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HONORABLE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS <br /> May 5 , 1982 <br /> Page Five <br /> with a lawful business. To a large degree, this campaign has <br /> been composed of statements, usually also released to the media, <br /> which are sensational and misleading, expressions of "outrage" <br /> and "shock" when nothing illegal has been done, demands for <br /> investigation without allegations of wrongdoing, "statistical" <br /> arguments which are meaningless and misleading, and so <br /> forth. <br /> The report of March 4 , 1982 was prepared in response to <br /> a Farm Bureau letter of November 19 , 1981. This letter, <br /> although addressed to the Board of Supervisors, was released <br /> to the media. It is our understanding that it was so released <br /> prior to any opportunity for the Board of Supervisors to <br /> review it; it was certainly not reviewed by Forward, Inc. <br /> We have responded to the individual points in that letter <br /> in our letter of December 31, 1981. In our December 31, 1981 <br /> letter we expressed concern as to the motivation behind the <br /> Farm Bureau letter - it would seem reasonable to assume that <br /> if there were substantial concern over any aspect of our site <br /> operations, the Farm Bureau would make every possible attempt <br /> to discuss their concerns with operations and management <br /> personnel of Forward, Inc. They did not do so; in fact, after <br /> release of their letter, and prior to their retention of Mr. <br /> Koenig, agents for Forward, Inc. attempted several times to <br /> arrange meetings between Forward, Inc. personnel and officers <br /> and members of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation. <br /> These were all refused by the latter. <br /> Upon receipt of that letter, the Board of Supervisors <br /> ordered its staff to do a report. <br /> The attorney retained by the Farm Bureau has submitted, <br /> to the Board and to the media, several comments, both before <br /> and after the report to the Board. The language used has <br /> been generally inflammatory. Nevertheless, we would like to <br /> respond to these. <br /> On March 4, 1982 , at literally the eleventh hour, he <br /> submitted a letter dated March 4, a statement from agronomist <br /> Dwight Baier, and copies of letters to the State Department <br /> of Health Services dated February 5 and February 12 , 1982 . <br /> The latter two need no reply. <br />