Please take a minute to look this over. It does not stop PA 123 from happening but it does set a few of the planets right. We have to take our successes where we can but not put a limit on them. So… can your mobilizing shoes ready to help Taylor and many others prepare for the next level.

Well…Here's the letter.  Prepare to be somewhat disappointed, as I was.  The Dean’s position on biotechnology is quite obvious, and he certainly went out of his way to assure his allies of this.  Still, Governmental Affairs made it clear that he was not happy (actually embarrassed) about having to write a retraction to the Governor.  I suspect that my insistence on public acknowledgment of the transgression made him particularly indignant. 

Despite the patronizing tone, I think it is extremely important to have this on the public record, not just in terms of the current legislation, but as a precedent for the future.  It is now part of the formal record that Loescher lied about who he was representing, and I can only hope that this will help legislators to question the integrity of pro-corporate “expert” testimony in the future.

I have also been assured that there will be an internal discussion about institutional bias and stakeholder representation within the University, and I will keep you all informed about the outcome of this process.  As far as I know the Administration of CANR, MSUE and MAES are still committed to an off-campus meeting with organic growers “to listen to their concerns”

I hope that some of you will take this opportunity to vent your legitimate frustrations.  At the same time I am sympathetic to depth of anger that a 35 year legacy of condescension and betrayal might cause, and will always respect those with the passion to stand up for their beliefs.  I myself am probably on a very different kind of “deans list” right now than the one people make for getting good grades.  There actually are a few of us here who are committed to standing up, so please don’t write us all off.  You can’t judge a prof. by their dean.

Taylor Reid