53° CLOUDY, Millions spent on chicken-cage ballot initiative
Last Modified: Sunday, October 12, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
The television ads have begun in the election battle over chicken cages in California, and the two sides to date are reporting nearly equal amounts of money.
The backers and opponents of Proposition 2 together report taking in more than $14 million in contributions.
The backers of Proposition 2, which would phase out the current cage systems for egg-laying hens, reported spending more than $6.4 million through Sept. 30, according to the California Secretary of State’s Office. The campaign stated it had nearly $834,000 remaining in cash.
The initiative’s opponents said they spent only $1.2 million through the same period. They reported nearly $6 million in their ending cash balance.
Both sides agree the large difference in expenditures is misleading and the picture will soon change.
“The difference is we’ve bought our TV (advertising) and they haven’t,” said Jennifer Fearing, a spokeswoman for the Yes campaign. Advertising favoring the initiative has begun and will continue “straight through the election,” Fearing said.
Julie Buckner, spokeswoman for the campaign against Proposition 2, said the opposition ads will begin soon.
“Our plan is to be on television very competitively in the final weeks of the campaign,” she said.
The initiative, which would take effect in 2015, prohibits farmers from confining egg-laying hens, veal calves and pregnant pigs in ways that prevent them from standing up, turning around or extending their limbs without touching the sides of an enclosure or another animal.
Hens make up about 19.5 million of the nearly 20 million animals that would be directly affected by the initiative.
Roughly a million hens are laying eggs in cages today in Sonoma County. In the past six years, egg production has increased to levels not seen here in a half century, mostly do to the consolidation here of one operation, Sunrise Farms of Petaluma.
Sunrise Farms has donated $57,000 to oppose the campaign, the largest such donation from Sonoma County in the Secretary of State’s online database.
Like many Proposition 2 opponents, Sunrise owner Arnie Riebli has said the initiative would force him to move out of state or to stop production. Proposition 2 supporters insist the egg industry will adapt and remain in California.
For the Yes campaign, the county’s largest donor is the Animal Defense League Fund of Cotati, which gave $60,000.
Overall the largest donor for the initiative is the Washington, D.C.-based Humane Society of the United States, which as of Oct. 6 had given $3.8 million. Farm Sanctuary of Watkins, N.Y. gave $275,000 and the Fund for Animals of New York, N.Y., gave $250,000.
For the opposition, the largest reported donation was $785,000 from egg-producer Moark LLC of Norco in Riverside County. Egg-producers Cal-Maine Foods of Jackson, Miss. donated $591,000 and Rose Acre Farms of Seymour, Ind. donated $517,000.
In the remaining weeks, Buckner said, opponents will stress that in an already shaky economy, Proposition 2 will increase the cost of eggs and “put California egg farmers out of business.”
Fearing said the initiative’s supporters will stress that Californians needs to phase out “these cruel and inhumane systems.”
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Comments
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October 12, 2008 7:46:14 pm
Prop 2 is only asking that animals be able to turn around (TURN AROUND!), lie down (seriously!), and spread their limbs (pretty basic). Doesn't really seem like too much to ask. I have been disgusted with the oppositions claims that this will raise food costs and spread disease. There is a HUGE market for free range and cage free eggs and meat. And prop 2 isn't even asking farmers to go cage free. Just let baby cows and pregnant pigs TURN AROUND or LIE DOWN! It amazes me that anyone could be fooled into thinking that this is anything but reasonable. Even if we actually did end up having to pay the projected 1 cent more...it's doesn't seem like too much to ask for such basic rights. For those who might still be questioning it, try spending your entire life in a voting booth without the option to turn around, lie down, or extend your limbs. That should help make up your mind.
October 13, 2008 7:23:09 am
I'm really shocked that a law is even needed.
I guess we are still living in the dark ages.
Of course the god of commerce doesn't have compassion for any living thing!
I would encourage everyone to save a list of all the people who contributed sums of money to have this law defeated and not patronize the greedy barbarians!
Our family only purchases eggs that are from cage free hens and I haven't had veal ever since I found out how it was raised over 30 years ago ! It really saddens me that a law is even needed. What's next ? a law against kicking baby animals ? I think we need less laws and more love in this world!
October 13, 2008 8:43:14 am
We only buy cage free already. Let Sunrise Farms go out of the state-if they plan on really going through the expense. Let them "shut down"-were they planning on going on corporate welfare then? Will they cut off their noses to spite their faces? I think not. They are making threats trying to hold CA hostage. If they actually do it-more power to them, we don't need the likes of them in business in a civilzed state anyway. It will only improve the progressivness of California from a lower-life mentality to more high minded thinking and expectations from businesses and each other.
October 13, 2008 9:40:48 am
one things for sure, if the prop passes and egg prices go up, the same folks that were hot on passing this will be the first ones whining about the increased costs. some folks just can't make the correlation of action is followed by reaction. Common sense!
October 13, 2008 10:39:15 am
Listen folks, they're just animals. They're food, not family. If you want to contribute to the soaring price of food, then you keep pushing this hair-brained liberal lunacy. Give me a break! You hypocritical limousine liberals talk about how healthy you are eating your free-range chickens and your organic trail mix. Meanwhile, you encourage the destructive and unhealthy behaviors of promiscuity (hetero and homo). Enough already.
October 13, 2008 12:22:02 pm
There is no way those farms are going to leave California. They are going to leave the 5th biggest economy in the world over a few more feet of space that would be required? There increased distribution costs for moving out of state and still selling to the state would be way more than what it would cost them to meet the new standards.
Will prices go up? Maybe, but once everyone is on the same playing field, it may lead to innovation that is far more humane that can drive the cost back down.
October 14, 2008 11:47:56 am
This will effect every farmer in California. Anyone who brings his chickens into a barn (to keep them out of the weather)the Humane groups will be breathing down there neck. The cost per farmer will be from $250,000 to millions to do this. Yes the prices will be 4 times to 15 times what you now see. Anyway to treat a farmer whos been feeding you?
October 14, 2008 12:40:26 pm
The proposition would add a chapter to Division 20 of the California Health and Safety Code to prohibit the confinement of certain farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to turn around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs. The measure would deal with three types of confinement: veal crates, battery cages, and sow gestation crates.In regards to chickens, it sounds like all that has to be done is make bigger cages so they can stretch, stand and turn around. Nothing more. I don't see how that equates to driving agri-business out of California, hurting local small farmers who most likely don't use battery cages anyway, or raising prices 4 to 15 times the current cost.Scare tactics from big business, nothing more.
October 14, 2008 12:46:23 pm
We can't let the animal rights kooks start chipping away at our meat eating way of life. First this small step, next year it will be something else small. On and on and on. Don't let it get started... we rule over the animals, simple as that. Leave it that way.
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