SLEDGEHAMMER: Tell USDA What You Think About NAIS

[Guest guest]

They are accepting comments now. Speak out or your meat bills will go out of sight! Factory Farms will raise your meat, and small ranchers and producers will be forced out of business because they can’t meet the regulations. BE HEARD now. I’ve copied and added to their letter below. You can copy and mail that or click on the web sites below to send an email. Go to the meetings if they are anywhere near you. APC SLEDGEHAMMER ACTION ALERTFrom the American Policy CenterTom DeWeese - President70 Main Street, Suite 23Warrenton, VA 20186www.americanpolicy.org Action Alert! Let Your Voice Be Heard! Tell USDA What You Think About NAISUSDA held its first "listening session" about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) last week, and they got an earful! The vast majority of people who attended the Pennsylvania meeting told USDA to stop implementing this expensive, intrusive program. The clear message was: NAIS will drive small farms out of business and burden every American consumer, and we don't want it!Please help send a strong message at the other federal listening sessions across the country! It's going to take a lot of people speaking up loud and clear to keep a mandatory NAIS from being imposed on every livestock owner in America! These listening sessions are a critical opportunity to get media attention on NAIS and demonstrate the level of opposition to the program.Please go to these meetings! You can have an impact simply by being there and showing that a lot of people are opposed to NAIS!TAKE ACTION #1 - Go to the Meetings!Start making your plans NOW to go to the listening sessionnearest you, and spread the word!May 20 - Austin, TXEmbassy Suites Hotel Austin Central5901 N. IH-35May 21- Birmingham, ALCahaba Grand Convention Center3660 Grandview ParkwayMay 22 - Louisville, KYCrowne PlazaLouisville Airport830 Phillips LaneMay 27 - Storrs, CTUniversity of Connecticut, Storrs CampusBishop CenterOne Bishop CircleJune 1 - Loveland, COThe RanchLarimer County Fairgrounds and Event Complex5280 Arena Circle, Suite 100WHEN:The meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Registration is from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.WHAT:1. Bring written comments. USDA has only scheduled 2 hours for public comment in the morning, so not everyone will have the chance to speak. Bringing written comments gets your comments into the formal record.Sample comments are available here.2. If you want to speak, plan a short (3 minute) statement.3. The afternoon will consist of "facilitated sessions." This is another chance for you to speak your mind on the record! Be prepared to politely disagree with the facilitator. If they claim that a "consensus" has been reached with an answer that you don't agree with, say so!REGISTRATION:1. Pre-register online: Send an email to NAISSessions In the subject line of the e-mail, indicate your name (or organization name) and the location of the meeting you plan to attend. If you wish to present public comments during one of the meetings, please include your name (or organization name) and address in the body of the message.2. Pre-register by phone: Call 301-734-0799On-site registration: From 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. on the day of the meeting.When you register, you'll receive an email from USDA describing a "lottery system" for picking speakers in the morning, and advising you to come early because there may not be enough seats. Don't be discouraged! Even if you don't speak in the morning, being there does make a difference! The bigger the crowd, the louder the message to Congress and the media, as well as USDA. And the facilitated sessions in the afternoon provide additional opportunities to speak. So come to the meeting, bring written comment to put into the record, and help pack the room with NAIS opponents!You can also check the USDA's website for more information.MORE LOCATIONS COMING!USDA is scheduling six more listening sessions between June 9 and June 25 in:Jefferson City, MissouriRapid City, South DakotaAlbuquerque, New MexicoRiverside, CaliforniaTallahassee, FloridaRaleigh, North CarolinaStay tuned for more details on these sessions!TAKE ACTION #2Submit Written CommentsAlthough the USDA did not specify a deadline in its notice, a USDA official has stated that the deadline is Monday, June 1.ONLINE:You can submit your comments via the Federal eRulemaking PortalBY MAIL:You may mail written comments to:NAIS, Surveillance and Identification ProgramsNational Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS4700 River Road Unit 200Riverdale, MD 20737The USDA Federal Register notice is posted here.Visit the American Policy Center websiteSEND THIS MESSAGE TO AT LEAST TEN MORE PEOPLE! APC is now offering you a quick and easy way to multiply your efforts and help win more battles! Simply click here to send this APC Action Alert to up to TEN of your friends! It’s fast, it’s easy and most of all, it’s extremely effective in KILLING OPPRESSIVE POLICIES! Your name and address here if you want to mail this. Or go to their web site and submit comments. NAIS, Surveillance and Identification ProgramsNational Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS4700 River Road Unit 200Riverdale, MD 20737 Dear Secretary Vilsack:I urge the USDA to stop implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). I am ( Put who you are, horse owner, small farmer, consumer who is concerned about healthier meat supply, etc.) I am shocked at the very idea of keeping track of EVERY ANIMAL for a small rancher or farmer. It makes no sense for a small farmer to record every animal, every birth, every slaughtered animal. On factory farms I can see where this would be important because THEY harbor so much disease and pass it so readily in crowded quarters. I see the NAIS as seriously flawed for several reasons:1) No significant benefits: USDA’s assertions that NAIS will provide benefits for animal health are not supported, and actually contradict basic scientific principles. Disease must be addressed on a species-specific basis, with an understanding of the causes of the different diseases and the ways the diseases are transmitted. A one-size-fits-all program is useless. 2) Damage to food safety efforts: NAIS will not prevent foodborne illnesses, such as e. coli or salmonella contamination, because the tracking ends at the time of slaughter. Food safety is better served by focusing on programs such as increased testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow), improved oversight of slaughterhouses and food processing facilities, and increased inspections of imported foods. Programs such as NAIS that burden small, sustainable farmers will hurt efforts to develop safer, decentralized local food systems. This will increase costs to consumers and benefit only the BIG AG businesses.3) High costs for animal owners and taxpayers: These costs include: (1) the development, maintenance, and update of massive databases; (2) the costs of tags, most of which will contain microchips; (3) the labor burdens for tagging every animal; (4) the paperwork burdens of reporting routine movements; and (5) the costs of enforcement on millions of individuals. The USDA’s recently released cost-benefit analysis SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATED the costs to small farmers, homesteaders, and pet owners. Even so, the study acknowledged that the cost to people with just a few animals would be significantly higher than the costs to large producers. This is an inherently unfair program that will favor factory farms over family farms, again hurting the small producer and raising costs of food. 4) Unworkable and intrusive: Tracking over a hundred million animals at millions of farms and homes is not feasible. The databases to register the properties, identify each animal, and record billions of “events” will dwarf any system currently in existence. Moreover, requiring individuals to submit information about their homes, property, and movements to a database makes each person vulnerable to accidental release of the information, hackers, and misuse by commercial interests. This is already a growing problem. We don't need NAIS to add to it.5) Diverts resources from better alternatives. Instead of NAIS, I encourage USDA focus on disease prevention through vaccination and improved animal husbandry practices, and disease detection in currently uninspected livestock imports. 6) NAIS is government overreaching at its worst. NAIS should take aim at the mass production in factory farms that IS CAUSING the disease and sickening our citizens with diseased meats. Leave the small ranchers and farmers alone. Their home produced food is FAR MORE SAFE than anything coming out of the disease ridden meat industry.For all of these reasons, I urge the USDA to stop implementation of the NAIS.Sincerely,

