The USDA and state departments of agriculture have spent a lot of effort this past year trying to reassure people that their data would be safe and that the only way the Premises Registration and NAIS would be used is for trace back of disease events. But they lied.
National Animal Identification System Proves to be a Valuable Tool During Blizzard Recovery Operations LAKEWOOD, Colo. – Phone calls directly to ranchers in southeast Colorado helped evaluate the safety of those ranchers’ families and the well being of Colorado livestock during the blizzard recovery operation. This process was made possible by the National Animal Identification System (NAIS).
Those with registered premises were called on Wednesday and Thursday by the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s State Veterinarian’s Office. Those phone calls helped locate animals and find out if they have had access to feed
-Colorado Ag Commissioner Press Release
On the face of this, okay, so they did a good thing, although that itself is debatable. But the key issue here is that the government found an excuse to use the data that it had said would not be used except in the case of a large scale disease outbreak. This time it was an excuse do some PR and damage control on their NAIS program. What will the excuse be next time?
Hat tip to HenWhisperer
Is anyone actually surprised that the government a) lied, and b) will lie again.
Do you really want the government attempting to help you? Not I.
Comment Andrew — January 11, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
Without a doubt, the latest actions of the NAIS proves that the information is not confidential but even more disturbing is how it was only given to those with premise ID.
Were those ranchers without the premise number any less deserving of that hay and were their animals of any less value and suffering less? Are those ranchers without premise ID not taxpayers and wasn’t that hay handed out to only those with premise ID paid for equally by those holding premise ID and those who do not?
The government is using our tax money to do war against us. Try not paying those taxes and see what happens. I assure you, its not pretty.
Comment Betty McCorkle — January 11, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
One of many problems…
Many ranchers who voluntarily gave their information have never been called. BUT - if you have a problem, call your local sheriff’s office - NOT US, lol - forgot to put in that part of the article!
The hacker-proof database in general has YET to be developed.
The USDA is already abusing information gained deceptively, and sometimes even illegally (estimates of 27K premises registered without permission).
We all expect the government to abuse this information - which they can and do get in every nefarious way they can think of… They are just proving it publicly with their article.
There are so many, many problems with this program…. these are just some recent examples.
Comment Sue Diederich — January 11, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
GOOD THING? Are you kidding? They only helped about a dozen farmers with their “air” drops and most of the cattle that they claimed to have helped had already been helped via ground support using the old fashion way. Any one who has worked hay knows that dropping it from any height at all causes it to blow all over the place and no more than what one of the choppers where hauling? My truck hauls more than that on a bad day…
Sure they talk a big game but in truth, they have lied so many times and ways that they don’t know themselves which is the truth or not.
[Good thing? My tongue was firmly planted in my cheek… As it often is. -WJ]
Comment AJ Janes — January 11, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
For sure! I will not ever trust the Government.
I just saw the DVD “From Freedom to Fascism”
Knowing how I don’t trus the Government, I was surprised at my reaction (I cried!)
Keep up the good fight everyone. Keep learning to band together.
Comment Carlene — January 11, 2007 @ 2:02 pm
Disgusting! But, you’d have trouble convincing the general public of it. They have danced to the tune of the pied~piper too long. I say we make our voices heard on the issue though… comments@agstate.co.us I’m writing.
Comment kidraiser — January 11, 2007 @ 2:04 pm
I’m chipped off about the whole thing. DH
Comment Don Hartley — January 11, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
How do you know when a government official is lying? His lips (or his pen) move(s).
Comment Rich Amber — January 11, 2007 @ 3:10 pm
This just goes to show that they ARE using NAIS to track the farmers and ranchers as well.
Comment Kim P. — January 11, 2007 @ 3:38 pm
We challenge any farmer or rancher to explain to us why they would voluntarily register their farm or ranch with the goverment?
Promised Concessions?
Meger Tax Breaks?
The American Farmer and Rancher has always been a proud independent and self-sufficient people.
Why are they now so willing to give up that independence to their goverment?
How much is our American Independence and Privacy worth to us?
[Unfortunately the tax breaks are no meager. What the government has done is jack up the real estate taxes so high that without those tax breaks (Current Use, Land Use, Farm Land Assessment, etc) you can not farm. Land is now valued at it’s “best use” and that best use as determined by our all knowing government is 2 acre lots or less with McMansions or businesses on them to increase the local tax base. This is one way they break us. -WJ]
Comment Jan L. — January 11, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
Is anyone surprised by this.
