I hope this isn't the trick walker said he will use to get thee "dems" back and then have a quarum to vote on the rest of his agenda

Having provided Congressional testimony before an Agriculture Committee of the House, I can confirm Ed's suspicions regarding commodity prices.

Take milk. All milk in the United States has liens upon it. Not as one would expect, the dairy farmer buys a tractor and the income from his milk, secures the loan.

It's 'different' than that. The vast majority of milk processing plants, are participants in what's called 'The Federal Milk Order Act' with it's rules and regulations.

This means, that any liquid milk, left over and that can't be sold freshly bottled, must be powdered. The United States then purchases that powder. It's later used as a 'military resource', often deployed to influence third world countries.

The Milk Order Act, was designed so that processing plants could run full tilt, never shutting equipment off, thereby, via economies of scale, making great sums for ownership. The Act also guaranteed consumers would always have a fresh supply of milk, at all times. (that part worked, except for pricing)

The Regulations and Rules of the Milk Act, are regularly broken, violated, criminally abused and so ignored, the rules are a 'second thought', if that.

Because massive milk processing companies require tons of very expensive stainless steel, very expensive transportation, financial loans to these processors, can only be handled by Federal Reserve, 'Regional' Banks. These are banks of political nature and all 12, run massive political systems, electing 9 of any 10 candidates, at any level. As example, no President gets elected, without first receiving approval of the 'Fed'.

Because of up front and operating costs of milk processing, small, independent banks, provide less than one-one-hundreth of a percent, of national processing finance. Small banks are not involved.

Under the Act, dairy farmers invest, feeding cattle, milking them, providing constant care, power, vet work, and real, 16 hour a day labor. They do this, continually, for 6 (six) weeks and then receive what's called an 'Advance Check', of two (2) weeks pay, at the end of the 6th week. Then begins what's known as "The Float", where at each end of 6 weeks, they are paid for two weeks production, which they have paid to transport to the 'creamery'. This means that at any given time, a Federal bank can seize 44 days of production, from any given group of dairy farmers.

Federal Reserve banks provide all financing to processors. Processor owners, secure their loans with the Federal Bank, by 'pledging' all of their supplying farmer's milk as their 'security'. This would include all 6 weeks milk, in the pipeline. Delivered, but not paid for.

Should the owner of the processor, fail to make his payments to the Federal Bank, the Federal Bank forecloses on the dairy farmers, who have not been paid for their production. The famers then, provide free milk to the Federal Reserve, interest free and nationally, it's a $2.5 Billion dollar 'float'. Unknowingly 'loaning' two and a half billion dollars, free, to both the processor owner and the Federal banks.

The Federal Reserve Banks, own every gallon of milk in America, every carton of cottage cheese, every tub of ice cream you see and that's, 'going back six weeks.

Typically, when foreclosing on plants, those plants are in downtown areas and very valuable for development and such loans are 'called', as soon as 'development potential' hits 'target'. Few dairy farmers are aware and even fewer citizens. Such milk check seizures, resulting in one tenth of a years' income being seized, further results in 8 in 10 dairy farmers removed from business, with a better than 80% failure rate following Fed Milk Check Seizures.

Ed, why dont you or anyother media outfit start naming Wall Street commodity brokers publicly? Names,phone numbers,maybe even adresses.Make their lives a living hell, like they are doing to us.

