USDA Listening Sessions Public Comments

PA Listening Session Overview by Kathy Cook, PA

The first hour the only people listening were those in attendance.
We had to listen to introductions and an overview by Dr. Jerry Dick and then while presenting a power point slide show and reading it,  they went into detail how NAIS will "protect" us.

Overview

•     NAIS & Animal Disease Control
•     Traceability Business Plan Standards and & Priorities
•     Benefit-Cost Analysis

90% of those in attendance that had the opportunity to speak were against NAIS. The 10% for NAIS were with an organization, Penn State Professor, Gregg Shultz,  Sate Vet, an Academic Chemist from PA. 

There were many reasons given as to why NAIS will not work, will be the demise of farming across America, and how it will effect other types of Ag businesses, such as Horse shows and there owners. 

Here are just a few:

Several stated that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

Kim Seally from PASA said "National ID should not be imposed on farmers who sale direct to customers or those selling to food establishments". He said, "Family Farms Will Choose Civil Disobedience" 

An Ag Farmer/Ag teacher named Lou brought up PA Bill 865 – premises ID, and how it will register Ag animals of students in schools. His students researched this and their conclusion. "First and foremost this will register the private farmer, the Germans did this". 

In the afternoon we were split into 3 groups and the purpose was to voice concerns and solutions, they used the Federal Register Notice questions.

Some of the comments were;

• Scrap the program
• You are trying to solve a problem that dose not exist.
• This is not an Agriculture issue, this is a world issue
• Concerns were voiced about the security of the program. 

Often when someone would give a reason why NAIS is wrong, the moderator would ask for a solution.

After about 2 1/2 hours of listening to them not listening, I made the comment:

"You keep asking for solutions and we are telling you the only solution is no NAIS. this is not a problem inside our Country. You need to control what comes into the country, not those in the country. You are not hearing us. This is unconstitutional and if USDA moves forward, we will loose small farms and large farms across America, and you, your children and your grandchildren will starve, just as millions starved in Europe."

Here is my opinion of the "Listening Session":

The USDA is playing politics, not listening. If anything, these listening sessions are to see how large a resistance there is. NAIS is a done deal. I believe the best way for us to stop NAIS, is at the state level, state by state. Exercise our Sovereignty, and "Do Not Comply"

By all means, we need to spread the word, for everyone who is against NAIS to attend the listening session nearest them. Take friends and family, everyone take a ticket to speak. 

Maybe you have seen this web page - www.naissucks.com The gentleman who has this web site is from Ohio and he came in for the session. He was great, his name is Daryl Dickinson, he has a large farm, and they sell Texas Longhorns and other cattle to start up farms. He and his family run the farm, and did an analysis of their farm if NAIS is forced on them. They will loose their farm in four years. So it is not just the small farms we will loose.  

There is no winner with NAIS, except the Corporate Borg!