| Rural Updates! 5/18/00 Providing key information on recent developments in rural America, including updates on the Farm Bureau and salient issues converging around water quality, farm sustainablility and the protection of biodiversity. ************************************************************************* 1. FARM BUREAU LEADERSHIP INVESTIGATION GAIN MOMENTUM ************************************************************************* 1. FARM BUREAU LEADERSHIP INVESTIGATION GAINS MOMENTUM On the heels of devastating negative publicity for Farm Bureau leaders, efforts to stimulate a congressional investigation into Farm Bureau continue full speed ahead. Currently, over a thousand groups and individuals from rural and urban America have signed onto this important campaign. The diversity of this alliance reveals the broad opposition to Farm Bureau policies. Farm leaders have joined with wildlife advocates, religious leaders with animal rights groups, human rights advocates with sportsmen. Each of these groups and individuals share the common vision of wanting the truth about the Farm Bureau to be known. People feel it is time to shed some light on this secretive organization called "the most elusive business shell game in America today." They want elected officials to open up Farm Bureau records and let their membership democratically decide to if Farm Bureau agribusiness investments cause conflicting interests. If you have not done so already, you or your organization can sign on this letter on the Internet at: http://www.defenders.org/rural3.html WORD IS GETTING OUTA recent "60 Minutes" expose on the American Farm Bureau Federation has opened up a flood of articles and comment pieces about Farm Bureau leadership. Stories, editorials, radio interviews and letters to the editor have been pouring out of America’s heartland since "60 Minutes" real farmers views on the Farm Bureau. Two new articles appeared this week documenting trouble in Farm Bureau paradise. These should have been forwarded to all GREEN UPdates recipients. If you did not receive these, contact us with a request. Moverover, since the release of Defenders of Wildlife report on Farm Bureau Leadership "Amber Waves of Gain," over 4000 copies of the report have been downloaded from the Internet. Download Amber Waves of Gain Now! Copies of this report were sent to policy makers and each member of Congress received a copy of the report hand delivered to their Washington DC office.KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! All of this attention has become possible because people like yourselves have taken the time to make the calls and write the letters. We encourage you to keep up the great work! Here are some suggestions that will help give this effort traction. 1. GET THE WORD OUT: Forward all postings you receive about the Farm Bureau to friends and lists that you subscribe to. The free and uncensored flow of information via the internet has made scrutiny of Farm Bureau leadership a possibility. By continuing the "flow" of information we can bring about the necessary attention and changes. 2. TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW: Each of you probably belongs to a "chat room" of some kind. These venues are great ways to get your point of view into the public eye. Feel free to cut and paste any or all of the information forward to you from us. If you don’t belong to any appropriate chat rooms, consider joining one and start an important dialogue. GREEN Rural UPdates will keep you posted on all developments. Please stay tuned to find out other ways you can help this effort. Scotty Johnson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this list, send a reply to: sjohnson@albq.defenders.org
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