In Arizona: SlaughterFest Promoter Blasted by Wyoming Constituents

Saturday, December 18, 2010

SlaughterFest Promoter Blasted by Wyoming Constituents

(The News as We See It) by R.T. Fitch ~ Author/Director of HfH Advisory Council

Wyoming Voters Frown Upon “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis

Wyoming Voters made a Mistake?

HOUSTON, (SFTHH) – In a recent Horseback Magazine interview Wyoming Rep. “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis, who is an avid supporter of banned horse slaughter, lost an enormous chunk of credibility when she publicly announced that she knows nothing of EU regulations regarding non-food animal drugs in U.S. Equines. With a pedal to the metal the promoter of a convention of slaughter proponents disregarded the scientific fact that U.S. horses are no longer accepted as meat for human consumption in Europe yet Wallis thinks it would be just fine to feed the tainted meat to her constituents in the state of Wyoming, as it is illegal to transport the meat across state lines.

Rep. Wallis has, likewise, stimulated the ire of Wyoming’s constituency with her desire to pass state legislation on relaxing food safety regulations in an effort to enhance her chances at profiting from a Wyoming Horse Slaughter plant and to bolster her families’ “Range” food business.

In a recent letter to the editor, appearing in the Casper, WY Tribune, Robert E. Harrington MS, RS, DAAS of the Casper-Natrona County Health Department slams Wallis and her political cronies for their self-serving ways:

“…Wyoming Legislature is largely composed of “emperors without clothes,” willing to waste the public’s time — and money — dealing with pointless, nay, stupid issues.

HB 11, “Food Freedom,” is back for the fourth consecutive year. After failing three times, one might think that it’s not viable, but no such luck. Rep. Sue Wallis continues her crusade to “free” all homemade food from any and all oversight and regulation.

… are an irresponsible affront to the protection of Wyoming citizens and visitors, and worse, they waste everyone’s time and money. If our legislators can’t find something more worthwhile to do, then we should be re-thinking about what they do, and put someone in there who will actually represent the whole population, and not just a few “radical fringe” zealots.”

Likewise, an editorial in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle jumps all over Wallis’ renegade dreams of opening up a Horse Slaughter plant in Cheyenne:

“There are so many things wrong with this proposal from state Rep. Sue Wallis, R-Recluse, that it is hard to keep track of them. But let’s focus on the most important one: Cheyenne’s image.

Does Cheyenne want to be known to potential employers and possible technology-minded residents (remember, the world’s largest supercomputer soon will be opening here) as a progressive community or as one that imports horses and puts some 7,000 of them to death every year?

Do community leaders hope to attract tourists or chase them away? Are they willing to face a potential national boycott from such groups as the Humane Society simply to allow a rogue state representative and her investors to try to peddle horse meat from Wyoming?

Does the Chamber of Commerce want people to enter town along a newly renovated West Lincolnway only to look across the railroad tracks and see holding pens for horses awaiting their turn in a slaughterhouse, mobile or not?

No, this is not what Cheyenne in 2010 should be about — not to mention such issues as the odors of holding and slaughtering of horses and the environmental implications of such a facility — and its leaders need to consistently speak up until this project is laid to rest for good.

It is true that the issue of what to do with horses as they reach the end of their lives is problematic. And parts of Ms. Wallis’ proposal make sense.

She would bring in the horses, triage them and then move out those that can be adopted or rescued. Unfortunately, the rest would be killed in some yet-to-be-explained “humane way.” Then the meat would be sold — though to whom and for what use remains unclear, given that there presently is no market for it.

But the city of Cheyenne must not be the location for this experiment. If Ms. Wallis wants it so badly, let her propose it for her hometown of Recluse in northeastern Wyoming, about 80 miles east of Sheridan, and see the reaction she gets there.

We are tired of Ms. Wallis trying out her far-out ideas (such as ending inspections on home-based foods) on the people of this state. But we are even more unhappy that she wants to add horse slaughter in Cheyenne to the mix. Local leaders need to tell her to go away — in no uncertain terms.”

Bad press, failed businesses, dubious “non-profits” and affiliates haunt Wallis as she promotes her “SlaughterFest” in early January of next year. A recent “letter” was issued to equine rescues across the United States in an effort to convince advocates to participate in Wallis’ predatory horse slaughter scheme. The letter was signed and allegedly issued by Utah horse trainer Dave Duquette the stated president of the United Horsemen organization that has clandestine ties to Wallis’ ever shifting collection of “non-profits”. It was soon discovered that the letter from Duquette, sent under the guise of his United Horsemen, was actually issued by Wallis from one of her many email addresses at Gmail, another strike against truth, honesty and transparent representation.

As Wallis and Duquette head into the holiday season and final propaganda stretch for their Bloodfest the equine community scratches its head in wondering who in their right mind would attend and/or be affiliated with such questionable personalities.

Of course only time will tell but with the deck firmly stacked against her, the renegade Rep. from Wyoming may find it to be an extremely cold and lonely winter in Recluse Wyoming as a “Lame Duck” session has come very, very early in her newly elected term.

The people have had enough.