Beef Magazine is upset that the poll is not going their way. They’ve asked for dialog on the topic. I left the following comment. Lets see if they dare to actually publish comments from opposition to their plans. Please do go vote and also leave comments. Keep it polite and constructive.
I am a long time reader of BEEF Magazine, in the paper form. As a farmer I don’t want NAIS. I sell locally. My customers already have 100% trace-back as every thing we sell comes from our farm. My customers and I don’t need NAIS with the extra paperwork and government invasion of my privacy. For those who want NAIS, let them create their own system. If they need it for their export markets then let them bear the costs of their own tracking and trace back system.
Interesting that since the poll is not going your way your want to bias it the way you want it to go. In other words not scientific are statistical at all.
Since as you put it, if all past polls have shown the issue to be a 50/50 split then it should definitely NOT be imposed on those of use who don’t want it.
Lets turn this question around, why do you want more government invasion of your privacy, regulation of your business, higher costs for your production? NAIS benefits only a small minority of large producers. Let them fund their own voluntary system. If NAIS were such a great idea it would be able to compete in a voluntary market place without government mandates. The very fact that they must mandate it shows that NAIS is bad.
By the way, the poll numbers are now running at:
TOTAL VOTES: 30118
Should USDA’s National Animal Identification System (as currently proposed) be:
mandatory: 19%
voluntary: 4%
scrapped : 75%
-Beef Magazine Poll Results
Over 30,000 voters… Nationally most farmers have rejected NAIS by simply not signing up. Perhaps it is time that Beef Magazine’s editors recognized that real people, real farmers, don’t want NAIS no matter how hard they push their Big Ag agenda.
Poll results now after Beef Magazine has taken down the poll:
TOTAL VOTES: 30118
Should USDA’s National Animal Identification System (as currently proposed) be:
mandatory: 19%
voluntary: 4%
scrapped : 76%
-Beef Magazine Poll Results
Hat tip to Karen.
Here is the comment i left—
I guess those who have not come up through the times of the cold war, with communist threats hanging over our heads, nor left a communist country for the freedoms in American, understand the stranglehold NAIS will have on our freedoms.
Let’s use this illustration to help you understand why so many of us in the poll oppose NAIS. I am an artist, and I use pencil and paper to produce a product that hopefully, will sell. You also use pencil and paper but for different purposes, say to write a grocery list. That list you wrote with your private pencil on your paper is never intended to be a product that will sell. But, I want to make sure my art sells, so I put the burden of my selling my product on you by insisting that you let the govt know how many pencils you have, where they are located and file reports every time you use a pencil or paper. That is supposed to ensure the buyers of my drawings that they have bought a fantastic piece of art. Now how assinine is that logic? But that is how NAIS will work. Corporate ag, whom NAIS is intended to benefit, who gets one lot number per groups of animals destined for the global market, drags the rest of us into it, under the guise of tracking animal disease, with us having to do all the individual tracking/tagging on animals that will never be used in the same way as the CAFO animals.
It was asked in the poll if we are for mandatory, voluntary or scrapped. Why are you are surprised that we responded?
Comment esbee — June 18, 2009 @ 12:53 pm
Of interest in those comments was that of Maxine Jones..She came out adamantly for the NAIS system. Why? Because she and her Husband Ralph/Shorty run 900 cattle on their ranch in South Dakota. Could it be she would like to see small producers driven under so that she and Ralph can get a better price for their beef on their Mega operation..hmmm I wonder? Of course she needs a database to keep track of all of those animals..but why in the blue blazes should we have to pay for it?
Comment Grizz — June 20, 2009 @ 6:33 am
Funny thing how the same author who wrote casting aspersions on those voting against NAIS and then turns around and writes an article about loss of water rights and seems to be siding with them about too much govt intrusion. Choke on a gnat, swallow a camel, the Good Book says and these people do it with finesse. Some of the article follows.
US Farm Groups Oppose Clean Water Legislation Jun 17, 2009 10:31 AM, Source: The CattleSite News Desk
Words in written legislation may have unintended consequences for farmers….
Farming groups in the US are partnering to oppose legislation to significantly expand the federal jurisdiction of The Clean Water Act (CWA).
The National Association of Counties’ (NACo) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) are concerned that the Clean Water Restoration Act (CWRA) would needlessly expand the federal reach of CWA and result in significant negative impacts on farmers, ranchers, local governments and local economies without improving protections of the nation’s critical water resources.
Comment esbee — June 20, 2009 @ 7:01 pm
Hi, After 10+ years I started a small (In the City) Garden again. I stumbled across NoNAIS because looking up what NAIS was, from http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com Post on “HR 2749: Totalitarian Control of the Food Supply”. (090616){& found that on www.infowars.com because of NOW being Active with HR 1207/S.604. DUH … Still do not know what the Acronym is for. :-0
I will try to mention NoNAIS when talking to AverageJoe if they will stand still long enough to do so. Usually only have 30 seconds to get these Draconian Violations Of Our Civil Rights
[See But What Is NAIS in the left sidebar of Just the Facts. -WJ
Comment DrDP — June 21, 2009 @ 10:13 am
Will this NAIS Stuff affect 4H too? Keep On Keeping On! Be Blessed, DrDP
[Yes. -WJ]
Comment DrDP — June 21, 2009 @ 10:18 am
(Cont.)
… Out to the Numbed Public.
Will this NAIS Stuff affect 4H too? Keep On Keeping On! Be Blessed, DrDP
[Yes. -WJ]
Comment DrDP — June 21, 2009 @ 10:31 am