Gilbert Gutknecht: “And I just want to point out that one of the things that many times people inside the bureaucracy will say is, well, we…”

“And I just want to point out that one of the things that many times people inside the bureaucracy will say is, well, we do not have enough staff or we do not have enough money. But the General Accounting Office does not say that in their report. We currently allocate 153 people and about $16 million, and over the last 2 years they have conducted a grand total of 74 investigations. Now, I do not know how many is the right number, whether it is staff or whether it is the appropriation or how many investigations that they should conduct, but I do know this; that there is enormous distrust out in farm country among our independent producers out there of the way this law is being enforced. There is a lot of concern. And I think the way to allay that concern is to make certain that at least the recommendations of our own General Accounting Office, as it relates to the investigative methodology that is used, is implemented, to make certain we get to the bottom of this. We cannot completely solve this problem of concentration. I think that is sort of a function of the way the economy seems to be moving today. On the other hand, I think we can do all within this law that is possible to make certain that if there is only going to be four major packers that are involved in beef packing, that at least there is adequate competition. Personally, I would love to see moving back to more of an auction format. Frankly, I think that is the fairest way to sell almost anything.”