The following is from the comments of a recent post. If you are interested in helping get in touch with Sue Karber or the other people mentioned below at Downsize DC:
Walter, we are doing a complete campaign for Downsize DC which will get the word out to more people and get the figures and documents out to real people. Mr. Johanns (USDA Secretary of Agriculture) is very selective in his findings from information that did not include all the detail and consumers or small producers. Exactly who was part of the surveys and in what settings. Target groups will respond as predicted if filled with just those whose response one wants. Most people are just now finding out about the program with slanted reporting in favor.
To donate earmarked funds for NoNAIS (National Animal Identification System):
- Use the online form for donations on the Downsize DC secure web site.
- Mail:
NoNAIS!
Downsize DC
1931 15th Street
Cuyahoga Falls, OHIO 44223- Call Mallory at 703-236-5205 if you wish to make a donation but do not want to do it by mail or online.
This will help get truth to the public. Thanks for the outlet, Walter. We are fighting for our freedom here and one on one everyday to wake up the people. -Sue Karber, Oklahoma
Please note that NoNAIS.org is not part of Downsize DC although I do cheer them on in their fight against NAIS and big government. Remember: Less is more than enough when it comes to government.
DownsizeDC.org anti-NAIS campaign is live — right at the top of the page as of this morning, April 11. Please, go to DownsizeDC.org and send a message to your Representative and two Senators.
Comment Jim Babka — April 11, 2006 @ 7:05 am
this sounds very exciting…..
I am sending 45 bucks….who will
follow??????????????
This is part of a letter I got
from senator Pryor from Arkansas:
Though I support providing the proper policies for protectin Americans
from diseases spread through animals ,I also believe it is important
to balance these restrictions with the individual rights of breeders.
I will keep your views in mind as I monitor this program for undue infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens..”
This sounds like an intelligent
guy.Take hope Arkansas.
sid
Comment sid sargent — April 11, 2006 @ 10:26 am
In response to an e-mail I sent - one of my senators gave me this canned and “double-speak” response. I was especially amused by the use of “promoting minimal government intrusion.” The NAIS program promotes massive government intrusion - not to speak of intrusion on my Constitutional rights. Grrrrr!
Senator Cornyn says: “Thank you for contacting me about federal animal identification. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this important matter.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed the creation of an animal identification system that would register individual livestock and the premises where they are located as a means to track animal movement and ensure herd health. Tracing the movements of diseased animals and other animals with which they may come into contact would allow authorities to detect and contain disease outbreaks before they have a chance to spread. The USDA envisions a program that will allow the trace-back of animals from birth to slaughter within forty-eight hours.
I support the creation of a comprehensive animal identification program as a scientific means to ensure a safe and plentiful food supply. Although I am not a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, I understand the needs of Texas farmers and ranchers. Thus, you may be certain that I will continue working with my congressional colleagues to monitor this issue while promoting minimal government intrusion.
I appreciate having the opportunity to represent the interests of Texans in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator”
Comment Carol Joyner — April 11, 2006 @ 12:52 pm
Thank you for all your hard work and posting the information on nonais.org so it has a unified place to look for information without joining a group or finding a group to join and work to defeat NAIS. Thanks to everyone on the lists for making the radio ads, radio programs, writing legislation getting letters in the hands of politicians possible through DownsizeDC. It is one on one still that works to inform and get people on board to fight and then focus through DownsizeDC.org for impact. The money came in to start in less than 72 hours and it will just keep growing to finish the battle with more ads, more radio/tv spots, getting backers to put in legislations. There is no tax write off. This is people fighting. Most of all get the word out to focus letters to our reps there. Keep building and one on one education. I can not thank you enough on the Lists, Walter J., Celeste Bishop, Mary Zaoni, each person that just took the time to come learn for themselves and then joined the fight for NONAIS for making a focused effort through DownsizeDC.org. We need to cover Washington and our state reps with these letters. Thank you for protecting America for our future.
Comment Sue Karber — April 11, 2006 @ 1:01 pm
Walter, the link didn’t work so I am reposting here the information to help understand why I am so upset with NAIS. Remember illegal aliens, convicted criminals, even convicted on parole perverts will have more freedom than we will if this happens. 24 hour survillence reporting is insane.
“An International Game of Tag “
Sue Karber
NAIS (National Animal Identification System) is simple to understand if one understands the impact on trade of the SPS and TBT agreements made through WTO (World Trade Organization) and the OIE and Codex. Already lost most of you haven’t I?
