NoNAIS.org

From Doreen:

NAIS Informational Meeting—Cuba, Missouri

There will be a National Animal Identification System informational meeting in Cuba, Missouri on August 29th at 7:00 at the Cuba Sale Barn. There was a meeting at this location last year and this will be updates given on where NAIS is currently, what the future is looking like, legislative outlook and some historical background.

Confirmed speakers are, C. Russell Wood, Ray Cunio, Bob Parker and Doreen Hannes. All elected officials are encouraged to attend as well as media, livestock owners and everyone who will be affected by the program….That’s everyone who eats. The Missouri Dept of Agriculture and the USDA have been invited to speak as well, but no one has confirmed that they will attend. We are asking for at least 24 hour notice on Ag department speakers.

The sale barn is located off I-44 on the north side of the freeway and will be open at 6:30. There will be informational pamphlets and bumper stickers, etc.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you there!!!

A little bird told me that our dear Vermont Governor Jim Douglas is holding listening sessions and appearing around the state to get input from Vermonters. This is the time to ask him hard questions about his policy on not prosecuting his own family for violating the law by hiring illegal aliens while simultaniously trying to steal away our traditional rights to farm and own livestock with his pushing for mandatory Premises Registration and the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).

From the Governor’s web site:

Public Appearance Schedule of Governor Jim Douglas

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

4:00 p.m. STAT Chat, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction5:00 p.m. Champlain Valley Fair Parade, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction6:00 p.m. Essex High School and Tech Center Open House and Ribbon Cutting, Essex High School and Tech Center, Essex

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

12:00 p.m. Agricultural Hall of Fame Luncheon, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction

Thursday, August 30, 2007

10:30 a.m. Envision Program Awards Ceremony, Cedar Creek Room, State House12:00 p.m. Dairy of Distinction Luncheon, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction2:00 p.m. Revision Military Eyewear Grand Opening, 7 Corporate Drive, Essex Junction

Friday, August 31, 2007

12:00 p.m. STAT Small Business Roundtable and Brownbag Lunch, St. Albans Free Library, 11 Maiden Lane, St. Albans1:15 p.m. Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan
and College Savings Month Proclamation Signing, Swanton Elementary School, Swanton8:00 p.m. Brad Paisley and Friends Concert, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction

Saturday, September 1, 2007

12:00 p.m. Lancaster Fair, Lancaster, New Hampshire

Sunday, September 2, 2007

7:00 p.m. Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price Concert, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction

Note that you can also contact the Governor via his web site contact form.

On the heels of my article about our Vermont Governor Douglas sanctioning the hiring of illegal aliens by his family’s farm there is a new article in the Burlington Freepress where Mr. Albee, Vermont’s new Secretary of Agriculture, supports the hiring of illegal aliens to steal jobs from legal Vermont residents. This is disgusting.

Vermont’s Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee said Friday he’s concerned new federal rules will subject dairy farmers to criminal penalties if they hire illegal immigrants to do milking chores and other farm work.
:
Vermont agricultural officials estimate there are more than 2,000 migrant workers, mostly Mexicans, employed on dairy farms in the state. Many of the workers are believed to have entered the country illegally. Farmers say the workers are needed because they can’t find people locally who are willing to do the manual labor the jobs require.
-Burlington Freepress

The problem isn’t that people won’t do the work. The problem is these criminal employers won’t offer a competitive wage. Hiring illegal aliens hurts legal workers by lowering the wages and standard of living of everyone else in that sector. It hurts law abiding farmers by giving the criminal farmers who hire illegal aliens an unfair competitive advantage in the market place since they can keep their costs lower. This is fundamentally wrong. I wrote to the Secretary and the newspaper:

Dear Mr. Albee,

I read the Burlington Freepress article today about farmers who are getting away with hiring illegal aliens. Huh?!? So the government of Vermont is supporting criminal activity? Competitors who get to hire illegal aliens and pay them less than market wage not only get an unfair competitive edge but they’re getting government sanction of their breaking the law?!? Gee, thanks, Vermont - your making it harder for law abiding farmers to make a living.

This is supposed to be a market economy where you offer a wage. If it is too low you don’t find workers. If the dairy farmers who hire illegals can’t find legal workers to do their milking its because they are not offering a reasonable wage. By getting away with hiring illegal workers they keep their costs down below what their law abiding competitors can do. That’s wrong.

The ICEmen should be all over these farms arresting the illegal workers and their employers. The fact that the Governor’s own family is doing this, and getting away with it, smacks of nepotism and smells like sh*t.

Walter Jeffries
Sugar Mountain Farm

Take a moment to write to Mr. Albee to express your views on the government’s support for illegal alien employment. Note that you can also leave comments on the original story at the Burlington Freepress web site. Maybe if we all make a loud and angry buzz the governor will do his job and arrest himself.

Hat tip to Sharon.