Promoted from comments:
from an email from Darrol Dickinson—esbee
R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America—
“Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer”
USDA Reneges on Promise to Keep NAIS Voluntary
Producers Request APHIS/Congress Retract Unlawful Memo Mandating Participation
Washington, D.C. – In a formal letter issued Monday, Nov. 10, 2008, R-CALF USA has requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service-Veterinary Services (APHIS-VS) immediate retract Memorandum No. 575.19 issued on Sept. 22, 2008, on the grounds that the memo “constitutes an unlawful, final regulatory action initiated and implemented without public notice or opportunity for comment, as required by the Administrative Procedure Act.”
Also receiving the formal letter were Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., who chairs the House Agriculture Committee, as well as the ranking members of each committee. Additionally, animal health officials in each state received a copy of R-CALF USA’s correspondence.
“The effect of this memo is that premises registration under NAIS (National Animal Identification System) is now mandatory for producers engaged in interstate commerce and who participate in any one of the dozen or more regulated disease programs, despite APHIS’ express promise to the industry and to Congress that NAIS would remain a voluntary system,” said R-CALF USA President/Region VI Director Max Thornsberry, a Missouri veterinarian who also chairs the group’s animal health committee.
This memo declares that the Premises Identification Number (PIN) established under the agency’s NAIS “is to be the sole and standard location identifier for all VS program activities,” and that premises “will be registered in the NAIS.”
“This agency action by APHIS is unlawful,” Thornsberry emphasized. “We request immediate retraction of this memo, and we additionally request that APHIS be directed to immediately inform each state animal health official that the agency no longer is requiring the registration of premises as a condition of producer participation in regulated animal disease programs, or for any other purpose.”
Hat tip to Esbee & Darol
I support nais.It is a vital tool we need in todays world to be able to trace back our livestock to the farm if their is a disease outbreak.We need to quit acting like the amish and move on.
[Then, Tim, I strongly suggest you actually learn about NAIS because it does not provide tools for tracking back disease as the USDA has specifically stated themselves. See the recent FOIA response from the USDA. You’re drinking the Kool-Aid without knowing what’s in it… -WJ]
Comment Tim Lowe — November 14, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
I like the NAIS, the Bank Bailout, all gun control, the Car Makers bailout, Free Health Care for Everyone, tracking all animals and humans for disease control and infomation, Global taxes to fund UN activities, Climate change Regulations, Stop all drilling, mining, timber cutting, have the people move into the cities and create wildlands for the animals. I also like the Buffalo commons idea for de-populating the midwest. Also like extemelty restrictive environmental laws so farmers can no longer farm and hurt the land. We need to put everything back like it was in pre-columbian era times.
Man should have no place on this planet, just animals and birds and stuff. All the guns should be thrown in the ocean and all bombs destroyed, at least by the United States.
Please everyone, let’s all work together to help the world live in peace and harmony…
signed,
Lucifer, the angel of light
P.S. Did I mention I like the idea of a mark on everything to buy or sell? Just my little mark, you won’t hardly even see it….thought it would be cool if I could just get it on everything…don’t worry, I am here to help you be secure and safe….we need to stop those nasty diseases too…
Comment Bob Parker — November 14, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
So, Tim, are you suggesting that the US should get rid of the Amish because they are too “old world” to get along in a “modern, streamlined” society? I hope you realize that NAIS violates their First Amendment rights. Is that OK if it gives you a false sense of security?
Would you also be OK with losing some of your rights if it makes me feel safer?
Comment Barbara — November 15, 2008 @ 7:23 am
As a farmer i have seen hundreds of sick animals loaded up and taken to aution barns and the meat has been entered into the food chain.We live in a different time now,and i appreciate the safeguards that have been put into place to protect our health, and yes people are living longer because of these and advanced technology.
[And those come almost universally from the large factory ‘farms’ rather than the small farms yet NAIS specifically gives exemptions to the large producers while putting a grossly disproportionate burden on small farmers. Have you actually read the National Animal Identification System rules? I suspect not. Start by going to the links in the upper left column of this page. You have a lot to learn. -WJ]
Comment Tim — November 15, 2008 @ 8:48 am
You didn’t answer my question. Typical response from the proNAIS types.
