Border re-opens but....

[americanson]

Did Ottawa blow it again? I hope not for Alberta's sake but there's been rumors and perhaps even confirmation that another mad cow has been discovered in Canada. Yesterday the U.S. agreed to re-open trade on March 7 so I am wondering what kind of impact this latest thing is gonna have.

[americanson]

YY. Saw it in the Boston Globe this morning and thought I'd pass it along. Could be wrong mind you but I don't think so.

[americanson]

Ooops. Forgot to mention congrads to premier Ralph Klein. I saw on the national post site that he is thinking of privitizing health care. Go for it!

[danmand]

Originally posted by americanson
Ooops. Forgot to mention congrads to premier Ralph Klein. I saw on the national post site that he is thinking of privitizing health care. Go for it!

He is drunk again, the silly bugger.

[slowpoke]

This story is from today. I'm beginning to suspect that we're a lot more forthcoming than our US neighbors when we discover a new case of mad cow disease. This case hasn't even been confirmed yet and already it's in the news:

"....A 10-year-old dairy cow from Alberta tested positive in two preliminary examinations, but the case -- which comes 20 months after Canada's first mad cow discovery -- has yet to be confirmed by a full-scale test, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said.

The animal did not enter the human food or animal-feed supply, officials stressed....."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30174786.htm

That we've found 1 or (maybe) 2 cases is statistically unremarkable. That the US, whose standards are essentially the same as ours, has not yet admitted to finding any mad cow disease among the millions of cattle raised there is becoming suspicious. It was the same with SARS. They had plenty of Chinese travelling back and forth from China but we were the ones with the vast majority of SARS cases. My guess is the US covers up their cases of infectious disease while we openly report them.

[sizematters]

Still screwing around on how to handle SRM's (Specified Risk Materials...brains, spinal cord tissue, etc of ruminants).

What will these same politicians say in 10 or 20 years when Canadians begin developing CJD?

[slowpoke]

Originally posted by americanson
Did Ottawa blow it again? I hope not for Alberta's sake but there's been rumors and perhaps even confirmation that another mad cow has been discovered in Canada. Yesterday the U.S. agreed to re-open trade on March 7 so I am wondering what kind of impact this latest thing is gonna have.

How could the discovery of a possible case of mad cow disease be characterized as "Ottawa blowing it again" and how did they blow it the first time? Assuming this is another case of mad cow, how is it Ottawa's fault? I'm glad our testing program caught it and prevented it from entering the food chain and I have no problem with Ottawa reporting it promptly either. WTF more can you expect Ottawa to do about it?

"...The dairy cow was born before both countries banned animal protein in cattle feed, which scientists say causes the brain-wasting affliction, and U.S. and Canadian officials said they did not expect it to affect trade....."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30174786.htm

[n_v]

Originally posted by americanson
Did Ottawa blow it again? I hope not for Alberta's sake but there's been rumors and perhaps even confirmation that another mad cow has been discovered in Canada. Yesterday the U.S. agreed to re-open trade on March 7 so I am wondering what kind of impact this latest thing is gonna have.
Your posts are becomming boring americanson. Any chance you will get you take a shot don't you? How the heck does Ottawa blow it if a cow with Mad cow is caught? :rolleyes:

[blitz]

Originally posted by americanson
...Could be wrong mind you but I don't think so.

[onthebottom]

Will the boarder stay closed then? I know we're still trying to get Japan and S. Korea to take our beef after the last incident.

OTB

[blitz]

Canada's concern and self flagellation over this issue could cause a delay in the opening but I haven't seen or heard anything as yet.

Let's hope that Cdn, US and UK cattle growers REALLY clean up their act for everyone's benefit.

Otherwise we may all end up a frothing idiot like AS.

[sizematters]

Originally posted by slowpoke
How could the discovery of a possible case of mad cow disease be characterized as "Ottawa blowing it again" and how did they blow it the first time? Assuming this is another case of mad cow, how is it Ottawa's fault? I'm glad our testing program caught it and prevented it from entering the food chain and I have no problem with Ottawa reporting it promptly either. WTF more can you expect Ottawa to do about it?

"...The dairy cow was born before both countries banned animal protein in cattle feed, which scientists say causes the brain-wasting affliction, and U.S. and Canadian officials said they did not expect it to affect trade....."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30174786.htm


how did Ottawa blow it? here's how...
the BSE experience in Britain was a brutal wake up call and caught scientists by surprise but the educated guess of the early 1990's was that BSE was caused by feeding infected ruminant tissue to cattle. The next educated guess was that CJD in humans was caused by eating infected ruminant tissue.
The idiots in Ottawa sat around with their thumbs up their asses until '96 or '97 before banning certain animal protein in cattle feed...I think (not certain) that animal fat (tallow), blood meal and bone meal were still permitted...can anyone verify this for me???
Note that animal protein was still allowed in feeds for other animals...it's not much of a leap to understand how cross contamination could occur in the feed mill or the barn.
And even today, Ottawa continues to dither on Specified Risk Materials (ruminant bits).
Enjoy your next burger...

[clipper]

Originally posted by onthebottom
Will the boarder stay closed then? I know we're still trying to get Japan and S. Korea to take our beef after the last incident.

