It seems as if Scott Soares, the Massachusetts commissioner of the
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, has been hearing
from lots of consumers who aren’t pleased about his ongoing  efforts to
mess with their food by harassing raw milk buying clubs.

At 5 p.m. on Friday, likely on his way rushing out the door, he had his MDAR issue a press release
suggesting he was hearing the noise, and was open to conciliation. It’s
only when you read the full press release closely that you realize MDAR
is not only determined to stamp out the buying clubs, but equally
determined to stifle debate–end the game when the opposition is on the
five-yard line.

Massachusetts politics is known for being
slimy and dirty, with back room deals and endless backstabbing, and
Soares is living up to that tradition. It would be almost comical, if
he weren’t messing with some people’s food, and other people’s
livelihoods.

As I said, the press release starts out all
goody-goody, as if MDAR is changing its tune by pulling its proposal
“relative to specific prohibition of the purchase of raw milk anywhere
but on the farm…MDAR€™s reason for doing so is so that it may conduct
a broader inquiry into the milk market as it relates to raw milk…The
passion and concern on all sides of the raw milk debate have led MDAR
to plan for a broader look at issues associated with raw milk.”

I
can understand Soares wanting to de-fuse the uproar he’s created. Life
is tough when you piss so many people off. But his strategy seems to be
based on the hope people won’t read the release any further. If you do
read further, you find two little nuggets:

1. MDAR is still
determined to wipe buying clubs off the face of the Massachusetts
earth. “A Milk Dealer is defined within the Milk Control Laws as anyone
in the business of receiving, purchasing, pasteurizing, bottling,
processing, distributing or otherwise handling milk. This is still the
case, and MDAR will take such steps to enforce violations as they
become aware of them.”

2. MDAR is declaring off-limits
discussion of the proposed regulation prohibiting buying clubs that it
pulled off the table at 5 p.m. on Friday. It says, “…testimony will
be limited to the draft of the regulations reflecting the removal of
the aforesaid text.” The only matters left, from what I can tell, are
adoption of some parts of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.

What
MDAR seems to be expecting is that come 10 a.m. Monday, it will simply
announce what’s in the press release (most attendees won’t have heard
about the press release), and that everyone will nod and say, “Oh,
okay, we traveled all this way and took off our morning for nothing. No
problem, guys. We love ya all the same.” I don’t think so.

Here’s
what seems to be really going on, behind the scenes of this three-ring
circus. Soares realized a few weeks back that the existing regulations,
whereby buying clubs are considered “Milk Dealers,” were not tight
enough to survive a court challenge if he went after the buying clubs.
So he tried to make his case air tight with the new reg by explicitly
prohibiting buying clubs. That blew up in his face in a barrage of
emails, phone calls, and media coverage, so now he’s saying he’ll take
his chances with the existing reg, and see how he does in court.

And as for the promised opportunity for debate? That’s all off the table. Maybe the “passion” he speaks of has him spooked.

All
he and his cronies have done with this latest round of paper shuffling
is stir up the hornet’s nest even further. What a bunch of clowns. But
the show must go on.

Demonstration at 8:30 a.m. Monday on Boston Common near the Part St.
T stop.  MDAR hearing at 10 a.m. Monday at 100 Cambridge St. Can’t
wait. I love circuses.