On Thursday, April 6th we got to hear Vermont Department of Agriculture Commissioner Steve Kerr tell lies. He claims that he is only seeking Premise ID. He says we need Premise ID for fighting Avian Flu and that he is not interested in NAIS or Animal ID.
The reality is revealed in the Vermont Ag Dept interoffice memo which I received from a little bird back in early March. I sent copies to our state legislators on the Vermont Agriculture Committee and I thought you might like to see it too. In the memo the Vermont Department of Agriculture spelled out exactly how lock step it is with the USDA’s proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS). This memo proves that Kerr (pronounced ‘cur’) is lying to our legislators and to the public. The memo states in part:
Inititatives: Legislation - Promulgate rules that propose language mandating registration of premises, animals and tracking of each. This rule process will also address what a farm is and who will need to participate (i.e., someone with one horse, two horses, etc.) We will start 1 March after the first draft is completed. -VT Dept of Ag. memo dated 1 Feb 2006
There are a lot of other juicy tid-bits in the memo. Read the whole thing for yourself at the link above. It is fascinating precisely because Dr. Rood, the Vermont state veterinarian, and Commissioner Kerr had spend hours testifying to exactly the opposite in official hearings before our elected representatives. One must ask oneself if a bureaucrat who lies this pervasively should they keep their job?
Beware of snakes in the garden…
Thank you so much, Walter, for this info. I would ask all Vermont residents who read this to forward a copy to your legislators and senators.
Comment Ernie — April 10, 2006 @ 3:45 pm
I just read that in the west they are having severe outbreaks of a disease. Also the vaccinations apparently did not work. This sounds like a job for the USDA! THey shouls be chipping them all and tracking their movements. Then the USDA should be going in and doing 10 KILOmeter kill zones around each of these outbreaks of infection and stop this from happening. We shouldn’t be having this spread of disease by children!!!
Yes. I am being sarcastic. I don’t want the USDA killing our school children because of mumps. But this just shows how rediculous this whole N.A.I.S. thing is. Killing healthy children won’t help with mumps. Killing healthy livestock won’t help with animal diseases. Sure, if they kill all the animals the disease goes away but then we have no animals so we are no better off than before. That is absurd and typical of government thinking.
Here’s a better idea - lets tag the USDA and when they start doing dumb things like this, we’ll depopulate them.
Trackback Sam — April 14, 2006 @ 9:55 pm
I would like to have a bit more info about the origins of the above mentioned “memo”. I have talked with Marion White, who works in the Agency, as well as Rosemary McLaughlin who is my legislator and as a result of those conversations, I have some questions about the document’s validity. If it turns out to be bogus, our cause will suffer possibly irreparable harm.
Comment Ernie — April 17, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
It is indeed genuine. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture memo dated 1 February 2006 has been officially confirmed by Vermont Agency of Agriculture Steve Kerr in the April 18th, 2006 Senate Agriculture Meeting. It shows just how badly Steve Kerr lies. Our good Dr. Rood confirmed it to me separately today.
-WalterJ
Comment walterj — April 18, 2006 @ 4:36 pm
“Vermont Animal Identification” dated 1 February 2006 is indeed real. It is an official public document and therefore should be available, especially to legislators who are in a better position, I would presume, to request it. As to Marion White at the AoA, I might respectfully suggest that any response from her might be suspect, as any confirmation would be an embarrassment to her boss.
Comment SallyB — April 19, 2006 @ 6:09 am