Comment Barbara — November 15, 2008 @ 12:35 pm
Don’t feed the trolls, they thrive on it, and that is all they are.
Comment Pat H — November 15, 2008 @ 1:20 pm
Barbara,I have no problem with the amish as long as they leave their beliefs in their own community.As for our rights i don’t mind big brother monitoring our lives if it keeps us save and i appreciate that weve been safe for the past eight years.I have nothing to hide do you.
Comment Tim — November 15, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
Dear Mr. Tim Lowe,
I am so glad that you have nothing to hide and want to be kept safe. Please publish your complete postal address, physical address, social security number, bank account, computer user name, email account user name and associated passwords and pin numbers. We will be glad to completely check out your security and will be getting back to you shortly.
Sincerely,
Dirk Gentley
Holistic Detective Agency
Comment Dirk Gentley — November 15, 2008 @ 3:59 pm
Tim, would you take my medicine when I am sick, then I can declare to the world I am cured? Of course you would not because it doesn’t make sense and benefits neither one of us. But that is NAIS is a nutshell!
NAIS is NOT about tracking animal disease. NAIS is a business plan designed to benefit corporate ag on the global market but the work of tagging and tracking is put on all the rest who are not big ag. (Tagging and tracking was added later.) Why do those who have nothing to do with selling beef on the global levle have to report to the govt every birth, death and off property movement, while big ag, whose animals ARE destined for the global market, get ONE lot number per groups of animals and few reporting events?
The USDA claimed a reason for NAIS was to track and prevent mad cow disease. Yet when Creekstone Beef wanted to test every cow they process for BSE, the USDA says they cannot!!! Creekstone had to take the USDA to court to sue for the right to test for BSE!
How does my telling the govt where and when I ride my horse insure that Japan buys BDE-free beef?
If you want NAIS go for it. You may have need of it if you are in the beef business, but do not expect ME to fund it or do the work. The slaves were freed by the 13th amendment over 100 years ago and it also forbids involuntary servitude!
Comment esbee — November 15, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
“As a farmer i have seen hundreds of sick animals loaded up and taken to auction barns and the meat has been entered into the food chain”
Tim, I talked with a butcher who works at a processing plant where there are USDA inspectors. He told me all they do is stand there, look at the carcasses for abnormalities and ok it anyway. So it is not that sick or abnormal cattle get to the processing floor but that the USDA officials are NOT doing their job!!!
Remember the scenes of downer cattle being moved by forklift to be processed when it was clearly not supposed to be done?
NAIS is just using the rest of us as scape goats for what is wrong with them.
I think the next time my taxes are due, I’ll tell the IRS YOU will pay what I owe.
Comment esbee — November 15, 2008 @ 10:35 pm
More news for Tim.
Did you know that many have been signed up for NAIS without their permission or knowledge (nearly 14,000 in Idaho in 2006). The Idaho Ag dept hired a data mining company to get names/addresses because so few were signing up.
How would you like to be signed up for something without your knowledge or permission and be financially responsible for it?
Comment esbee — November 15, 2008 @ 10:57 pm
As long as they leave their beliefs in their own community!!??
What does that mean? I hope you are consistent that other religious groups also not impose their religion on the rest of us. You know - like “In God We Trust” on our money, “One nation under God” in the Pledge, no Xmas decorations on government property.
Anyway, the Amish are being imposed upon by the government in their own communities. It’s not like they’re world travelers or illegal immigrants, you know. And don’t forget the school house shooting when one of the “English” invaded their community. Yup, those Amish are real troublemakers, aren’t they? What nerve they have wanting to be left alone.
It’s interesting that you don’t mind giving up your rights for a false sense of security. Here’s what Ben Franklin had to say about that:
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” But what did he know? In this century, the essential characteristics of government are more honest and benevolent. They would never abuse their power.
As far as not having anything to hide, you don’t understand the basic concept of privacy, do you? If I’m running around inside my house naked, I have nothing to hide - its not illegal. But that doesn’t mean I’m OK with allowing a peeping Tom to watch. Or how about this example; do you ever get nervous when someone is standing over your shoulder watching you work? Most people do, because they are afraid they’ll make a mistake and get blasted for it.
Those are my reasons for wanting the government to keep out of my business - it has nothing to do with hiding anything.