Further on the subject of Federal Reserve Milk Processing foreclosures and intentional 'bankruptcy' petitions. After America's elections were fully financed under the Political Action Committee Treasurer model ( all campaigns receiving the bulk of advertising campaign funding via that mode) Federal Banks began a rash of Milk Processing shutdowns/foreclosures.
Aside from the value added doubling of profit from seized, or stolen milk, the Federal Banks could also sell and develop inner city processing plants, to apartments and shopping malls, turning old plants into fresh, interest bearing loans.
Seeing the greed, some old school Federal elected officials, called congressional hearings to address the 'startling' foreclosure rate and the Federal Milk Order Act description, "Failure to Pay", defining a situation where the Tax payer supported Act, was allowing Federal Banks to seize so much milk, it had directly affected 50,000 dairy farmers and the seizure of tens of millions of dairy farmer milk, but that the farmer was never paid for.
At a hearing in July of 1992, a Collin Peterson ( bank Loyalist) of Minnesota, said during the hearing,
Collin Peterson> "I don't see why we can't just give that dairy farmer a lein on all assets, clear through bankruptcy (*putting the dairy farmer ahead of the bank at 'cash out' time), it costs no one any money, it isn't creation of a trust and I don't know, judicially, how it would work out, but that seems a logical way and I don't see why we can't get that done if nothing else."
Bank Loyalist Collin Peterson speaks first on return,after the break that followed his previous parting statement.
Loyalist Collin Peterson> I'm trying to think of a way out of this. I said, just before the break, that we could just give that dairy farmer, ahhh, a lien, on all assets, clear to bankruptcy. But I was talking to another member in the hallway and ,,,,there's some people,,,,there's some financial institutions,,,, that don't like that idea. So, does anyone have any other ideas?"
Congressman Stenholm, of Texas, an American, had other views.
"Look Linwood ('Linwood Tipton', a notorious campaign finance briber of biblical proportion) I said when we started out here, those are not your assets you are using to obtain your capital and I think what you said, is about as indefensable a thing one could say. Those are dairy farmer's assets you are using and I won't entertain any other fact."
That was 1992. The Federal Reserve maintained full, complete control of an entire Act of the US Congress, full ownership of an entire industry. The milk, or 'dairy' industry, is financed and owned and leaned upon, only by Federal Reserve Banks.
In 1996, I testified at yet another hearing to address the theft of 6 weeks milk and subsequent destruction of thousands of America's dairy farmers.

Lastly, the 'price' of milk. It's a high price. It means, as was said by a congressman, in a 1992 hearing,

"This doesn't speak to a healthy industry. An industry that can only operate by using it's participant's capital, to even operate. An industry that relies on $2 billion dollars of other people's wealth, to finance it's operations, despite having a buyer, at all times, for all of it's product. I could just as well have any other industry here today and they would trade places with you people to know they could sell all their product. It is a most enviable position. And yet you come here today, using other people's money and claiming you can't operate any other way,,,"

In 1996, a congressman,

Mr. Gunderson:
Most troubling is the fact that by our count 26 States either have very mini-
mum or no dairy producer security laws at all.
As a result, hundreds of dairy farmers have gone without one or
more monthly checks in the last decade. This has, in turn, forced
many fine dairy farming families out of business. We will hear
from one of those farmers whose personal struggle has been fea-
tured in The Wall Street Journal today.
And later,
There's no secret since 1984 that I would like to do something.
But in the political process, we have to have a consensus and a
compromise in order to do that. So I'm committed to trying to
achieve that. I don't know whether it is or is not doable.

Any final comments?

Mr. Yeager. Well, the discussion here is the cost. The processors
don't want to pay the banks that benefit more than anybody else.
And you notice they're not here. Who benefits more than the bank
industry? And they're not even here.

So you wouldn't look at a bank and say, "Well, you lend to proc-
essors. You benefit from the interest. You benefit from the loan to
the farmer. You benefit everywhere. You pay nothing either," We
wouldn't even consider asking the bank industry, "Well, here you
prey on this, but you pay nothing."

So Mr. Barr, if I can understand his position, he's saying, "Well,
I run this company. I've got to keep it vibrant. I see this cost to
my company. Well, I can't do that."

And then here I thought this legislation, I thought this might
happen. I thought you might really just do it. So I see that's not
going to happen.

So I'm thinking, "Well, we're all broke. Then we can't let a per-
son own what he labors for now." So I'm thinking, "Where's there
some money that we could do this with?"

And I've looked through all the different companies. I understand
how it works. I'm not trying to be offensive here, but if we took the
combined amount of money that each of these companies, groups,
if we took all the money alone in a year that they put into cam-
paign finance and you add that total up, if you put us all together,
let's say we didn't pay for campaigns for 2 years and we just took
what we had paid out the year before, each of us, that would be
a substantial amount of money that would at least begin a fund.

Maybe a few guys would have a couple of less yard signs. I don't
know. But I'm just suggesting that there's a pile of money. That
would work. So there's a way.

Mr. GUNDERSON. Mr. Dooley.

Mr. Dooley. Mr. Barr, maybe you might know and you might,,,,,,,,,,

Lastly ( if this doesn't get Ed's attention, I have no idea the 'why' of the question about commodities) a direct comment to milk prices.

Like the Federal Milk Order Act itself, it's regulations have been ignored for decades. As anyone can see, the entire Congressional Act, or program, is owned, lock, stock and barrel, by only and I mean only, the Twelve Regional Banks of America's Federal Reserve.( in fairness, the Federal Reserve is actually a group of banking families, banks founded centuries ago and most those families' banking operations are in Asia and Europe today, as are the owners of the most valuable stock. Congress's Reserve Act, 1913, merely meant that 'spokespersons', a 'board', would meet regularly with congress and the President would be permitted by the bankers, to 'appoint' a 'Chairman', first chosen by the bankers)

At any rate, the Milk Act's regulations and laws were born serious and strict. Largely forgotten however, after the PAC Treasurer form of US elections/government evolved.

