The following is an article posted by Tina Bloom and I invite all comments.This is an issue that effects everyone as it is not only an invasion of privacy but an isssue if implemented that will drive prices for the end products way up.Please read this carefully.
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>> NAIS the Real Deal
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>> The National Animal Identification System is being developed for all animals that will benefit from rapid trace backs in the event of a disease concern. Currently, working groups comprised of industry and government representatives are developing plans for cattle, swine, sheep, goats, horses, poultry, bison, deer, elk, llamas, and alpacas.
>> ( Information provided by http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/about/index.shtml )
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>> In retrospect NAIS might sound like a good idea, however the burden put on the livestock producers, hobby farmers, FFA and 4-H kids might make you take another look. Along with the burden on these people you also have to take a closer look and see that NAIS also violates several Constitutional Rights.
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>> The main focus of the NAIS program is to get every single animal registered into a National Database, so that the government can track every animal’s movement. The burden is on the producer who must pay to get the premises registered, pay to get animals tagged/chipped, pay for a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader, pay a yearly premise feeand pay for the paperwork involved in all of this and to do their own paperwork involved.
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>> Did you know that every time your animal leaves your property, commingles with animals from another property, and/ or enters another property this has to be reported within 48 hours? You will need the date, time, ID number of the animals, your premises ID, and the premises ID of the property the animals have been transported to, and the commingling of livestock; while the person who owns the property that the animals have been transported also needs to report. There is also a fee associated with reporting an animal’s movement; while there is also a $1,000.00 per day fine for non-compliance with the NAIS program. So if you find that your livestock have gone on a walkabout to the neighbors, both you and your neighbors will have to report to the USDA(United States Department of Agriculture).
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>> This is going to be a nightmare for people who compete, show, or have pleasure animals. The show staff will need a separate secretary just to handle the NAIS reports. So will the people who travel with their animals.
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>> Imagine how much this is going to cost the consumer. With the cost of tagging animals, paying for the RFID reader, extra time spent doing paperwork, and the time spent making sure where the animals are will drive up the price of meat and dairy products. Basically the more it costs to raise the animal the more the consumer is going to have to pay for the product. Taxpayers need to think about this also; the Government has 33 billion of our tax dollars tied up in this program already. BSE (3 cases) and Hoof and Mouth disease (no documented cases in the U.S. after 1929) are not relevant concerns strong enough to necessitate this program. Neither is the bird flu because, this disease is also carried by migrating wild birds, not just our domesticated birds.
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>> Also NAIS is unconstitutional as it violates several of our rights beginning with the First Amendment: Many Christians (as well as persons of other religious beliefs) cannot comply with the Department's proposed program because it violates their First Amendment right to free exercise. For example, the Old Order Amish believe they are prohibited from registering their farms or animals in the proposed program due to, inter alia, Scriptural prohibitions. Fourth Amendment: The NAIS program proposes surveillance on all properties that have livestock and every single animal has to be tagged/chipped with a RFID. Fifth and Fourteenth: NAIS is the first attempt by the federal government at forced registration in a huge, permanent federal database of individual citizens' property (the property where animals are kept) and personal property (the animals) ( Information Provided by http://reliableanswers.com/politics/nais.asp )
>> So you may ask “What does NAIS have to do with bull riding or rodeo?” Like any other cattle producer or horse breeders, the owners of those animals will have to have a premises ID (so will the properties that hold events), RFID tag/chip all their animals, and file daily reports on their animals movements. That means that there will have to be a separate person at events to just process the NAIS paperwork. The owners of the livestock might even have to hire aseparate person to report to the USDA for their own operations. What this means is more time doing paper work, less time working on their stock, and more money out of pocket for the livestock owners. Then it comes down to the fans. If NAIS gets implemented then it will cost more to put on a bull riding or rodeo, so ticket prices will go up.
>> In conclusion, the only people who are going to benefit from this program are the U.S. Government, and the businesses that manufacture the RFID tags/chips and readers. I also do not understand how the Government can expect to keep track of the billions of livestock in this country when they can barely keep track of a piece of mail, shipping container, illegal aliens, ect.
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>> NOTE: I am just trying to spread the word on NAIS if you would like more information please contact me off list at twinpinesmt@yahoo.com Also if you forward on this article please give me credit for writing it. Thank you. Tina Bloom, Montana Rancher
