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Howdy friend, it's been a long time, it's good to see you back, and how is Mrs Reaganomics and Miss Marie? We've missed you, but understand you have been busy.

Howdy Chair, glad to hear your TDY to TX was cancelled, so close to your vacation departure.

I have a message in front of me from the Texas Cattle Feeders Assn - TAMU. It tells of a disappointment with McDonald's. McDonald claims that there is not enough beef in the USA to support their restaurants. (I thought we had lots) McDonald's has announced that they are going to start importing much of their beef from South America. The problem is that South Americans aren't under the same regulations as American beef producers and the regulations they have are loosely controlled. They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures that have been banned in America and the residues have been found in cattle. They also use use various hormones and growth regulators that we can't.

All cattlemen who sell their stock at a livestock auction barn must sign a paper stating that they have not fed their cows any part of other cows. South American do not have this requirement.

American ranchers do raise the best quality beef in the world for us. It sounds like McDonald's who has been supported by Americans for over 30 years, finds American beef is now too expensive to make their hamburgers with. It sounds like their bottom line is more important than the beef they will be using for our consumption.

This letter was written by a fellow from the ACAP Dept of Animal Science at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. I have purpoined a couple of his phrases, cause I couldn't say it better.