US Farmers Worried Tensions with Cuba Will Affect Exports

[Say_What]

Ralph Kaehler, realizing that Senator Coleman is playing party politics at the expense of Minnesota producers, wonders why members of Congress aren't applying equal pressure on countries like China or Saudi Arabia for their human rights records.

<clips>

Since the United States cracked open the trade embargo on Cuba two years ago to allow farmers to sell agricultural and food products there, American exports to the island nation have been on the rise. Cuba is now the United States' 35th largest agricultural export market, up from 208th just two years ago. However some farmers are concerned that heightened U.S.-Cuba political tensions will affect their exports.

Minnesota farmer Ralph Kaehler says doing business with Cuba is a lesson in working with paranoid, controlling bureaucrats who require loads of unnecessary paperwork at frequent stages of the deal. And he's not talking about the communist government in Havana. "The difficult part has been, for the most part, working with our government: getting visas for Cuban livestock inspectors and veterinarians to come up and inspect the animals like every other country does. That took forever. It's just fighting the politics side of doing business," he says.

Four thirsty black heifers eagerly line up at a trough as Mr. Kaehler turns on the water. "Their offspring will be the ones that go to Cuba in the next couple of years," he says.

Ralph Kaehler and his young sons Seth and Cliff became celebrities for a day last year during Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura's trade mission to Cuba. That's when Cuban President Fidel Castro posed for pictures with them and their bull, and the photos made the front page of newspapers around the world. Since then, Mr. Kaehler has returned to Cuba twice to sell cattle and a high-protein animal feed. Mr. Castro has hosted him both times. Their relationship is amicable enough that the Kaehler family is now on the Cuban leader's holiday greeting list. A New Year's card signed 'Fidel Castro' is proudly displayed in the farmer's kitchen.


<http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=A02CAD0E-5D60-4CFF-BFB0EDA4CFB63188>

[Vogon_Glory]

1. Who Does Normie Represent?

I can understand why US Senators here in Texas play Cuba-bashing games, but why is Minnesota allowing this Coleman person to get away with it? While Texas has far fewer right-wing Cuban exiles on the ground than Florida, we do have a lot of Religious Right commie-bashers who still get off on the chance to bash genuine "commernists."

Once again, farm areas and their interests take a back seat to urban right-wing politics.

[Say_What]

3. Coleman chairs the Bush re-election campaign in Minnesota

Looks like Normy is all nicely bought and paid for... and sold out his constituents in the process. Typical pol, no?

[Don_G]

2. They Better Be More Worried About The EU

And getting rid of Dimbo. Dimbo leaves a path of ruin in his wake.

[Osolomia]

4. America's farmers should ignore what's happening and do nothing eh?

Keep their blinders and earplugs tightly glued to their faces and mouths shut and forget about signing that multi-million dollar deal for their produce after all uh? Yup, that's the democratic way apparently. Go figure!

[Don_G]

7. Cuba Is A Relatively Small Market

The EU is a larger market with much more purchasing power, political and economic clout. If Dimbo wants Cuba, give Dimbo Cuba. In the meantime, Jebthro can continue to sell citrus fruit and OJ to Europe if Europe dosen't impose a 100% tarriff on all American products reaching their shores.

Not only that, but Japan and China both are joining the EU in this tarriff war. Who will the farmers sell to when that happens?

[Judi Lynn]

5. A Cuban-African-American author has a few words for Norm Coleman

Thanks, Say_What, for letting us know he was the Minnesota campaign chairman for _Bush. (Looks like they didn't have to look far for someone to send in, as soon as Paul Wellstone was out of the way.)

Open Letter to Senator Coleman:

October 27, 2003
Senator Norm Coleman
320 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC., 20510

Honorable Senator Coleman,

With deep regret I read an article in the Miami Herald on 10/20/03, in which you said "I won’t visit Cuba again until Castro sets it free", after your brief visit to that island and meetings with so called Dissidents, which we know are mostly on the payroll of our government.

If the complex and turbulent history of Cuba is to be understood in order to make an educated assessment of it, I am sure, you would probably need more than a seven day visit or the pre-trip information you may have received from Cuban Americans in Congress. Five hundred years of history cannot be personalized and compacted into one person, Fidel Castro.

At age 65, I remember too well what democracy, freedom of speech and free enterprise meant for millions of people like myself in Cuba. My birth place, Banes, which was owned and governed by the United Fruit Company and the father and grandfather of US Congressmen Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart, was our Cuban Bantustan or Soweto, where we (Blacks and poor Whites) were forced to live in huts without electricity, running water, schools, healthcare or jobs. Morbidity and mortality through preventive diseases was the norm that touched the lives of everyone, most of whom lost a family member before age 5. Our community, which was clearly divided in three sections and allowed Blacks to work only in jobs cutting cane, picking up trash, cooking, cleaning and caring for the children of others and created a separate religious order with a distinct dress code for Black females, looks more like the Cuba you should refuse to visit.

Many in Congress have traveled to South Africa to see what Apartheid was all about. We did not have to do so; we were born, lived and many died in one of our own!

You are fully entitled to your views and conclusions. Agreeing or disagreeing with today’s Cuba is also your prerrogative. What is unaceptable to most Blacks in Cuba and probably around the world, is to allow anyone to attempt to ignore, dilute or deny that educationally, culturally, socially and in many other fields of knowledge, Blacks in Cuba have advanced more in the past 40 years than in the previous 500.

Still, much more differentiated support is needed for Blacks in Cuba for them to achieve the social levels of other racial groups that benefited directly from the fruits of the system you defends. I encourage you and others, to admit to past wrongs, help us to level the playing field, so that, many more Cubans may be able to continue help their brothers and sisters in Africa, the Caribbean and other places around the world.

No attempts ought to be made by anyone to disguise, cover-up or ignore mistakes or shortcomings of the Cuban government. Historians will gather and analysize this convulsive era. The only prerrequisite should be an honest and fair judgement on the part of all of us.

Sincerely,

Alberto N. Jones DVM

http://www.afrocubaweb.com/albertojones/albertojones6.htm#Coleman

[Judi Lynn]

6. OH, jeez, here's a hot one

Found it, accidently, snuffling around for info. on Wellstone's position on Cuba.

This one is truly obnoxious, and actually didn't get any play in the press, which leads you to wonder how many more like this there are:

Point Reyes Light - August 23, 2001

US nixes trekker Francis’ plan to walk across Cuba

By Patrik Jorgensen

Round-the-world walker and UN Goodwill Ambassador John Francis of Point Reyes Station received notice last week from the US Treasury Department that he will not be granted permission to travel to Cuba for a goodwill walk across the communist island nation.

As a sequel to walking journeys across the US and down the length of South America, Francis had planned to embark with his family and a small research team in November on an 800-mile, two-and-a half month trek to study Cuba’s organic agriculture industry, public education system, and natural environment.

Francis on Aug. 15 received a fax from the Treasury Department that informed him that his endeavor did not meet the federal government’s strict guidelines for travel to Cuba. Travel to Cuba from the US for most purposes has been prohibited since the Cold War era, although US citizens sometimes make unauthorized trips through Mexico or the Caribbean.

The fax states that under the current regulations "the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control prohibits all unlicensed economic transaction in which Cuba or a Cuban national has an interest. This prohibition includes all travel-related transactions unless otherwise authorized."

http://www.ptreyeslight.com/stories/aug23_01/francis.html