OTB

Guess what OTB, the US doesn't give a rats ass if Japan and Korea take American Beef. The Japanese beef market is very protected. American beef producers had their best-ever year last year because they were able to keep the Canadian beef out.
It's called a non-tariff trade barrier. Even Albertans hate the current occupant of the White House.

It seems to me there was a US case of mad cow reported recently but the story just disappeared in the US media. I wonder why?

This is sort of like how Carl Lewis was "clean" and Ben Johnson was dirty. Ten years on we know the truth. I suspect we'll know the truth about the US beef industry about 10 years from today.

[onthebottom]

Clipper, I thought I'd herd on NPR that Japan was the #1 importer of US beef and that the trade was worth over a billion. Can't say that I care what Alberta folks think of the POTUS.

OTB

[onthebottom]

Originally posted by yychobbyist
Guess what OTB. No one in Alberta gives a rats ass what you think of us either.

We don't think about you, most Americans can't find Alberta on a map.

So, what is happening with the border.

OTB

[onthebottom]

FYI:

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian veterinary officials have quarantined one Alberta farm in their search for cattle connected to the country's second case of mad cow disease, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said on Monday.

Officials told reporters they are trying to find cattle related to their latest case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, as well as others that may have eaten the same contaminated feed.

OTB

[langeweile]

Originally posted by bbking

On Ralph Klien - he ain't calling for the privatising Health Care - what he wants is that private specialty clinics be set up by the private sector who would charge the government the portion the Feds are willing to pay and charge the patient an additional amount to make it fiscally sound. As you can see this could be abused and set up a two tier system of Health Care using everyone's taxes but only be affordable to those with money. If Ralph Klien was not calling for the complete end of Public Health Care - hell even his barkeeper wouldn't serve him another drink if he did that.


bbk

After years of trying to afford a "single payer healthcare system" the Brits have realized, that not one goverment is able to afford it. They have allowed private healthcare delivery and a two-tiered healthcare system.

France has a several billion dollar deficit in their healthcare system, and now contemplating on how to fix it.
A french colleague of mine told me, that the french are seriously looking at the British system.


It will be a question of time, before people accept the reality of failure on a single payer healthcare system.
Like we say in Germany "Es ist ein fass ohne boden" (it is a barrel without a bottom).

[onthebottom]

With reluctance at continuing the change in subject, I had a guy I worked with in the UK who fell off his Polo Pony (insert elitist joke here, lord knows I did) and broke his collarbone. He ended up in a NHCS hospital that he complained about non-stop, no private rooms.....

I think healthcare, regardless of system, is a "barrel without a bottom".

OTB

[scubadoo]

Globe and Mail article today - U.S. agriculture officials reaffirmed their support for lifting the ban on Canadian beef despite the discovery of a second case of mad-cow disease in Canada, expressing confidence that public health measures will protect American livestock and consumers.

Looks like end of story!

[langeweile]

Originally posted by scubadoo
Globe and Mail article today - U.S. agriculture officials reaffirmed their support for lifting the ban on Canadian beef despite the discovery of a second case of mad-cow disease in Canada, expressing confidence that public health measures will protect American livestock and consumers.

Looks like end of story!

I hope you are right.
Last time we came close to opening the border the cattleman association stepped in and blocked it via a court order.

[onthebottom]

Originally posted by scubadoo
Globe and Mail article today - U.S. agriculture officials reaffirmed their support for lifting the ban on Canadian beef despite the discovery of a second case of mad-cow disease in Canada, expressing confidence that public health measures will protect American livestock and consumers.

Looks like end of story!

Let's hope so.

OTB

[onthebottom]

Here is another story:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman on Tuesday said she did not foresee a scenario that would stop imports of Canadian cattle resuming on March 7 as planned.



"It would be hard for me to envision at this point the process not moving forward as has been announced," Veneman said in remarks to reporters.

On Sunday, Canada confirmed its second case of mad cow disease, just days after the USDA said it planned to reopen the U.S. border to Canadian live cattle under 30 months of age and additional kinds of beef.

The USDA has said that, even with Canada's new case, adequate safeguards were in place on both sides of the border to stop the spread of mad cow disease.

"We believe that the rule is based upon good analysis, sound science and a thorough risk analysis," Venetian told reporters after addressing a celebration of the U.S. Forest Service's 100th anniversary.

The plan to expand bilateral cattle and beef trade, which was interrupted in May 2003 by the discovery of Canada's first domestic case of mad cow disease, faces a couple of possible roadblocks.

Congress has until March 7 to review the trade plan. If enough lawmakers express reservations, the USDA might be pressured to delay the regulation. So far, only a couple members of Congress have publicly stated their opposition.

Also, at least two farm groups, R-CALF USA and the National Farmers Union, have challenged the USDA's plan.

R-CALF USA has said it is considering a lawsuit to stop the border opening, claiming the expanded trade could threaten U.S. consumers and American cattle herds.

R-CALF USA Chief Executive Bill Bullard on Monday accused the USDA of failing to follow international guidelines in designating Canada a "minimal risk" country for mad cow disease.

He said Canada has not had stringent controls on animal feed long enough to earn that designation.

OTB

[langeweile]

I wonder if Daschle going to lend his support for blocking Canadian beef. He has nothing else to do.

BTW the comments from those US politicians are false. In general the CFIA adapts USDA standards.