Simply put, NAIS has nothing to do with food safety but everything to do with giving up our sovereignty. The USDA is selling this invasive, unconstitutional program as a means to increase international trade by complying with the international mandates we got under in treaties and now forced to live under those international laws even if it means destroying our constitution. Now ask yourself this; would you rather eat a cow that has been tested free of BSE (Mad Cow) or would you rather eat a cow that has a brand new NAIS compliant microchip and not tested and proven clean for BSE? No brainier right? Well, our government doesn’t think it is scientific to test because they are not allowed by treaty without permission from other treaty holders. Creekstone Farms in Kansas has lost 2 billion dollars in sales and laid off 150 tax paying employees while they sue the USDA for the right to test every cow they process.
Japan tests every cow they process and Creekstone has a ready market if they are allowed to test. So again why would tags make cattle sell better to foreign markets than testing? It won’t but since we have entered into agreements to allow the European Union to set the standards for our Agricultural Industry and we have to obey their commands the USDA is trying to make us swallow the compliance order of total surveillance of every moving creature.
Most big cattle processors are global so they think it is great to have a global system of surveillance and ability to pass their liability over to producers. They don’t want to test cattle that would end the producer’s liability for good. Any process problems after testing means the processors have liability, which cannot be passed back to producer. The tests are both USDA approved and EU approved by the way from several vendors. Creekstone has a brand new lab just waiting to be used for 27 months now or 2 billion lost sales ago and climbing. You have to ask why the USDA demands tags and not testing? How will tags increase confidence in safety over testing?
Now for the kicker. The big boys don’t have to tag. Only the little guys have to tag every single animal while the big boys get lot numbers. The little guy gets to report by phone or computer program which costs money, has yearly royalty fees and pay a fee for incident reports which must be filed within 24 hours or fines or in some cases even jail. What are those incidents? Birth, death, buy, sell, take to show, take to vet, any movement off property, any co-mingle with other animals. There are also the tag costs, reader cost and prayers they work. Tags have a 50% failure rate in four years tests in Australia, are easily lost and hackable and some have viruses that can wipe out that expensive computer, expensive report program and reader. USDA will not discuss actual costs so we have to go by the tests in other countries. I have three sources that range from $35.00 per head to 37.00 per head and climbing and according to the Winter 2005 , Volume 3 and Number 4 of “Cattlemen’s Journal USA” the disease trace back has been impeded by the E-Nils (Aussie Version of NAIS) because of so many animals never deleted from the data base and other hindrances. They had to go back to the old methods. R-Calf can be reached for a copy at 888-258-7212 or email cjusa@memontel.net. There are some great resources to many unanswered questions in this publication. Cattle Facts has some great information but is Australian so it might be better to visit on the web link and Read a typical cattle producer’s objections to NILS link see what their actual costs have really been and some of the headaches.
USDA won’t send you the drafts or supplements or the Strategic Plans which are available on line and big reading but they have a nice glossy packet that skims over the details they will hand out or send. It doesn’t tell about the real guts of the program that will wipe out all but big producers. I call it fascism but others may have other words for it. The total program is extremely complicated and mostly hidden to public scrutiny, but if you have the guts to dig you can get the real story.
Lots of acronyms to learn in this global game of tag what is yours is now federal property (national herd) not private property. We are now stakeholders not property owners. Here are the various players in the proposed National Animal Identification System being pushed by the USDA and managed by APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service). Hang on to your hat because the ride is a doozy.
There is the WTO (World Trade Organization), which reached an agreement with participating countries a few years back in Uruguay, called the SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) and TBT (Technical Barriers to Trade) agreements which I have been up rechecking my facts all night since it is so complicated a mess. link this will get you started.
OK, This all boils down to the SPS agreement says that each member country can make regulations that must be met by other member countries in order to trade in agricultural goods with each other. Hint, we let the EU/UN make the rules. These regulations must be in the interest of protecting the country making the regulations, protecting against disease, pests or perceived health dangers. Hint, reason the tags are animal health because we are under international rules not US rules/laws and must abide by trade agreements which has removed our sovereignty and constitutional rights but the government does not want us to understand this until it is too late . Countries making the regulations cannot impose more strict regulations on importer nations that they do on their own nation. This is where the TBT comes into play, remember the Technical Barriers to Trade agreement made at the same time in Uruguay. That says that developed nations need to help the less developed nations to meet their own criteria, through all kinds of assistance. It hits us in the pocket book big time.
Then there is the OIE, or World Animal Health Organization, which is independent of the U.N. in origin but works very closely with FAO (Food and Agriculture Organizations of the U.N. and Codex Alimentarius, which is a sub part of the U.N and FAO. Codex is a global FDA and OIE is like a global USDA. The US is a member of all the above. OIE has authority over all member nations’ veterinary services. OIE has become more and more involved in trade since WTO came on the scene in 1994. In 10 years it has done a number on America Citizens rights and freedoms. I was nice, I did not point out all the job losses.