[Guest guest]

Well we have to get the world's population to become vegetarian somehow!

 

Jane

 

 

-

Raven

@ ; MedicalConspiracies@googlegro

Saturday, May 23, 2009 5:20 PM

[HealthyIndia] SLEDGEHAMMER: Tell USDA What You Think About NAIS

 

 

 

They are accepting comments now. Speak out or your meat bills will go out of sight! Factory Farms will raise your meat, and small ranchers and producers will be forced out of business because they can’t meet the regulations. BE HEARD now.

 

I’ve copied and added to their letter below. You can copy and mail that or click on the web sites below to send an email.

Go to the meetings if they are anywhere near you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APC SLEDGEHAMMER ACTION ALERT

From the American Policy CenterTom DeWeese - President70 Main Street, Suite 23Warrenton, VA 20186www.americanpolicy.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Action Alert!

 

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

 

Tell USDA What You Think About NAIS

USDA held its first "listening session" about the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) last week, and they got an earful! The vast majority of people who attended the Pennsylvania meeting told USDA to stop implementing this expensive, intrusive program. The clear message was: NAIS will drive small farms out of business and burden every American consumer, and we don't want it!Please help send a strong message at the other federal listening sessions across the country! It's going to take a lot of people speaking up loud and clear to keep a mandatory NAIS from being imposed on every livestock owner in America! These listening sessions are a critical opportunity to get media attention on NAIS and demonstrate the level of opposition to the program.Please go to these meetings! You can have an impact simply by being there and showing that a lot of people are opposed to NAIS!TAKE ACTION #1 - Go to the Meetings!Start making your plans NOW to go to the listening sessionnearest you, and spread the word!May 20 - Austin, TXEmbassy Suites Hotel Austin Central5901 N. IH-35May 21- Birmingham, ALCahaba Grand Convention Center3660 Grandview ParkwayMay 22 - Louisville, KYCrowne PlazaLouisville Airport830 Phillips LaneMay 27 - Storrs, CTUniversity of Connecticut, Storrs CampusBishop CenterOne Bishop CircleJune 1 - Loveland, COThe RanchLarimer County Fairgrounds and Event Complex5280 Arena Circle, Suite 100WHEN:The meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Registration is from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.WHAT:1. Bring written comments. USDA has only scheduled 2 hours for public comment in the morning, so not everyone will have the chance to speak. Bringing written comments gets your comments into the formal record.Sample comments are available here.2. If you want to speak, plan a short (3 minute) statement.3. The afternoon will consist of "facilitated sessions." This is another chance for you to speak your mind on the record! Be prepared to politely disagree with the facilitator. If they claim that a "consensus" has been reached with an answer that you don't agree with, say so!REGISTRATION:1. Pre-register online: Send an email to NAISSessions In the subject line of the e-mail, indicate your name (or organization name) and the location of the meeting you plan to attend. If you wish to present public comments during one of the meetings, please include your name (or organization name) and address in the body of the message.2. Pre-register by phone: Call 301-734-0799On-site registration: From 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. on the day of the meeting.When you register, you'll receive an email from USDA describing a "lottery system" for picking speakers in the morning, and advising you to come early because there may not be enough seats. Don't be discouraged! Even if you don't speak in the morning, being there does make a difference! The bigger the crowd, the louder the message to Congress and the media, as well as USDA. And the facilitated sessions in the afternoon provide additional opportunities to speak. So come to the meeting, bring written comment to put into the record, and help pack the room with NAIS opponents!You can also check the USDA's website for more information.MORE LOCATIONS COMING!USDA is scheduling six more listening sessions between June 9 and June 25 in:Jefferson City, MissouriRapid City, South DakotaAlbuquerque, New MexicoRiverside, CaliforniaTallahassee, FloridaRaleigh, North CarolinaStay tuned for more details on these sessions!TAKE ACTION #2Submit Written CommentsAlthough the USDA did not specify a deadline in its notice, a USDA official has stated that the deadline is Monday, June 1.ONLINE:You can submit your comments via the Federal eRulemaking PortalBY MAIL:You may mail written comments to:NAIS, Surveillance and Identification ProgramsNational Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS4700 River Road Unit 200Riverdale, MD 20737The USDA Federal Register notice is posted here.Visit the American Policy Center website