Comment Barbara — November 16, 2008 @ 12:07 am
Tim,
Once NAIS is in place with fines up to $500,000 and ten years in jail, what is to keep a personal enemy, PETA, vegans or others from openning gates or cutting fences and driving off animals, swapping animals between farms or tampering with tags?
OH Yes this does happen. I had an enemy turn a stud out with my mares (a pony mare died because the foal was too big) and continually cut fences, chase my animals over to another farm, steal a neighbors horse and try to plant it in my stall. She also cause the death of several of my animals. One was hit by a car.
PETA also tried to create instances of hurt children and lawsuits for my business several times. They finally were sucessful using a friends business and made national headlines
Warrants are not even needed to gather evidence and photos and wittnesses can get you into deep trouble. Hallmark downer cows
In Oliver v. United States, 466 U.S. 170 (1984), the police ignored a “no trespassing” sign, trespassed onto the suspect’s land without a warrant, followed a path several hundred yards, and discovered a field of marijuana. The Supreme Court ruled that no search had taken place, because there was no privacy expectation regarding an open field:
…open fields do not provide the setting for those intimate activities that the Amendment is intended to shelter from government interference or surveillance. There is no societal interest in protecting the privacy of those activities, such as the cultivation of crops, that occur in open fields.
Comment Snazy snezy — November 16, 2008 @ 6:52 am
To Tim—The USDA does not respect my opinions to be against NAIS. The say people like me are spreading “misinformation”. Yet how can it be misinformation to disagree and put forth reasons why I disagree with NAIS.
Western Horseman magazine and Penn Sate had polls on NAIS. Over 90% are against NAIS in both.. Can that many people be misinformed about a program that will benefit corporate ag while the rest of us pay for it?
How can it be misinformation to tell exactly what is in the NAIS document?
Let’s apply NAIS regs to something else, say sports equipment. Let’s pretend that in order to prevent spread of disease in the US that all American citizens who own even one of any kind of sports equipment—even if it hasn’t been used in years will have to do the following. The list is huge.. baseballs, bats, basketball hoops, football helmets, roller skate keys, ping pong paddles and nets, soccer balls, bikes, golf clubs, ski equipment, skateboards, etc etc etc: Anyone who owns even one item that is sports related will be required to:
1. Register their premises with the government.
2. Microchip every piece of sports equipment and pay for the chips, computer, computer programs and readers.
3. Every time any sports equipment is used for whatever purpose, a little league playoff, soccer game or just goes out to the street for a little practice, ALL off-property movements of any sports equipment MUST reported within 24 hours or face huge daily fines.
4. If some sort of communicable disease is suspected in an area, all sports equipment in a 6 mile radius of that radius will be collected and destroyed, even if it has not left the premises in years. NOT WASHED AND DISINFECTED BUT DESTROYED AND BURNED.
And professional sports and athletic teams will use this program to insure foreign countries they are not bringing diseases with them.
But because they travel so much and have so much sports equipment, they get one lot number per team.
So in practice, Little Johnny in Des Moines, Iowa has reported that he played with #XXXXXX soccer ball on a certain date in ABC soccer ball park and that insures to Japan that the professional soccer team from Calif. is free of communicable disease! Yup, sure makes sense to me!
Can you imagine the huge outcry from the people if a progam such as this were to be implemented? It would affect nearly every last US citizen if a program such as this were to be put in place. There would be riots in the streets! Sports equipment companies would lobby Congress to get is stopped ASAP!
But we do not eat sports equipment, you argue. Of course not, but diseases are spread by more than just eating tainted beef. compare how many kids get sick from being next to a coughing kid than what they ate that day.
Terrorists would have more opportunity to infect sports equipment with a bio-plague which many people come in contact with because sports equipment is known to move around and touch many people. Whereas cattle stay in a few pastures not frequented by the public. What terrorist would know when or if those cattle would go to market? The only place for sure those cattle are going to slaughter are feed lots and factory farms. But they do not have to id every animal and we know that sick and abnormal animals are put in the food chain along with the healthy ones. So my reporting to the govt everywhere I ride my horse sure kept THAT part of the food supply disease free!!!