OIE and Codex are working together on most everything now since if UN controls the food they can control the world and we gave them treaties and funding that said go for it. One of the results is NAIS or National Animal Identification System with the issue of “trace ability/product tracing” and UN version of “good farming practices”. On page 41 of the Terrestrial Animal Health Standards Commission it actually sums it all up about animal identification and the tracing of animal products and keep on reading on age 41 of the same TAHSC publication and you will see NAIS spelled out in the part that starts “The Competent Authority, in partnership…. In the Appendix XXXIV of the Terrestrial Animal Health Standards it states such things as “animal identification system” being rolled into “animal identification” so that the smaller term may legally be referred to meaning an entire national or international system. link enjoy the read now you have the codes to follow.
Now what does this mean for us? WE HAVE BEEN HAD…but before you blow a gasket understand that the our representative passed the Bioterrorism 2002 Act with two copies with two weeks to review and this got slid past them. The UN/EU set the rules and we fell for it and when push came to shove and it had to be sold to the US citizen the opportunity came in the Bioterrorism Act and putting USDA under Homeland
Security with our representatives voting blind. No way could all have read the whole mess with only two copies available in the two weeks time according to the GAO reports I read. So don’t blame the reps…just push them to fix it and quit conning us that tags and expensive tracking will make our food safer or easier to track. It is pure bull pucky.
The only beneficiary of this mess is Global AG and they are really pushing. Hay producers will lose, yes, hay producers, you are already suppose to be tracking every field and every bale of hay and so forth. Look it up on FDA site and page 37 of the TAHSC document and notice how the Bioterrorism act reads requiring the same standards of registered premises, report who drove the truck, which field it was from, who worked on the harvesting, who was it sold to etc. etc.
I really hope you will read all the sources I have presented and not take anyone’s word for it. Notice all the phrases, stakeholder, national herd, farm to fork and on and on you will see our programs being shoved down our throats to end our constitutional sovereignty and rights are right out of the above treaties, publications, organizations.
It is not too late. Educate yourself and then let your voice be heard.
Consumers, small farmers, family farms, traditional farms, local supply market production, all lose. Only winner is Global AG. Are you willing to give up your freedom for them? Are you so gullible you believe tags for every moving creature and surveillance of our every move are safer and less expensive than testing by the packers?
Comment Sue Karber — April 11, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
I’m pleased to see Downsize DC is now on board with this issue, I have sent my donation using the form above. Keep up the good fight people!
Comment Laura Haggarty — April 11, 2006 @ 1:58 pm
I’ve been “papering” our town, parts of NH and Orange Co., V with info from Walter’s webpage. Also, I have emailed FoxNews twice; once to John Gibson (The Big Story) and once to FoxNews. Add your suggestions to their “Tip” box. Who knows, with enough emails, they might see this as a viable news item and follow up!
Comment Elaide Gahn — April 11, 2006 @ 1:59 pm
The letter from Senator John Cornyn, as well as the letter from the representative from Ak, is almost the same as the one I got from Senator John Warner. He too is in favor of NAIS. He won’t be getting my vote next election! I believe that the legislators have developed a form letter and are tweeking it just a little here and there to make it seem a little more personalized. Election time is coming up soon. Perhaps it’s time for us to look at our prospects this time around instead of the same ole’ guys/gals that have been there done that! It’s time for We The People to step up and say, Ya Know We don’t like what your doing, and we want it OUR way! For a change. Time to get our heads out of the sand I think…
Comment Leigh — April 11, 2006 @ 2:19 pm
Everyone, in the United States, I have to Thank http://www.americanclassifieds.com/ for assisting me in placing “NoNAIS.org” ads and ads for http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Iowans_Against_NAIS/
The “Nationally” Advertised ad’s Cities and States, actively participating, have been posted to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Iowans_Against_NAIS/ website due to it’s extensive list of cities involved.
“National” coverage good people to advertise NoNAIS.org. We have to remain Steadfast and Cunning to STOP NAIS.
Dean Ayers
Glenwood, Iowa 51534
DeanAFOSI@aol.com
Comment DeanAFOSI (IOWA) — April 11, 2006 @ 3:20 pm
Dean neat idea. Everyone is so creative I expext we will see billboards and flyers on the back of USDA inspectors everyone is doing so good at getting the message and flyers out. Just plain great.
Comment Sue Karber — April 11, 2006 @ 9:35 pm
Folks: I recently had a telephone conversation with a staff person for PA State Senator Waugh who is the chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee. Bad news to report…Senator Waugh is also in favor of NAIS and uses the “disease prevention” excuse for supporting same. I wrote to all members of the committee, but only Senator Waugh’s office has responded. We need to find one sympathetic state senator in PA!! Can anybody help?
