In the good news department:
Court Decision Suspends USDA’s Efforts to Establish New Privacy Act System of Records for NAIS Billings, Mont. (June 12, 2008) – R-CALF USA was pleased to learn that on June 4, 2008, the U.S. District Court – District of Columbia forced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to suspend indefinitely its plan to establish a new Privacy Act system of records titled “National Animal Identification System (NAIS).” In April, USDA proposed to establish the NAIS system of records, which was to become effective June 9, 2008, and had published a notice soliciting public comments. R-CALF USA and other organizations submitted comments with the agency in opposition to USDA’s plan. The court-ordered suspension was a result of the Mary-Louise Zanoni v. United States Department of Agriculture case. The suspension was published in Tuesday’s Federal Register.
In its comments to USDA, R-CALF USA states: “R-CALF maintains that USDA has misrepresented the purpose, scope and nature of its proposed new system of records, and that USDA’s actual purposes of the proposed new system was simply to develop a national registry of real, personal and private property.”
“In fact, it is R-CALF’s position that the actual scope of this NAIS registry was anything but voluntary, as media reports indicate there likely are thousands of U.S. citizens whose property was added to the NAIS registry against their will or without their knowledge,” said R-CALF USA President Max Thornsberry, a Missouri veterinarian who also chairs the group’s animal health committee.
“It’s also important to note that USDA has provided no evidence to demonstrate that the NAIS registry is even feasible, as no cost/benefit analysis has been conducted to determine if the cost of NAIS to food-animal owners can be recovered in the marketplace, nor has USDA provided evidence to show that things like normal loss of ear tags, data entry errors and/or computer malfunctions would not effectively thwart any traceback efforts,” Thornsberry pointed out. “As a result of this lack of information, USDA cannot justify the need for its NAIS system or its related proposal for a new system of records.
“R-CALF USA will continue to request that Congress put a moratorium on any funding for NAIS, and we are grateful that the judicial system has blocked the agency’s misguided plan,” he concluded. “We believe the pending lawsuit will demonstrate that USDA has improperly acquired information about many U.S. citizens and has wrongfully included their information into its so-called ‘voluntary’ data base without their permission.”
Note: To view R-CALF USA’s comments filed May 30, 2008, on USDA’s proposed new system of records, please visit the “Animal Identification” link at www.r-calfusa.com.
-R-Calf USA
So where does this take the NASS Ag Census data?
As pointed out on another thread it looks like ag census data is already being used as an inventory for Wall St. investors.
Comment donna — June 17, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
this cattle group is worthy of getting behind, and promoting.they truly do have the people and their rights at heart when they take on the feds. i know they are a cattle group,but stop it (nais) in cattle ,it stops in in all animals.call them ,have them send you membership apps,and lets swell their number of members by tens of thousands.we wont regret it.
Comment nick — June 18, 2008 @ 4:18 am
3 cheers for R-CALF.
Stopping funding is good.
What about some heavy handed bureaucrats losing their jobs and being prosecuted?
I’m normally not a vindictive person, but if somebody made a “mistake” like that why are they being paid tax payer money? Maybe they should be held accountable. Or is that too much to ask of our public servants?
Think of all the money wasted so far on this program. What happens? It gets swept under the rug or shrugged off. Throw the bastards out…They wouldn’t be jobless long… I’m sure Homeland Stupidity would hire them since they seem to have the requisite personality traits and a low enough I.Q.
Comment Bob Constantine — June 19, 2008 @ 5:40 am
3 cheers for Mary Zanoni
Comment Bob Constantine — June 19, 2008 @ 5:45 am
Whoooo hooo! Thanks to Mary and everyone who worked so long and hard to get this terrible plan defeated. This is a major victory for the small farmholder and anyone who values their right to think and live as they choose without the Nanny State telling them what to do and when. I’m overjoyed!
Comment Laura Haggarty — June 19, 2008 @ 5:48 am
Hopefully Mary will obtain the list and make it available to those who want find out whether they have been unknowingly entered but don’t trust the USDA enough to give their names to ask.
Comment Pat H — June 19, 2008 @ 7:36 am
Here is a must read, today. Go to farmtoconsumer.org and hit on the right sidebar on the article:”School lunch and NAIS”. That takes you to the 7 page newsrelease by Rep. Rosa DeLauro with the appropriations committee, released June 19th. Here is an excerpt from it:”The public has already made a massive investment in USDA’s NAIS system - 128 million since fiscal year 2004. The bill (farm) provides a total NAIS funding level of 14.5 million or about 4.8 million above 2008.” Nais is mentioned around page 6 and 7; it is “full charge ahead” with Nais.Note her mention of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, where it pertains to school lunches. Then, refer back to R-calfs letter of May 30, 2008 to APHIS with comments re: Privacy Act Systems of Records, on page 4, and note what they say about AMS and its business plan. Be sure and read all 4 pages of R-calfs letter, at their website under Animal I.D.
Comment The Phantom — June 20, 2008 @ 1:22 pm