Comment esbee — November 16, 2008 @ 8:25 am
To our favorite, Tim, a little more info about why we do not want NAIS.
Amendments violated by NAIS
1st—freedom of religion (Amish, other Christians, possibly Santeria who practice animal sacrifice)
4th—prohibits govt surveillance and illegal search and seizure of private property (tracking, tagging, depopulation without due process)
5th-14th — prohibits forced registration (Could this be why the USDA is pushing for sign-ups and stating signing up for NAIS is “voluntary” and “free” all the while pushing for mandatory under the covers!)
13th— involuntary servitude This one freed the slaves but goes on to state people may not be forced to work without pay…livestock owners are being forced without pay to track and file reports on their own animals so the USDA can use that info for disease track back which all the NAIS document allows is depopulation.
Comment esbee — November 16, 2008 @ 8:40 am
“Western Horseman magazine and Penn Sate had polls on NAIS. Over 90% are against NAIS in both.. ”
Esbee,
As you stated we strive for accuracy in what we say, so I must point out that while the Western Horseman poll was over 90% opposed to NAIS, the Penn State Poll is currently at 23% in favor, 48% opposed, 15% no opinion and 13% unsure. That is undoubtedly the highest approval rating I’ve seen for NAIS, but it is still a very low percentage of all horse owners.
BTW, in spite of USDA’s How To Handbook suggesting that farmers be spoken to on a sixth grade level, 100% of horse owners have graduated high school and 82% have education beyond that. I guess we can figure out how to read those USDA documents.
Comment Barbara — November 16, 2008 @ 10:55 am
Hey Comrade Tim Lowe you stated you support NAIS. Fine. I don’t.
You have my permission to implement voluntary NAIS. Don’t use any tax money, don’t intimidate anybody and don’t turn voluntary into mandatory.
So Tim whaada ya figure you’ll get like 3, maybe 4 people to join your NAIS club?
Oh wait a minute we HAVE to join your NAIS club because YOU
have determined what’s best for us. Thanks for running my life…wouldn’t know what to do without your type around.
Comment Bob Constantine — November 16, 2008 @ 5:39 pm
The Lost People.
Earlier this year my father gave me a book outlining the heritage of my ancestors, on his mother’s side of the family. A beautifully done collection of photos and history. They even had detailed information of their Pomeranian origins and the reason for their exodus, religious persecution. Not an uncommon occurrence in those times, as this country was, for many, the destination of the oppressed. In an ironic twist of fate we now have come full circle, with our government becoming the oppressors of religious freedom. In an incident stemming from the outbreak of psuedo rabies in Clark Co. where 47 Amish farms that had their hogs killed, because of two positive tests in Russian boar pigs, where none of the farmers involved had premise certification. The Wisc. DATCP took it upon themselves to prosecute only one of the 44 farmers remaining. Three chose to not have animals to avoid registration. Emmanuel Miller Jr. was chosen for prosecution, having written a letter to the DA Darwin Zwieg, stating that collectively the group had decided to leave it up to Zwieg and Judge Jon Counsell to find an attorney to represent them. In an act of faith reminiscent of Daniel, the letter indicated that the Amish would trust that God’s guidance would direct them.
Duane Brander, Compliance Officer, acting under orders from Dr. Paul McGraw DVM head of the animal health division of the Dept of Ag. determined that forced compliance was necessary. In an effort to make a landmark case against the religious objections of the Amish and others. Zweig stated that “the case was filed as a complex forfeiture.” The case is subject to administrative civil procedure, a Wikipedia search came up to annotated Wisc statutes, that by a preponderance of the evidence, the defendant must proof innocence. Although used in other countries, it is for the prosecution of organized crime. Although the Amish are organized in a communal sense and certainly can be witnessed at any barn raising, any application of the word criminal certainly doesn’t apply.
However the severe inconvenience of the DATCP personnel, having to go door to door, to search farms for hogs in the area, deprived of their ivory towers with air conditioning, their laptops to simply plug in premise registrations is tantamount of high treason, against the administrative bodies enforcing Big Ag’s corporate agenda. text
textis an article that displays the indifference of Farm Bureau to these religious concerns. Although I agree disease issues are a concern, they can only be addressed at the source. Farm Bureau, National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn. and other organizations with strong ties to USDA and government officials, including this states ag committees, continue to advocate the import of diseased livestock from foreign countries, whether as willful intent to do harm, or depraved indifference, the results are the same. Nothing is being done to stem the source of these diseases. The spread of disease will further the implementation of NAIS, these organizations will be the beneficiaries of these programs . Having received Federal grants to operate the data base and tracking system. Where every animal movement must be entered and subject to fees.