Comment Neil W. — April 12, 2006 @ 9:04 am
Neil, keep educating people and keep referring people to learn for themselves and take really easy actions to contact Senator Waugh and others in PA with this www.DownsizeDC.org campaign. Keep calling and writing your local media and referr them to Jim Babka at DownsizeDC.org where Downsize will contact them also. Mary Zaoni is a good referal also at Farm for Life. Work for those who support nonais to be elected and oust those from city to federal that favor NAIS. Our very sovereignty is at stake. Keep plugging and focus on why it is worth the effort to keep plugging. As I milked my goats this morning I was thinking about all those who died to attain our freedom. I thought about my children and their future. I thought about the life we worked so hard to attain and it is all worth fighting for to ensure this for our future generations.
Work to educate people on your state list for nonais which can be found here at the side under list discussions. Keep focused and encouraging others and be encouraged yourself that you are not alone and it is worth the effort. There are millions of consumers that have no idea how this will affect them. Be sure and educate those also. Thanks for all your hard work. It is really appreciated appreciated.
Comment Sue Karber — April 12, 2006 @ 10:48 am
I’m not really certain of PA State Senator Wonderling’s views, but his aide was very interested when I told her about NAIS. Her first question to me was “does it include dogs?” I told her “not yet”. She has since mailed me a copy of PA Senate Bill No. 865 which provides for premise registration in PA. Interestingly, this bill leaves the door open to register the premise of anyone that keeps “any other domestic animal designated by the department through regulation, or through temporary order….”
The bill also includes carcasses of any of the designated animals. Hmmmm. Maybe we should tell all the dog owners in the state that regulations are already in place for them.
Comment Barbara — April 12, 2006 @ 2:26 pm
Forgot to mention. Waugh helped introduce PA SB 865.
Comment Barbara — April 12, 2006 @ 2:28 pm
Thank you, Barbara. I googled it, found the bill and have added Waugh to my Naughty list. I’ve sent him a letter as well as a letter to Wonderling asking for an official position.
Comment walterj — April 12, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
I think it would be a very good idea
to alert all cat and dog owners about this bill. The wording “Domestic Animals” is very alarming.
Comment Leslie T — April 12, 2006 @ 9:14 pm
I have written to Senator Stevens and Senator lisa Murkowski of Alaska Not one word. this has been 2 weeks ago. Can we get them on the Naughty list or do you think I should wait a bit more
Comment Gisela — April 13, 2006 @ 2:51 am
Quote for you below for the “disease control” morons. I’d suggest asking for the staff member who is point of contact on Agricultural matters and/or a written position statement. Joys of the Internet and blogs, you will find someone to dissect it for you…
Follow up phone calls work real well also, which is why you want the staffer in charge of Ag policy. Face it, these guys have too much on their plates to be able to focus on this kind of detail, the way to get to them is through their staff who feed them their positions.
If they are GOP, you can also point out that promoting lobbyist written regulations sounds like the “culture of corruption” charges are true and ask that you would like to know if the Senator/Congressman admits to supporting such things.
SCOTT CHARBO, Chief Information Officer, was formerly president of mPower3 Inc., a
wholly-owned subsidiary of ConAgra Foods.36 Secretary Veneman assigned Charbo responsibility
for creating a national animal identification program to help deal with problems such
as BSE. Charbo seemed to be downplaying the importance of the project. He stated: “It is
important to note that no animal identification program by itself will prevent an introduction
of animal disease, ensure safe food or prevent a recall.”
Quoted in Nelson Antosh, “Tracking of Cattle Becomes Key Goal,” Houston Chronicle, March 6, 2004, p.1.
Comment Kamatu — April 13, 2006 @ 3:23 pm
Kamatu, thank you for this information. I really appreciate it and will add it to all the other Mega Corp info. employee links in USDA. Amazing. Great tips also.
Any other suggestions so our human/citizen influence can out do the mega corp money influence? I find it so amazing that MCDondald wants NAIS but Tyson who also wants NAIS supplies MCDonalds and does not have to tag every animal, they get lot numbers and do not have to report every death, every everything….they want the little guy to pay for their free ride.
Comment Sue Karber — April 14, 2006 @ 4:59 am
So - since cats can get bird flue and cats can scratch people - I get scratches all the time from mine - we will have to ‘depopulate’ all the cats at the slightest sign of bird flue. Why doesn’t the government tell us this? Because it doesn’t want to upset the average citizen. But if they are going to kill off isolated back-yard flocks of chickens you can bet they are going to kill all the cats in the cities in order to “”protect”" people. Either that or kiling the chickens isn’t necessary either. Which is it?
Trackback Kitten — April 14, 2006 @ 9:55 pm