Please contact your state veterinarian and ask them if they would continue pushing for mandatory premises identification if there was no funding from the federal government.
Please email me a copy of their response (with full email headers if you know how) and also post the following short form response in the comments:
State, Answer (Y/N/M/U/?), email/name
FL, ?, 10/26/06, Tom Holt
GA, N?, 10/25/06, Carter Black
KY, Y, 10/31/2006, Robert Stout
MN, N, 10/31/2006, Ted Radintz
ND, ?, 10/26/2006, Susan Keller
NH, Y, 10/28/2006, Clifford Mcginnis
NY, ?, 10/25/2006, John Huntley
TX, Y, 10/26/06, Bob Hillman
VT, Y, 10/25/06, Kerry Rood
WA, ?, 11/10/06, L Eldridge, Leonard
WV, Y, 10/25/06, Joe Starcher
Answer Key:
- Y = Yes
- N = No
- M = Maybe
- U = Unsure
- ? = No Response yet (date queried)
If you can provide the information like that I’ll summarize it alphabetically by state here within the article in addition to it appearing in the comments. By putting the date you ask the question like above we’ll know which states have been queried and when. A failure to respond within a reasonable period (a week?) indicates more followup is needed.
You can find your state vets on your state department of agriculture page or in this list.
This will create a list which will be handy for the NVIS (National Veterinarian Identification System). A similar system should be developed for politicians - the National Politician Identification System (NPIS). Maybe a system for bureaucrats (NBIS), etc. We could have the home address, GPS coordinates, social security number, views, movement tracking and other information of government employees all collected together in a central database. This could be used for public safety in the event of terrorist attack, disease or government over reach.
If they give a complex answer, feel free to post that or a summary in the comments after the above formatted short response.
Here is a sample of my letter to Dr. Kerry Rood, the Vermont State Veterinarian:
Dear Dr. Rood,
If there were no federal funding for the program would the Vermont Department of Agriculture push for mandatory Premises Identification?
If you’re not the right person to answer this, please do let me know who I should contact at the AoA.
Thank you,
Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
Orange, Vermont
Pastured Pigs & Sheep
A summary of Dr. Rood’s response is:
Vermont is not pushing for mandatory Animal ID, because it was promised by Vermont Agency of Agriculture (AoA) Secretary Steve Kerr that we would not have Animal ID here in Vermont. On the withdrawal of the Premises ID the original concern was privacy in the face of Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Even with a privatized database or legislative protection from FOIA there is the concern of database security in the face of court orders. The Vermont AoA will continue to push for mandatory Premises Registration (Premises ID) independently of the USDA with or without federal funding because they feel it is necessary for communications with the people who have livestock and an important part of planning responses to disease outbreaks.
~Dr. Kerry Rood, State Veternarian for Vermont
This is also an interesting question to ask of candidates who are pro-NAIS. If people care to ask the same question of candidates then I’ll create a similar list. Use comments to submit responses in both cases.
The reason I wonder is:
- The USDA is using federal grants to get the states to participate in the USDA’s proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
- The USDA lacks the funds to do full inspection of processing plants so they don’t.
- The FDA lacks the funds to complete a study on ADD medication so they won’t.
- The federal government is underfunding “No Child Left Behind” and special education which puts an unfunded mandate burden on states and local property tax payers and creates great resentment.
- Congress cut off the funding for horse slaughter inspection to stop the USDA on that. Not sure if it is really working though.
- Our highway system and bridges which were built about 50 to 60 years ago are getting to the end of their life-span and in need of replacement. That will cost a pretty penny and some states are selling off public roads to pay for it.
- Vermont’s AoA has said there will be no cost to premises owners here in Vermont.
- Our government is in a severe budget deficit and it keeps getting worse.
- Despite appearances, money does not grow on trees.
- The housing bubble is bursting.
- Recession is threatening.
- Inflation is increasing.
- People’s debt is high.
One wonders where the money is going to come from to fund the ongoing costs of NAIS and if there is no funding how will the feds push it on unenthusiastic states?
NAIS benefits big business. NAIS is being paid for with our tax dollars. Would states go down the rabbit hole without that carrot? Ask…
Further reading:
Hat tip: Celeste for the state vets list.
