Stumbling Over Verbiage, and $$$: Is MDA’s Bovine TB Program “Experimental"?

One of the subjects that inevitably comes up when trying to understand what’s going on between Greg Niewendorp and Michigan’s Department of Agriculture is money.

Greg has argued on several occasions that not only is the MDA’s testing program motivated by a desire to gain access to federal funds, but that the U.S. Department of Agriculture funds are geared toward gaining a better understanding about bovine TB.  (And as the comments on my last few posts suggest, there is a lot still to learn about bovine TB in both animals and people.) If that is the case, Greg argues, the program is “experimental,” and he should be able to decide whether he wants to take part in the experiment.

I did some more searching on MDA’s site, and found a press release from early 2007 that celebrates USDA’s awarding of nearly $2.5 million to MDA and Michigan State University for "bovine TB eradication." It turns out that a major component of the funding, something on the order of $1 million, is to be used on “ the Gamma-Interferon test pilot project, which will use 20,000 blood samples to determine if this test could replace the Comparative Cervical Tuberculin (CCT) test. Gamma-Interferon test will require less animal handling and results are projected to be available in considerably less time than the CCT test results, which are not available for 72 hours.” A control group versus a test group. Hmmm.

There is also mention of $23,000 “for administrative support to enhance their epidemiological efforts to evaluate the human health risks associated with bovine TB in Michigan.” (I’d like to see the results of that one.)

One other thing that bears mention: Michigan State University has two agriculture components—the Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) and the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES). Note the term “experiment” in the name.

In other words, there’s a whole lot of testing and evaluating and research going on. Does this constitute an experimental program? The MDA is certainly selling the USDA on coughing up the money on the basis of studying and researching bovine TB matters for future use. It may sound like a matter of semantics—different agencies and organizations need to hear different things—but isn’t that part of the problem? Lots of people saying different things for the sake of convenience--and money, big money.

Part of the problem for MDA and MSU is that Greg is refusing to accept semantics as an excuse or explanation. He figures that over the last ten years, MDA and MSU have spent about $100 million—about half from the USDA and half from the state—on bovine TB activities. With millions regularly flowing in to MDA and MSU, it’s tough to ever say the experiment is completed.

Comments

[Seraphim]

$100 million! That seems like an astonishingly large amount of money!

[Steve Bemis]

It seems clear, that studied or not, the bovine TB situation will not resolve so long as there is a reservoir of the disease either in the wild animal population or in the domestic cattle population, since the problem is the passing back and forth between the two. Michigan had the highest bovine TB infection in the country decades ago (something like 30% of all cases in the country), and the two counties in the NE part of the state which are now the center of the deer herd infection were the two worst counties decades ago. It is most likely that after the earlier eradication of TB from the cow herds, that a remainder of the disease was maintained in the wild animal population where it is now reemerged. Until it's cleared out of the wild population, it seems likely that it will continue to be a risk to domesticated animals, at least in those areas. $100 million of study probably will not change that.

[Joel Noble]

Good job David! That's what I'm talking about! It's all about the money. Money being spent by special interest groups and agencies.

Who are these people? We hear talk and refer to the MDA, the Regulators, the Director, and the State. The real names behind these people needs to be used. Are we talking about the Government of China? No, but the State of Michigan loves to hide behind a cloak of self imposed security blanket to insulate themselves.

Take a look at the makeup of the Ag Commission of Michigan. it is heavily stacked one sided to the 'feel-good' wine and touristy area of the State which represents less than 10 percent of the economic income from farming.

The Agriculture Policy Committee of the MDA is framed in such a way to help their special interest groups. What will a new MDA Director's view be in all this?

[Joel Noble]

The new Director of MDA Donald W Koivisto

Is a former state Democrat lawmaker. A politician first and foremost.

Koivisto, 57, served in the state House from 1981-86 and in the state Senate from 1991-2002. He has a small farm in Ellsworth where he grows corn, soybeans and hay.

His statement upon appointment..

“As an advocate for agriculture, I plan to protect the industry base while increasing Michigan’s presence in other sectors, such as specialty crops and exports into the global marketplace.” Donald W Koivisto.

"Protect the industry base" Indeed! Mr Director