Many codes and laws of the Act are ignored, including Anti-Trust law. For example. Under the Act, it is specifically stated in Section 601-C, that,

"NO MARKETING AGREEMENT MAY HINDER OR LIMIT THE DISTRIBUTION OF MILK OR MILK PRODUCTS ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES,(PERIOD)"

Yet, Federal Reserve Bankers left records laying around, which show they actually, in one case, awarded "$5 million in equity", to one processor owner, who bought a few plants in the Northwest, from the world's largest milk processor, "NESTLES", or in the five state region where it operated, "CARNATION".

So, the Federal Reserve Bank (US Bank of Washington)awarded $5 million in value, to a deal, that said,

"The seller, Carnation, agrees not to sell or distribute milk in WA, OR, ID, MT or Alaska, in competition with the buyer of it's facilities"

Obviously this is seriously illegal. That's alright though. I believe NC or S Carolina plans on having a Prison operate a milk processing company, using Munincipal Bonds to finance the construction and flood the market there.

However, the Act prohibits such finance,

Any milk produced by any plant financed by or with the use of public bonds, must be treated as 'other source milk' and cannot be sold as 'class A'. ( that means that the prison could only powder it's milk and sell it to cattle growers. Congress knew full well that 'Munincipalities' would start dairy processing left and right and force the US and taxpayers to buy more and more milk powder otherwise. But here, again, a State is breaking the law and the Act, openly touting future sales of fresh milk to finance it's prison system.

What this ignoring of legal statute and criminal law does, is create artificial pricing, price fixing and criminal lending, leading to higher and higher consumer prices. Unfortunately, the Justice Department, likewise tethered to corrupt campaign finance, simply allows anti trust violations, price fixing, criminal seizures, bankruptcy fraud, criminal finance, to go unchecked.

The consumer seems to be catching on. At a point there, paying as much for a gallon of gas, as a gallon of milk. Despite one coming from a neigborhood cow and the other being pulled from the depths of the world's oceans, yet costing the same.

Limiting the distribution of milk, caused Pacific Northwest residents to take a multi million dollar 'hit', in simply buying milk. The lending bank shut down four loans to processors in the Northwest, then loaned to the one 'limitied distribution backed loan processor'. This left two processors. That left two processors that met together monthly and hiked prices to approximatley 15 million people and the 'perfect captive consumers' were created in five states.

So, when that milk hits $4 a gallon, don't look at me, look at the DOJ, if they're there.

Ed

I know the focus is on Wisconsin but the segment of your show tonight about commodities and speculator influence was rather disappointing. Mr. Chilton was less than convincing. He repeatedly said, things like “speculator may have caused” and “speculator could have caused”. He was very unsure of himself. The only thing he seemed to be positive about were the current issues in the Middle East affecting oil prices. Blaming the speculators all seemed to be speculation.

My friends doesn't anyone remember Jimmy Carter and that fuel crisis where the National Speed limit was made 55.It saved so much fuel and saved lives too.Really even the gas and food increases are all about making the President a one term .

The Republican Party are trying to replace our Democratic Goverment with a Plutocracy Goverment or as some refer to as a Oligarchy type goverment. The rich will run country and eventualy the world. Hence - The New World Order. It is attempt to start in Wisconsin, Indiana, etc..

The Republican Party reallly are racist. They can the fact we have a black president who happens to be smarter than they are. They are trying everything possible to stop his re-election. This includes numerous lies. They will even when they know that a large group of people know they are telling lies. Why you ask! Because there are always a few idiots out there that willl believe them. They don't bother to research or read and evaluate anything for themselves. They would have someone lie to them.

If Governor Walker of Wisconsin succeeds then you are witnessing the start of another American Revolution. At first a peaceful rebelion and if that doesn't work then a violent rebelion. All Americans (regardless of race or religion) will be involved. He is trying to break the American spirit by destroying the unity of Americans provided by the Unions. I have never been a union member myself, but have benefited by increases in incomes because of actions taken by union members.

The real cause of the rise gas price increases is CORPORATE GREED!

