It’s all about the money.

A company is in the process of creating an “up to” 6,999 beef cattle confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) on 400 acres on U.S. 50 in western Johnson County, just west of Powell Gardens. The Missouri Department of Natural Resource held a permit hearing in Warrensburg this evening.

We arrived at the hearing room in the Warrensburg Community Center around 3:30 p.m., two and a half hours before the schedule start time. About a dozen CAFO opponents in red t-shirts and DNR staff were already in the room. Proponents of the CAFO, under the aegis of the Missouri Cattlemens Association held a press conference in an adjacent meeting room.

By the time of the scheduled 6:00 p.m. start there were over two hundred people in a room with approximately one hundred thirty chairs. It was definitely at capacity. Another two hundred people stood outside in the hallway. DNR staff set up the sound system with a speaker in the hallway so that those outside the room could hear the proceedings. Law enforcement officers were stationed at every door.

The Missouri Cattlemens Association press conference before the meeting:

We didn’t attend the press conference. We figured we’d hear it all at the hearing. We took a few photos from the doorway and didn’t get the name of the speaker. Our mistake.

After approximately a half hour of preliminaries from DNR staff the public comment portion of the hearing started. Each individual called was allotted three minutes to speak. Most of the people in attendance and most of the speakers were opposed to granting the CAFO a permit.

After two hours the moderator announced that it was 8:00 p.m. and time to end the hearing. Then this, the only extended unrecognized outburst from the audience:

…Why don’t you explain why you let all the hired guns speak and none of the Ag guys leaders speak? Why did Woody [Cozad] and all these guys automatically get to get up and speak? And we didn’t randomly pull out everybody else’s names? Voices: That’s right. You guys didn’t explain [inaudible]. We put our faith in DNR. And you came up, you didn’t do that. [crosstalk, inaudible]….I’m not saying, you just explain yourselves. Why did you give preferential treatment to these people? [crosstalk]…

Wait, he looks familiar, but we have no idea who he is:

“…Why don’t you explain why you let all the hired guns speak and none of the Ag guys leaders speak…?”

Uh, maybe because the people who spoke were associated with entities (Powell Gardens) or were individuals who were directly affected by the CAFO? Uh, maybe because there were more of them at the hearing?

By the way, a good portion of the CAFO supporters who spoke at the hearing weren’t particular effective with their communication skills. More than one was incoherent.

Standing up in a room and protesting too much while wearing a suit jacket (No tie? Nice touch!) which looks like it probably costs more than my monthly salary doesn’t wear well on anyone’s irate sense of victimhood.

It’s all about the money.

Previously:

Now that’s a CAFO (March 18, 2018)

Now that’s a CAFO – comments addressed to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (March 21, 2018)

The Senate Armed Services Committe held a hearing today on “don’t ask, don’t tell” – the policy concerning the service of gays and lesbians in the United States military (Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill asked a few questions at 267 minutes into the hearing):

….Senator Claire McCaskill: Thank you Mister Chairman. Uh, I just want to make sure that we’re crystal clear about a couple of things here. First, are gay and lesbian Americans currently serving in our military?

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen: Yes.

Senator McCaskill: And in fact, isn’t the foundation of the current policy that we welcome their service?

Admiral Mullen: Yes.

Senator McCaskill: Are you aware of any morale issues or discipline, disciplinary problems surrounding the current service of gay and lesbian mem, members, Americans as members of our military?

Admiral Mullen: Certainly not broadly.

Senator McCaskill: Now, here’s my, I, I think what you’re, uh, embarking upon is important. I, I think it is welcome, but here’s my problem, we now have established that we have gay and lesbian Americans serving in the military, that they are not broadly causing any kind of disciplinary or morale problems, that we welcome their service, so the issue isn’t whether or not gay and lesbian Americans are serving in the military, it’s whether or not we talk about it. So, how are you going to get their input in this survey?

[sound of applause in background]

Admiral Mullen: Oh I, actually, I mean, my take on that is, um, well, hang on a second. Um. I think that, that we would have to, uh, look very carefully at, at how we would do that. [crosstalk]

Senator McCaskill: And that’s the point I [crosstalk] would like to leave you with today is that, um, unfortunately because of this policy, we welcome their service [crosstalk]…

Admiral Mullen: Sure.

Senator McCaskill: ….They’re serving bravely and well. We don’t have [inaudible] any kind of issues with morale and cohesiveness, uh, surrounding their service, but yet when it comes time to evaluate their service, um, they’re not allowed to talk about it. And so you have a real challenge in getting perhaps, uh, maybe some of the most important input you may need as you consider this policy. And I’ll be anxiously awaiting how you figure that one out.

Admiral Mullen: Yes ma’am.

Senator McCaskill: Thank you Mister Chairman.

Senator Carl Levin: Thank you, senator [crosstalk].

Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates: Uh, one approach, senator, is to talk to those who have been separated.

Senator McCaskill: And I think that’s terrific. I think the ones who have been separated would be a great place that you can get good information, but I don’t know that you’re going to be able to get at those that are currently serving, um, because obviously they’re not gonna be able to step forward and talk about it. So, but I, I agree Secretary Gates, that’s a great place, because so many of them voluntarily separated because of issues of integrity. Thank you….

Our previous coverage of DADT and Claire McCaskill:

Senator Claire McCaskill: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the news (March 15, 2009)

Claire McCaskill (D): “Kitchen Table Talk” in Kansas City, part 3 (December 2008)