Hog Nuisance Suit Costs Smithfield $50 Million

[sw363535]

No you miss the point...... probably intentionally.

Instead of taking the judgmental viewpoint ......... try the what is best for a free society viewpoint..... or better yet the "live with our choices" viewpoint.

It appears to me the population, through a variety of mechanisms (individual, social, economic, and legislative) has chosen to consolidate manure production nationally and move portions of it into less hazardous locations.  And through a competitive market place used to produce only the amount to meet demand.  Concentration of production allowed regulation of manure handling, disposal, and storage.  Usda and the public through regulation favors consolidation (probably not consciously but in result).  Whether this case has merit or not will be for a court to decide.... assuming we can find a jury that is not tainted beyond degree and can think enough to render a wise decision.  With the new media technology and the fact that everyone pees in the internet media pool, it may be hard to find a jury that hasn't been fed a verdict before it hears a case.  

That is what brought on my questions to Jim.......... the greed comment refers to the fact that we as a society jump to a class action suit even when it is hard to find anyone who has actually been hurt by the action or lack of.   "If it sounds good........... its a case."

Ask this serious question.  If the same level of contamination testing used on Iowa streams for water quality today was used on Iowa streams back when all four of those farms per section had hogs and smell ....... how would it compare?  And what measures could we take to fix it.  Isn't that what got us here?

My question is really coming from my lack of trust in the public (the juror pool) to be able to make a difficult decision...

Potential Labor and Juror:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um7LkldYmWE

[k-289]

Would  a  preferred  jury  pool  be  12  Smithfield  Employees  or  12  neighboring  residents  to  the  facility ? 

I  have  yet  to  witness  a  board  member  of  one  of  these  facilities,  reside  any  where  near  the  facility,  a contract  grower yes,  the  Million  $$$$  crowd  nota -  or  maybe  I  haven't  been  directed  to  that  information - - - 

Golden  Rule  has  some  rough  edge's -  The  Folks  with  the  Gold  Play  the  Rules - - -

Jim -  how  many livestock litigation suit's were in municipal court - up until -as of the last 2 decades ? 

I  remember  a  comment  on  this  site  a few  years  back  from a  lady from  Carolina , being  my  property  right's  end , where my neighbors fence begins >

if  Folks can't fly a drone over the neighbors property with risk of litigation, why does this same rule  NOT apply to flies, dust ,  & stench ? ? 

Ask  this  question - If  you  had  a town  with  population  of 250  vs. a city  with  25,000 - where  does the waste comparison equation even fit in - BA  already answered that - - -

Large operations in the Buffalo Commons thinly populated area - has little in common with area's of eastern population stats,  

[sw363535]

I live under a different Golden rule..

What is the source for yours?

[k-289]

Mine  being -  Where my property rights (fence) ends, my  neighbors begin & vice versa - - -

[sw363535]

That changed ....... 

I like the second one better............ Yesterday I was listening on C span the hearing and questions before the supreme court on the travel ban.  A great enjoyment...... not too often do we know enough specifics about a case to keep up with the high speed dialogue.

I kept thinking about your first golden rule and wondering how much it costs for the work of those well articulated folks in that courtroom, who get to the point and meld thoughts and words so well.  And in agriculture how seldom we get to hear such.   How those justices can slice through the mountain of whipped cream and get right to the heart of the pie, the disect it into outcomes and ingredients for the future of a society..... always impressive and refreshing to here the comparison of differing opinion without the ugly name calling.

It is expensive to be well represented and bring a case.  Is that because good legal minds are so few or we can't solve problems without them?

I have lots of questions..... like have we outgrown good democracy or just too lazy to pay the price to keep it out of the courts (writing good laws for example)

I don't have answers and cannot say if the move from family farms to corporate structure is good or bad.. We sure go through knotholes in the transition........  I am trying to remember the good reasons for the change and not slump back into a nostalgic fog.

I am just struggling to adjust to the change that is around me, and trying to see a clear piece of that pie.  Doubt I will be able to afford even that after it cools.  But while I am alive I am looking to enjoy the stuff we take for granted and many have never known.

[k-289]

SW - Great stuff , well  written - - -

LAWS  on  top  of  Laws , ensuing  litigation,   having  tremendous  effect's  on  a  the  masses,  are  most  definitely  drafted  due to  the  misconduct  of  a  very  few - - -

As  I  walked  across  the  rows  of  freshly  planted  field  today,  knowing  that  '''fewer & fewer '''' have  that  option  is  quite  unsettling  to  me - - -

I  guess  that  my  fortunate  time I  have  been  granted  in  this  business  &  1  other  are  priceless  commodities,  that  traders  will never  replicate - - -

My  Grandfather  with  his  Hart-Parr tractor  & McCormick  thresher  still  unhinged  from  my  ''' real  commodity ''' - shall we  say  '''peace'''  of  pie - - -

Commodity - a raw material or primary agriculture product ,that can be bought or sold , such as copper  or  coffee  - google  - - -

Matthew 21: 12-17  or  Luke 19;45  of  earlier written law gives us a momentary  or  lasting rethink of  rust  &  moth  - - -        

[k-289]

Reading an article where the Sec of Agriculture called this litigation ''despicable '' - leaves me asking how close of a proximity his residence might be to a facility ?  

[sw363535]

big is bad  there is just on other logic to it.

[k-289]

Bad  actors  &  actions  come  in  all  sizes -  maybe - big  realities  maybe ?   

[k-289]

A  50's  song  - The  Great  Pretender   -  lyric  seems  to  have  a  lot  of  bases  covered  these  dayZ  -  maybe - - -