black hole n.
1. An area of space-time with a gravitational field so intense that its escape velocity is equal to or exceeds the speed of light.
2. A great void; an abyss: The government created a bureaucratic black hole that swallows up individual initiative.
Even prior to implementation, NAIS is sucking up hundreds of millions of dollars in this country alone. In other countries similar programs are not working despite their governments pouring ever increasing amounts of money and other resources into the systems. Farmers from Denmark, Norway, Namibia,, Australia, South Africa and other countries are complaining that their versions of Animal Identification are destroying small farms and homesteading.
With the USDA’s mandatory all inclusive down to the backyard version of NAIS, we are facing the same thing in the United States. All this so that a few large corporate “farms” and meat processors can profit from expanded overseas exports of meat. NAIS is estimated to raise the yearly cost of food for every family in our country by over $200. People who raise their own food will see the largest increase of over $500 to $5,000 per family. None of this even addresses the cost of our time to comply with complex and error prone regulations - imagine doing your taxes every day of the year.
The burden of NAIS will drive many small farmers out of business. It will stop homesteaders from raising their own food. NAIS is effectively an unfair, hidden tax on basic necessities that will hurt the small farmers, homesteaders and low income consumers the most. The greatest burden is laid upon those who can least afford to bear it while all of the profit goes to the RFID companies, meat exporters and government bureaucrats who get expanded budgets to terrorize the common folk with new regulations, fees and fines.
Is this how you want your food budget and tax monies spent? Get on the phone with your state and congressional representatives and tell them to Just say No to NAIS!
NAIS = Bill of Attainder
Definition: A legislative act that singles out an individual or group for punishment without a trial.
The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3 provides that: “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed.”
“Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation. … The sober people of America are weary of the fluctuating policy which has directed the public councils. They have seen with regret and indignation that sudden changes and legislative interferences, in cases affecting personal rights, become jobs in the hands of enterprising and influential speculators, and snares to the more-industrious and less-informed part of the community.” James Madison, Federalist Number 44, 1788.
Comment Anon — March 10, 2006 @ 7:00 pm
Thinking rationally there is no way that NAIS is going to achieve the stated goals;
1 — Foriegn exports: FAILS because the trade barriers are really protectionism by Japan to protect their own beef industry.
2 — Disease Prevention: NAIS does nothing to stop disease.
3 — Disease Tracking: It would require an impossible total compliance.
Maybe NAIS would work within the industry most of the time but we already have systems to do that. There is no need for NAIS. It is just going to cost me money when I go shopping.
Comment lucky — May 7, 2006 @ 10:18 am
some how i dont think that threatening people is going to get them to cooperate with dumb laws.
if the guberment wants our help identifying disease then they need to make it a positive experience.
truth is the guberment should not be mandating things on the citizens.
this whole thing is an absurd communistic overrunning of our rights.
Comment jane — May 7, 2006 @ 10:18 am
Thank you for all the work you are doing on nais. Without you I would have never known about it. I visited your sugar mountain blog from another farm blog and got to here from that. I will write all my reps this week!
Comment Peter Parker — May 7, 2006 @ 10:18 am