While this is certainly cause for concern, the situation has only worsened,
text is yet another reason to resist premise registration as it grants warrant less searches, fines and forfeitures, never mentioned by those promoting the program.
Why implement such a program in the first place, with all these inherent violations of our personal freedoms? In the end we are told to follow the money, who will truly benefit from “premises registration.” A look into the definition of this word on an international basis may give us insight. The answer lies here text. This will explain where the collateral for our national debt has been coming from to fund the bailouts.
As I write this it is Veteran’s Day, we are reminded to remember our Veterans. Let us also remember those veterans who with frozen feet wrapped in rags, crossed that dark valley so long ago to gain us our freedom. Most of them were Calvinists, here fleeing religious persecution.
When they came for the Amish, I did nothing because I was not Amish……..
Comment Paul-Martin:Griepentrog — November 16, 2008 @ 8:43 pm
Yee-ha! The Public Disclosure docs at www.nonaiswa.org are hitting the ground and the pusher’s of NAIS are scrambling and buzzing around like bees in a hive that was just crashed by a bear.
One small step for traditional farming and We the People!
Two steps back for the NAIS PUSHERS.
Comment Joy — November 17, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Tim,
If you are a farmer, and if you are worried about the quality of products (for example, cattle) put into the food supply, I urge you to get together with others growing the same product you are, come up with a set of standards, and voluntarily live by those standards. Those wishing to be assured of those standards can buy only from you and your fellows. But don’t ask me, who has no animals like yours (for example, cattle) and who does not sell to the general public (for example, through livestock auctions) to spend my time and money on YOUR personal gain.
In my case NAIS will lessen the health of my animals. I will no longer regularly (and at my own expence) test for diseases, for fear that they will bring my farm to my state’s USDA’s attention. I will do all I can to insure that no agency comes to my farm to wipe out my animals just because some disease was found down the road and USDA isn’t patient enough to test and see if mine are infected.
I fear greatly for my Amish neighbors. While my amials help feed my family, I have other alternatives. They do not. I respect their wish to live outside mainstream culture and Christianity, as they respect mine to live inside. It’s called Freedom of Religion. My Muslim neighbors are against NAIS as well.
Comment sally — November 17, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
lets not give tim to much of our time.lets get busy helping R-CALF. they need us (you and me) to help with a membership drive.numbers are what the feds understand. R-CALF seems to be the only group that is willing to take the government on,and we need to help.the stakes are getting to high and time is getting to short .we all know what R-CALF is and what good works they do so lets help them.
Comment nick — November 17, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
If there is still time to submit comments in regard to the cloned and gmo meat and milk issue DO THAT!
These ridiculous time wasters are showing up on forum communities that evidence power to counter the bullies.
It’s a complement in one respect, but we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be distracted trying to convince someone being paid to ‘monkey wrench’ our focus.
Pass them on by.
Comment donna — November 18, 2008 @ 12:38 pm
#1 Tim and all who think the same.
You are either a gov shill or FULLY under the mind control by the government and believe EVERY single thing they tell you while neglecting to look around and see what we are really living in.
Reality. Does it scare you or would you rather be told what to think and feel?
The scare of ALL their SCARES are ONLY SCAREs.
There is NO truth to them.
Problem/Reaction/Soluition.
This is the BS that the U.S. gov has been doing for about 100 years to you and me and the public falls for it until we giveup our LAST liberty in the name of safety.
tell me, WHO IS MORE SAFE?
I know who is less free, but WHO IS MORE SAFE because of ONE, (NAME ONE) law that replaced our freedom (no matter how small you may feel it is)?
Were done because stupid, brainwashed individuals live in this country.
WHAT part of the MARXIST MANIFESTO HAS NOT BEEN ACHIVED IN THE GOOD OLE USA?!
Comment Alyn — January 15, 2009 @ 3:34 am