I recall that while the “enhanced 911″ system was being developed, there was an instance of the Vermont State Police trying to access that database as part of a criminal investigation. This was before the database was even complete! Enhanced 911, of course, is for our own good, isn’t it?
How long do you suppose it will be before large numbers of people begin to wake up?
Comment Ernie — January 11, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
it didnt take them very long to expose themselves did it? but what can you expect from a group of thugs that would force animal i.d. on a bunch of 4h and ffa kids.it just goes to show that what they say isnt exactly what they mean.
Comment nick lecompte — January 11, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
I see by your “nice” list you have AL Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND???? You dont read any of his comments do you? He is totally FOR NAIS and has said so many many times. He is forcing it down the Alabama farmers mouths. Get him off the “nice” list fast before other farmers are decieved by him.
[First of all, no need to shout. Second, Sparks is one of the borderline nice. Click on the link in the list with his name and you’ll see why. -WJ]
Comment Intha Rafadin — January 12, 2007 @ 7:58 am
Hay has been dropped for decades, across the great plains, to blizzard-stranded cattle, & nobody ever asked who owned them. You look down & see cattle with nothing to eat, you shove hay out the hatch! Duh!
Comment kathy — January 12, 2007 @ 11:18 am
Dropping hay out of copters is very dramatic though…..welcome to the USDA Show!
Comment David Hannes — January 13, 2007 @ 12:39 am
A National NONAIS Day?
I have written my congressman to protest NAIS…I have posted warning about NAIS on my farm website…I tell everyone I know about NAIS..but it still feels hopeless. Everyone is just like me…not sure what they can do about it.
Only in numbers and as a group will we be heard!
If NONAIS would set up a National place and time for us all to come together as one againist NAIS…this farm girl would be there with sleeves rolled up!
Comment Jan L. — January 13, 2007 @ 1:30 am
I read this response from a lady about NAIS in a national magazine..Her response was “It is enevitable”. This is the most pathetic and the most disturbing of all of the comments I have read..its inevitable? Another words it is hopeless..so just give up! With American mentality like this one…we will be a police state by the end of the century!
Comment Jan L. — January 13, 2007 @ 1:45 am
“With American mentality like this one…we will be a police state by the end of the century! ”
Do you really think it will take that long?
Along the same lines, whenever I read that “we need to make the best deal we can with USDA”, it is like telling a victim to make the best deal they can with their mugger, rapist, abuser, etc. instead of resisting and fighting to protect themselves. That may be appropriate when in a situation of immediate danger, but it isn’t a good long term policy.
Comment Barbara — January 13, 2007 @ 8:52 am
Has anyone thought about contacting the Colorado USDA and State VEt and perhaps even federal and calling them on this violation???
Comment prairie girl — January 13, 2007 @ 9:40 am
Jan L.,about your #16 comment. there is a group ,a large group out there.they are for mandatory country of country labeling (m-cool)and against mandatory i.d.,. they have a hudge voice. they are called R-CALF check them out,they are on walters nice list.
Comment nick lecompte — January 13, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
Good idea, Prairie Girl!
Isn’t our favorite visitor to the nonais.org site from the Fort Collins, Colorado USDA?
(see “USDA Identified as Terrorists” on the left Most Commented section)
Comment donna — January 13, 2007 @ 7:29 pm
we all need to contact all the cattle groups whether they be national,state,or local,whether they be pro nais or anti nais,they need to know about this breech of trust that some have intrusted in them,and to show those that havent signed up as of yet maybe they need not.this may be the very act that was needed to open their eyes.so lets get busy contacting them.
Comment nick lecompte — January 13, 2007 @ 9:00 pm
I find it sort of sad that neighbors helping neighbors has become so rare that it’s a national news item. Used to be the norm and expected.
That said if they open the records for that what else will they open the records for. Tell me it matters who owns what in a situation like that. See an animal trapped by snow. Drop it some hay. Who owned it shouldn’t have mattered.
Comment Sue F — January 14, 2007 @ 4:11 am
I got the impression they were claiming that without GPS coordinates, they wouldn’t know where to look for the cattle. I guess these guys don’t know how to read a map or follow directions or look out a window. (If conditions were a whiteout, they wouldn’t be able to fly anyway.)
They also seem to think that ranchers would be too stupid to pick up a phone and call them for help if needed.
Comment Barbara — January 14, 2007 @ 2:20 pm