Pretty impressive picks.  I wonder who HSUS would want?  Let’s see - Wayne of course, Ingrid, and whoever other AR fanatics they could recruit. 
I have a lot of faith in this board.  Thanks, HumaneWatch for the great job of keeping us informed!

HSUS and ASPCA are vociferously opposing similar Bills and efforts in other states.  You can always tell when they issue “alerts” because of sudden internet chatter about the “evil farmers”. 

These groups want to the public to believe that they are the only ones would could possibly have anything to offer regarding animal welfare.  In truth, they offer little to nothing.

But they aren’t going to stop until they have law enforcement and regulatory authority over all animal owners in the US.  They’re taking it county by county, and state by state.

They did an awesome job in their picks, especially Jeff, (a crop farmer and pig farmer) he’s as honest as they come and works harder than most.  Way to go Ohio and thank YOU to Humanewatch and David for their amazing information.

I agree..Jeff is solid and honest.  thought maybe they would consider Tad Gross, a well respected egg producer.

Wayne is going down in this election…the truth is coming to the top.

An excellent list!  I stopped just short of cheering when I heard that Ohio passed it.

That said, there is one argument made by HSUS and their ilk that I have never heard a good answer to; that is that those who are most knowledgeable in matters of agriculture are those that have the most to gain by seeing it prosper (and so, it has been argued, decreasing regulation and oversight on it).

Quite obviously this is false and yet to laymen, it’s hard to come up with a good retort. While it’s tempting to say that farmers, ranchers, and veterinarians have the best interests of the animals at heart, that is precisely what HSUS denies and it would be great to have an argument that didn’t revolve around it.  As yet, I haven’t heard anything that makes good, solid sense to people who don’t know agriculture.

Max, here is what I would answer to that argument.  With HSUS and other AR organizations pushing for zero animal agriculture, it is more important than ever for farmers and ranchers to self-regulate and self-govern their practices because if they do NOT, the public and HSUS will surely drive them out of business.  They have a vested interest in a good outcome.  Additionally, these people have the knowledge to educate the public on what animal agriculture is about.  They are not raising ‘Lassie’ in that barn.  : )  People need to understand that, as they are so far removed from reality these days, that they buy into the emotional propaganda from the HSUS.

Max,
A reasonable response to the layman is that most industries are regulated by well-respected, informed, practicing members of that industry.  Regardless if the branch is cosmetology, pharmacy, medical, dentistry, veterinary, insurance, legal, educators, etc - that branch is likely regulated by a combination of members of the industry and members of the public with a few elected officials/public servant types.  Why?  Well, mainly because it seems silly to expect beauticians to set the guidelines for practicing medicine in this state or to have physicians setting education policy. 

Indeed, there is a tension in any regulatory group between promoting the profession (at its best) and public suspicious that the entity will end up promoting the profession at all costs.  However, if you take a look at any of Ohio’s Boards and Commissions (conveniently available here: http://ohio.gov/agencies/), we have well established process (open meetings, public records, consent of the Senate, lengthy rulemaking process) as well as structural (bipartisan elements, members of public, competing interests) as well as the “non-tangible” (no appointing entity wants to look foolish if it appoints the proverbial bad apple) to keep the system in line.  Is it always perfect?  Nope. 

But I still think this is a better process than one where non-parties make the decision to regulate the industry.  After all, “A dentist, a doctor, and a teacher walk into a bar” may make for a clever joke, but it would probably not be a good way to govern liquor sales in a state.

These members voted “yes” to the confinement of baby calves to become fatty veal. I hardly see the good in these people.

Audrey, you need to visit with some veal calves.  They are quite content in their ‘confinement’.  That confinement keeps them safe, believe it or not.  You obviously have no idea for the reasons they are in these stalls.  Maybe you should do some research.  And just for the record, veal is NOT fatty.  It is wonderfully lean meat.