelter space and lucrative rules to owning a dog. Way to save the puppies and chikens.
the problems you are concerned about are more likely to occur when chickens are confined in SMALL SPACES, you might want to check out youtube and realize you have it backwards.
the missouri prop B was a public outcry against the treatment of dogs in that state. if breeders would like to do business in an ethical manner, they should realize that are business expenditures that are unavoidable, i.e. food, water, safe shelter, vet costs. if you can not afford this, get out of the biz. and please, “killed by the dozen” is hardly any concern of the “rogue” breeders that perpetuate the over population in our country to the tune of 4 million every year.
Wayne Pacelle wants to criminalize types of farming, hunting and dog breeding but has no problem hiring and working with actual criminals. Pacelle and his two insane goddesses, Terry Ward and Doppster, demonize and slander those who refuse to go along with HSUS’s demands, while falsely claiming to be a mainstream charity and not a lobbying group.
If he wants to be taken seriously as an animal advocate rather than viewed as a con artist, Mr. Pacelle should stop raising money under false pretenses, hoarding and diverting millions donated for rescue and disaster relief, stealing credit for the work of smaller organizations, and repeatedly lying about having “11 million” members and “providing direct care to more animals than any other group.”
Until HSUS cleans up its act, Pacelle should stay out of state politics and the public policy arena.
hsus is a con artist and don’t forget that! kick them out of your state like Neb. you’ll be better off.
toni, if by criminalize behavior that endanger animals in factory farms, canned hunts and rogue breeders you’re right on the money.
Wayne Parcelle is the president of the hsus and as such is a tireless fundraiser, a consummate communicator and voice for those with none, i.e.animals.
i seriously doubt that you are a member of any rescue group. so why are you so worried about where the money goes if you got no skin in the game? all you have to do is google hsus funding info & where the dollars go! no a secret.
however, you NEVER EVER mention the welfare of any animal in all your posts. get real and give some real facts. and get over mr. parcelle, please!!
J Carla, we are not fooled, we know your a paid HSUS person. Before you point fingers at the animal owners you might want to take look at HSUS’s own website. Specifically, look at the statement about Ferrets, it states “help stop breeding”. Even the Statement on Principles backs the Animal Rights Agenda. All Wayne is working towards is the end of animal ownership which is right in line with the Animal Rights Agenda.
Everyone knows there are bad people out there, there are drunks, child abusers, Dog fighters, and yes, there are a handful of bad animal caretakers but you can not walk into an agricultural state and say that is the normal because it isn’t. A majority of Animal Owners care very much for their animals, it’s how they make a living. Animal Agriculture, Exotic Owners and Pet Breeders do not keep our animals in “Dens of death”. They receive top feed, water, shelter, vet care. The legislation pushed and backed by HSUS only hurt legitmate owners/breeders, it does nothing to stop the actual “bad” people out there. If HSUS truely cared about Animal Welfare they would work with Animal Owners/Farmers/Breeders, not push legislation that makes impossible to own them.
Goddess…? Toni, you’re as confused about gender as you are about animal welfare.
It’s no surprise that you don’t even try to back up your claims with facts; you get slapped down by the truth every single time. Must be humiliating when your conspiracy theories don’t match reality, eh?
Angry Dopp, I was obviously referencing Charlie Sheen’s twin sychophants, but since you brought it up…Pacelle has one goddess and one god. Does that make you feel less hateful for a few moments?
Meanwhile, HSUS still fails to provide real evidence/documentation – mundane stuff like receipts and third party verification, for all those grandiose claims about where our donations really go. Not where HSUS says they go, WHERE THE MONEY REALLY GOES. You are just repeating scripted defenses from HSUS executives. You don’t work at Corruption Central (the DC headquarters), so you really don’t know what you are talking about. Clumsily attempting to put people like me on the witness stand to deflect the readily available facts is increasingly pathetic.
You are the one confused about animal welfare, based on many comments you have made regarding Michael Vick and animal shelters. You’re the one who believes HSUS’s image problems are due to CCF when the truth is that HSUS has been harshly criticized by both animal welfare and animal rights advocates from coast to coast for many years. The leading farm animal rights organization, Humane Farming Association, just took out two huge ads in the new issue of Animal People denouncing Pacelle.
Reality bites.
