Yeah, I see H.B. 1361 was the bill that already passed and is the section of the Agriculture Code I mentioned above. And now H.B. 47 is to try to amend it to make participation voluntary instead of mandatory. Thanks for the additional information.
You know our state legislature is currently is their 3rd special session, supposedly to try to change the way schools are financed, as our state Supreme Court has ordered.
According to the information I recieved from a Ext. Beef Specialist the government doesn't plan on using satelite cause of the cost and that it is unproven. The government is adopting a neutral stance and allowing the industry to determine the technology of choice by producers. I don't know if this helps with your concerns but I thought I'd pass this along..
I am concerned w/ where they will stop. James Madison stated "There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpation".
You know, just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
Seriously, we have a small cow/calf operation. If they (USDA) want to tag any animal that might find its way into the food chain, then does that mean dogs must be tagged in Korean communities? No offense to any ethnicity meant, I am just making observations on how this could be "stretched" in the future. Hmmm.... kind of like the recent Imminent Domain conflicts,maybe?
I'm mostly concerned that it might fall into the hands of the federal government and be guaranteed to be a flop and a screwjob for small farms. I'm suspect that such a program might be led by companies like Archer Daniels Midland or the like, who can afford to dump exhorbitant amounts of spare cash into it for their own interests until the little guys go bankrupt, then buy out the little farms to increase their footing and monopoly on the ag business.
It's a scary thing and needs to be watched. I'd be the last person in the world to allow sloppiness on my part to hurt somebody by passing bad beef that was contaminated with CJD prions, but I don't want a bunch of lawyers and federal idiots deciding how we will track animals. If it's a voluntary program, it's useless because there won't be any volunteers. If it involves a prohibitive cost to the small farmer, it's just as useless because we'll all be taken over by corporate ag businesses.
Anything that comes out of this program is driven by money grubbing special interests (like ADM) and needs to be fought from the grass roots. Unfortunately, many would see a fight as being for the wrong cause. Nobody wants people to get sick from their food, and I can't imagine anybody wants an Orwellian environment to farm. There are a lot of organizations that track cattle, ownership, and lineage and seem to work just fine. For a few bucks that I'll be paying to register my angus cattle, I won't be too bothered. If it comes down to chips and constant nagging checks by federal idiots, I'll be really bothered.
When it comes to my 20 chickens that cost one dollar each and are kept for eggs, then something is wrong with the system. Not only that, I have stocked ponds, will I have to account for the fish? Give me some of that stuff they are smoking. I want to feel crazy too.
I hadn't even THOUGHT about fish farms and such!
How do they (THEY sure cause a lot of problems, don't they [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img] ) expect this to work w/o being more trouble than it is worth?
Thinking outloud now.
How 'bout we tighten controls on what gets put into the livestock feed? As far as "mad-cow" that should control it at the source, right? I know some of the other diseases could still have outbreaks.
Say, anyone ever think about this.... Could the selective breeding and "Line breeding" being done in some of the pure bred markets have something to do w/ this? Like a recessive, genetic tendency towards dementia? I know mad cow is a prion but......hmmmm..... to end on a lighter note, I might even smell the makings of a conspiracy theory here. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
I have been reading the information from USDA on the NAIS. Here is a link if you are interested. The following statement is from their factsheet:
If USDA decides to make all or parts of the NAIS mandatory, APHIS will follow the normal rulemaking process. The public will have the opportunity to comment upon any proposed regulations.
I am familiar enough with it to know that this has been kicked around for a couple of years. I didn't know that Texas had started doing anything about it.
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