Milk history in the US is a very complicated tale. More than most people know, or maybe care to know, until the sheleves are empty and the kids don't get it at school, on their cereal or we can't have ice cream in August. Mr. YEAGER doesn't tell the whole history or defines the mechanisms of milk pricing and marketing. He seems to be avoiding a lot of information regarding how the milk industry controls much of it's own destiny through heavy use of political action groups and the really big players, dairy cooperatives. Not only milk, but most other agricultural commodities (Peeling oranges but not juice oranges, Grade A milk vs. Manufacturing milk, Almonds may even be involved.) are regulated by marketing committees of the USDA. They were set up to stabilize supplies, "parity" price determination, quality and distribution of milk. Milk not used in bottling operations, highest quality, is diverted to cheese, butter and milk powder because they can stabilize the commodity. In other words, save it from spoiling. The "food bank". Dairy farmewrs have a required deduction for each "pound " of milk produced, called the check off, and it goes to fund marketing of milk products by funding various industry organiozations. "Got milk?" and the milk mustache campaign is a true example of use of the funds. In many ways we are lucky to have the nilk market orders to assure the distribution and pricing are not controlled by a very few, and local, cartels. For example, the Southeast US is "short" on milk because of the population density and the lack of dairy farms as agricultural lands became more expensive, encroachment of cities and sub-divisions and the fact that the cows don't produce as much in the hot humid areas. Mr. Yeager was right about the extremely deep capital concentration needed for milk farmers. transporters and manufacturers. So, if you need enough milk in Atlanta, it may be shipped as far away as Texas or New Mexico. If the milk market administration did not look for ways to balance the supplies, and to price the milk to be able to pay for transportation (here we go again with oil!") You might be paying $7 a gallon in Miami, Fl and $2.50m in Santa Fe, NM. Dairy Cooperatives, and other commodity producing organization (Sunkist, Ocean Spray, Land O' Lakes...) are farmer owned. They were alloowed to be formed by the Food Security Act to make sure farmers could be paid enough and they could supply the nation with food as a result of the economic collapse after the GREAT DEPRESSION. Even though we have high prices and lots of unemployment we have the ability to get food in this depression. Also, during GREAT DEPRESSION most of the bottling companies (Meadow Goldm Beatrice, Kraft, Carnation and many more local names.) were private companies who dictated the price they paid the dairy farmer. So, it was like the diary was putting a gun to the head to the farmer. Sell it to me or feed it to the pigs. In fact, many of the private companies would contract with dairy farmers, fewer than they actually needed for supply, and then bought what else they needed on spot markets. Well, many of those companies either don't exist, or don't have contracted farmers. The hay-day of milk profitability was over. The profits were in the branded products and marketing and the private companies did not have to worry themselves about quality, cow health, environmental laws, etc. Farmers formed cooperatives and began controlling supply, by building butter, cheese and milk powder plants. Through the 1960's there were literally thousands of dairy cooperatives (Creameries). However, capital intensity, transportation costs and having to replace 30-50 year old equipment caused heavy consolidation that continues to this day. Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Maine, Vermont, MIssissipi and Tennesee have been replaced in volume by California, Arizona, Idaho and New Mexico. Not totally, but the "cows" have undergone a great demographic shift. Grandpa's dairy is no longer viable in the big picture. Many dairies have 5,000 to 15,000 cows. They milk 24 hours a day/365. We hail the "family farm" but that is mostly gone. They may be family dairies, but they are heavily leveraged family corporations. And there comes the bank situation. California is still hanging on but there has been much change in location. Buena Park, CA used to be the main dairy supply for LA. Now they are known for Disneyland and the Wax Museum. The milk supply systems are now global. New Zealand and Australia are big players. Holland, France, Denmark, Switzerland and Norway are still big, but there are shifts to many of the Eastern Europen countries now. I find it funny when most people think Chinese are allergic to milk. Pizza Hut is the biggest restaurant chain in China. They love ice cream and yougrt drinks. I have been in some of the most modern dairy factories in the world in inner-Mongolia and in far NW China. China used to want to export dairy, now they buy a lot from the rest of the world. US milk is especially coveted because of high quality. I have strayed far away from the original introduction, but milk and oil are much alike. As we try to supply ourselves we also supply the world and we depend on global systems for pricing and marketing. Futures are sold in dairy commodities too. So, like many other things in society, what started out as a good and intent to assure Americans could feed themselevs we have evolved to such specialties, politics and, yes, greed: that milk can be thought of as the white oil. I still like snap, crackle pop though.

Sorry about my spelling and grammer. I are a hillbilly!