In a Friday morning interview with Brownfield, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack discussed Congressional action to avert the FSIS meat inspector furloughs and the impact that sequester is having in other areas of the USDA. He also commented on prospects for a new five-year farm bill and attempts to reinstate the federal horse slaughter ban.
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Secretary Vilsack should worry less about what might happen IF the horse slaughter ban was reenacted and worry more about getting inspectors into the facilities that are awaiting their permits right now. It is an abuse of his position to play a political waiting game hoping that legislation might be passed so that he does not have to provide inspectors to a segment of the horse industry that he personally dislikes. The ban was repealed nearly 1.5 years ago and he still has not met his obligation to provide USDA inspectors.
Vilsack said more than once how emotional and divisive an issue horse slaughter is. That does NOT mean that common sense should be abandoned in favor of emotional hubris!!! I am a long-time horse owner and lover, but that doesn’t mean I am unwilling to consider having a realistic choice in dealing sensibly with 1000#+ *livestock* when there are unwanted/unneeded/unsafe horses. More sanctuaries is NOT the answer. From a practical and business standpoint, as well as humane consideration, well-designed and run slaughter plants make the most *common sense* as well as *economical sense*. Vilsack’s mention of returning veterans caring for the horses is more impractical emotional hubris, and yet another expense on the taxpayer for yet another federal program. We must stop being led around by the nose by the bleeding heart AR-zombies who try to put roadblocks in front of sound paths to take with animals in our society.
Vilsack needs to get a clue! Not only has he sent the nations farmers spiraling into the abyss, now he is sending horse owners there too. They held up the farm bill long enough that they tagged it onto the “great financial cliff” and screwed the farmers. Now they are pussyfooting around with horse owners too. Time they put people who KNOW about livestock and agriculture into the offices they represent!
Horse owners need to be more responsible when you own any animal you have that responsiblity!!
Breeders need to be held accountable
There are so many options out there for horses to go!! IF that is what you choose!!
YOU want your tax dollare spent for what Foriegn investments and then have a few extra jobs with little pay while all the horses are tortured, yup that’s just a great idea smart!! We all have enough animals in the slaughter chain we do not need more it is not even for our benefit or certainly not the horses!!
Shall we start to do this with all the dogs and cats that their is an abundance of oh gosh probably not not much profit in that is there!?!?!
This is ludicrist!!! If this Bill does not pass we ALL better watch out for our horses cause one day they might not be there!!!
I know for a fact that Russia is pushing to stop slaughter and also Alberta Canada is pushing so what WE now are going to start this disgusting practice up again!!!
WHO”S POCKETS are getting lined, certainly not the average person, got NOTHING to do with helping people or horses NONE
Come on people wake up
Tom V. knows this horse slaughter is a corrupt money hungry greedy vile business that in no way helps horses cause we had it before folks remember and we STILL had too many horses even then so what think it is going to make a difference now STOP OVER BREEDING AQHA reg. 150,000 foals last year alone and yet they are a HUGE BIG backer of wanting slaughter 70% of horses going to slaughter are yes Quarter horses so you tell me do you think they give a crap about helping the horses god almighty give me a break honestly!!!! What has happened to mankind that we are so distructive and anything we touch we destroy…… Boy oh Boy we ALL are in for a very very bad future if we don’t get our priority’s straight!!!! You all better really think about it…………………………..