[Tango-L] Smoke in BA

[Deby Novitz]

I am sorry Floyd but you have no clue. You should read a little more 
before you state an opinion that is completely ignorant.  The farmers 
here are some of the richest people in the country.  They have a very high standard 
of living.  Agribusiness came to Argentina during the crisis. There are 
very few small farms left, just like in the U.S.  The difference here is 
that we have stricter controls over the use of hormones, feed, and 
genetic engineering. 

My friend from Texas owns 3 ranches here with his Argentine partners.  
He is not the exception.  Talk to anyone from Argentina and they will 
tell you that the money is with farming now.  The guys that set the 
fires are millionaires.  They were clearing the land to plant more soy.  
These were grasslands used to feed cattle. These are the same people who 
last month were protesting the 16% increase on soy export taxes as being 
unfair.  My friend who is the attorney for one of the provinces said 
the 16% tax to them is nothing compared to the huge profits they reap.  
They protested to try and make the president look bad for the tax, and 
it backfired on them. 

This situation with the grasslands was a horror story.  You could not 
see more than 100 meters in front of you.  All major highways were 
closed.  The subte was closed down.  This was a crisis due to the greed and stupidity 
of a few people.  There have been over 100 arrested and 3 people so far are being charged.

Hospitals were overflowing with people who were asthmatics that could not breathe.  The carbon monoxide was
causing us to be eternally tired and they were very fearful of the levels.  My plants on my
17th floor balcony were dying.  I was part of the horrendous fire that was in Oakland California in
1991 that was considered one of the worst wildfires in the history of the U.S.  It did not even come
close to what was happening here.