” FACTS” john there more facts out there then carter has live pills,where have you been?
wayne parcelle and the supporters of hsus are working for one thing, a better life and a less stressful death for the animals in a farm setting. if all you gum flappers have the farm fictionalized in “babe”, what are you afraid of. my guess is with the level of suspicion you voice, all the claims based in fear, disingenuous comments, hostility and down right lies, i think you all have something to hide. dirty, dark and disgusting farms and dens of death. a point to remember, there are more of us than you, people are beginning to understand the true cost of “factory farms” and some new rules would not hurt. it would cost you more and that is the rub, greed. i believe you write here on these pages about a organization that you know nothing of but hate because it wants to move forward with a shift in paradigm, and all of you are afraid of the future.
DO believe a word wayne or the hsus say’s they are proven liar’s and that has been proven many time’s.
you all say the same thing over and over again, so try and focus in. wayne parcelle and the supporters of hsus are working for one thing, a better life and a less stressful death for the animals in a farm setting. if all you gum flappers have the farm fictionalized in “babe”, what are you afraid of. my guess is with the level of suspicion you voice, all the claims based in fear, disingenuous comments, hostility and down right lies, i think you all have something to hide. dirty, dark and disgusting farms and dens of death. a point to remember, there are more of us than you, people are beginning to understand the true cost of “factory farms” and some new rules would not hurt. it would cost you more and that is the rub, greed. i believe you write here on these pages about a organization that you know nothing of but hate because it wants to move forward with a shift in paradigm, and all of you are afraid of the future.
Hey buddie we don’t believe a word you say. So save your fingers.
We know all about hsus, you are not fooling us!
keith
wow, i am not paid by the humane society of the united states (hsus), this is a group i paid to join. SO I PAY THEM, got that?
next, all the crimes you mention have a prison sentence, no breeder has never gone to prison for being a mill related reason, although i would love to see it. anyone that has a puppy mill or farm operation that does NOT take care of the animals are criminals.
IF you are a farmer/breeder step forward, put the link on here for video of YOUR operation. but YOU CAN’T, you are cowards that that live on the broken backs and bodies of the animals you exploit, starve, torture and kill.
Well first off J Carla, as a retired USAF member, I hold my values much higher than any high dollar suited dropout like a certain CEO/President we know that only cares about the money he’s putting in his pension. No, I hold the value of the animals I care for much higher. When was the last time you got rolled out of bed at 4 am in the middle of winter to feed/water your animals making sure they had actual fresh water to drink? I do it 365 days a year, no vacation, no day off but that is what I like to do.
As a matter of fact, I do have my entire place under video, video that I can send directly to the police when the so called animal protectors violate Ohio Law by trespassing and try and kill my animals then blame it on me to further the HSUS backed animal rights agenda.
If you paid them to join, that was your wasted money, mine was better spent joining a real Animal Welfare organization that promotes true Animal Welfare and believes everyone should be able to enjoy animals.
keith
You plead for understanding about how hard your life is. You have chosen is which a farmer. Didn’t anybody ever tell that a farmer gets up early, works hard very day, in all weather, and never gets a vacation? And then ask me what I am doing at 4 AM, nobody cares, i am not a farmer, get it. You portray yourself as a martyr.
Soooo, you have a video system keeping an eye on your product. Great, how soon will the link be up for the READERS to get a peek at your humane operation? My bet is never. Seriously paranoid delusional perception of self, to really think someone would sneak up on your farm to do harm, insane.
I never waste money. I belong to numerous groups that work to aid the conditions and deplorable treatment of animals. And here you are again trying to tell others what do with their money, life, etc..
Until next time, Sincerely j carla
Reality check J Carla, I’m not a farmer, not once did I say I was, I said I care for animals. I don’t portray myself as a martyr; I am a hard working Animal Care giver, unlike you that only works towards ending animal ownership. HSUS does not work towards aiding animals, they prescribe to the Animal Rights agenda, its right in their by-laws, it’s just not in their mission statement so they can fool the public.
My cameras are online, and the reason is because I have already busted Animal Rights nuts attempting to harm my animals. I’m sure the animals I found hanging with a wire wrapped around their neck and sign that said “Another Animal Liberated” did not commit suicide. Besides, MFA boasts publicly on their website of their illegal activities on farms.
Terrorism is terrorism, whether you donate to Al Queda or any Animal Rights group.
h$u$ is no good they are crimials aginst the public and the people of this nation is out to get them! they will pay for their crimes!