SEND THIS MESSAGE TO AT LEAST TEN MORE PEOPLE! APC is now offering you a quick and easy way to multiply your efforts and help win more battles! Simply click here to send this APC Action Alert to up to TEN of your friends! It’s fast, it’s easy and most of all, it’s extremely effective in KILLING OPPRESSIVE POLICIES!

 

 

 

 

Your name and address here if you want to mail this. Or go to their web site and submit comments.

 

NAIS, Surveillance and Identification ProgramsNational Center for Animal Health Programs, VS, APHIS4700 River Road Unit 200Riverdale, MD 20737

 

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

I urge the USDA to stop implementation of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). I am ( Put who you are, horse owner, small farmer, consumer who is concerned about healthier meat supply, etc.) I am shocked at the very idea of keeping track of EVERY ANIMAL for a small rancher or farmer. It makes no sense for a small farmer to record every animal, every birth, every slaughtered animal. On factory farms I can see where this would be important because THEY harbor so much disease and pass it so readily in crowded quarters.

I see the NAIS as seriously flawed for several reasons:

1) No significant benefits: USDA’s assertions that NAIS will provide benefits for animal health are not supported, and actually contradict basic scientific principles. Disease must be addressed on a species-specific basis, with an understanding of the causes of the different diseases and the ways the diseases are transmitted. A one-size-fits-all program is useless.

2) Damage to food safety efforts: NAIS will not prevent foodborne illnesses, such as e. coli or salmonella contamination, because the tracking ends at the time of slaughter. Food safety is better served by focusing on programs such as increased testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow), improved oversight of slaughterhouses and food processing facilities, and increased inspections of imported foods. Programs such as NAIS that burden small, sustainable farmers will hurt efforts to develop safer, decentralized local food systems. This will increase costs to consumers and benefit only the BIG AG businesses.

3) High costs for animal owners and taxpayers: These costs include: (1) the development, maintenance, and update of massive databases; (2) the costs of tags, most of which will contain microchips; (3) the labor burdens for tagging every animal; (4) the paperwork burdens of reporting routine movements; and (5) the costs of enforcement on millions of individuals. The USDA’s recently released cost-benefit analysis SEVERELY UNDERESTIMATED the costs to small farmers, homesteaders, and pet owners. Even so, the study acknowledged that the cost to people with just a few animals would be significantly higher than the costs to large producers. This is an inherently unfair program that will favor factory farms over family farms, again hurting the small producer and raising costs of food.

4) Unworkable and intrusive: Tracking over a hundred million animals at millions of farms and homes is not feasible. The databases to register the properties, identify each animal, and record billions of “events” will dwarf any system currently in existence. Moreover, requiring individuals to submit information about their homes, property, and movements to a database makes each person vulnerable to accidental release of the information, hackers, and misuse by commercial interests. This is already a growing problem. We don't need NAIS to add to it.

5) Diverts resources from better alternatives. Instead of NAIS, I encourage USDA focus on disease prevention through vaccination and improved animal husbandry practices, and disease detection in currently uninspected livestock imports.

6) NAIS is government overreaching at its worst. NAIS should take aim at the mass production in factory farms that IS CAUSING the disease and sickening our citizens with diseased meats. Leave the small ranchers and farmers alone. Their home produced food is FAR MORE SAFE than anything coming out of the disease ridden meat industry.

For all of these reasons, I urge the USDA to stop implementation of the NAIS.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

 

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