A reader sent us a lengthy email speaking to Rick Naerebout, Chief Executive Officer for the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. Here is his letter:

Mr. Naerebout,

I wanted to reach out about two recent publications that you participated in, one from your local TV station KMTV and one from your recent appearance on CNN, the national media.  I posted the links to both above for easy reference.  I commend the young local reporter Ryan Hill for attempting to shed light on this very important issue, but he made a mistake by publishing a single source article, with you being the single source.  As for Richard Quest at CNN, I will leave it to others to judge his credibility, but to me personally he seems like a hack.  Is it safe to assume your role in both these media appearances is essentially as a lobbyist that works at the Idaho Dairymen’s Association?

Let me get right to my main points. I apologize upfront that this is going to be a little long.  And also I copied several other people on this email..

On January 20th, 2025. less than two months from now, the recently elected Mr. Trump has PROMISED to declare a NATIONAL EMERGENCY on day and to deploy the UNITED STATES MILITARY, in conjunction with local law enforcement all around the country to immediately begin deporting tens of millions of residents living and working illegally in the United States.  Mr. Trump said that local law enforcement knows their towns best and so therefore they are best suited to help the military rat out these illegal residents.  He was very clear that many of them are rapists, murderers, gang members, terrorists, escapees from insane asylums, they are eating our cats and dogs (remember that one) etc etc.  I presume as a lobbyist you actually followed his campaign, he said all these things over and over again every day.  In fact it is safe to say he successfully whipped the American people into a frenzy over this one issue and it was the single most important reason he won the election.  I would bet money that YOU, and everyone employed at the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, and all the big farm owners you represent and about 75% of the Twin Falls population all enthusiastically voted for this man, and probably for the 3rd time in a row going all the way back to 2015.  I am correct in that assumption, right?  The ONE thing I never heard Mr. Trump say was that he was going to make exceptions, that he was going to let thousands and thousands bypass the deportation, because let’s say they were good at shoveling cow manure for very low wages and absolutely no benefits. You really need to read Project 2025, co-authored by Trump’s VP pick Vance, exceptions are really not their thing.

In the KMTV article you gave big praise to your local Congressman Mike Simpson, but only after saying he has been totally unable to fix your labor issue in any way after 20 years of trying.  In the CNN interview, you said your entire industry would completely fall apart if this labor issue is not fixed, but yet you still praise Mr. Simpson for not fixing it.  I have to say that is some fascinating logic.  Isn’t it true that Congressman Simpson, Congressman Fulcher, Senator’s Risch and Crapo and our Governor and fellow rancher Brad Little all strongly supported the election of Donald Trump.  I mean when it comes to praising another man, the love those 5 gentlemen have for Trump knows no bounds.  Sometimes they say stuff like they don’t approve of Trump’s foul language or his many, many, many personal flaws, but THEY LOVE HIS POLICIES.  Well isn’t his number one policy getting rid of every illegal living and working in Idaho?  If they love his policies so much it would only be logical that they would totally love his most important policy, ridding America of illegal residents. So, why are you all crying wolf now????

You do realize there was a choice in this election?  Vice President Harris had worked on a bi-partisan border bill last year that would have solved your labor issue for decades to come.  But your MAGA Leader Trump killed the bill and Congressman Simpson cheered him on.  Vice-President Harris had no intention to deport your workers and she pledged to work with organizations like yours to get these workers legal status. I believe in the CNN interview you yourself said that was the answer, getting your workers year round legal protections.  BUT you and all the MAGA loving voters REFUSED to even consider Ms. Harris. I can only guess that is because you would argue it was all her “other” policies. I am sure it had nothing to do with the fact that she was an African-American woman.  If she had been elected this entire problem would not have happened, however you might have had to give in a little bit on issues that I am passionate about, Reproductive Freedom for all women and LGBTQ Rights.

Just a couple of last points. On CNN you claimed if we get rid of your workers there will be nobody to take their place.  That is not true.  We live in a Capitalist society, do you understand how capitalism works?  If you put those open jobs on the market at lets say $50 per hour with health insurance, guess what, you would have people with American birth certificates lining up. Yes. would that affect the cost of milk, I imagine it would.  I don’t drink milk and it really isn’t that healthy for people anyway so I personally don’t really care what it would cost.  Let’s put it this way, I care about the price of milk about as much as you care about the rights of a Trans teen living in Idaho under attack by the Idaho MAGA Republican Party.

You also said on CNN that your labor issue has to get resolved in your favor because the American people just voted to lower inflation and higher milk prices would increase inflation.  Again, I ask you, did you even listen to or follow Mr. Trump’s campaign?  Mr. Trump was asked many times, including a month before the election at the New York Economic Forum, what he planned to do about inflation and every single time his only answer was to impose tariffs on imported goods, stuff you need like John Deere tractors.  Now, maybe you MAGA voters could explain to me in simple terms how tariffs are going to lower inflation because I cannot find one economist out there that backed up that claim.  So for you to say you voted to lower inflation is totally misleading because YOUR candidate, Mr. Trump, never ever once explained how he actually planned to lower inflation.

Either way Trump got elected, YOU all made that happen. He is declaring a National Emergency on your labor force, something usually only reserved for war time.  It is every American’s patriotic duty to assist in any National Emergency, so please hand over the names and addresses of all your farm workers to the Military when they show up.  I am not totally naive, you seemed pretty relaxed and happy on CNN for a guy whose entire industry is facing a major crisis, so I am sure the FIX IS IN somehow to save you guys. I am guessing Congressman Simpson that you love so much is guaranteeing you even more big subsidies to ease your financial pain.

Respectfully,

Michael Mulhern

Meridian, Idaho

You can now read the most important #news on #eDairyNews #Whatsapp channels!!!

🇺🇸 eDairy News INGLÊS: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaKsjzGDTkJyIN6hcP1K