I am going to comment on Vics email question about NAIS here because I guess if I dont utilize the blog I can't really expect others to. This is one of those issues I really hate debating for the simple fact that I think a mountain has been made out of a molehill.
I personally do not have a USDA premise or a WSDA premise for that matter. Not really because I am afraid of the black helicopters or I don't think it has any importance in disease traceback, more because I have just not been convinced economically to have one. That being said my last set of fall calves and this years spring calves have records and information that would allow them to be sourced, age verified, and individually identified. What will determine if I do any of those things is the economics. To do any of these things I think most programs would at least require a state PIN and possibly a national one, again economics will drive my decision for either.
Dick brings up a good point, would a premise registration without the threat of individual ID be more palatable to most of the people in the country? My thought would be yes but I dont know for sure.
I wonder how many people went to their FSA sevice agency and signed up for the livestock idemnity or drought relief money in 2002? and gave their location, herd numbers etc and yet are still afraid to get a national ID??? I would guess the great majority! Those that know me very well also know that my trust of the federal level of government and thier ability to really do much besides hinder us as an industry is deeply held. I personally dont think in the case of FMD or other disease the Feds would do much good and certainly wouldnt be any better at helping us if they had every animal ID'ed in the country. That being said I also do think that anyone involved in the federal government could find out ALL they wanted to know about me or my operation with a premise number or without. I mean we have SS numbers or Tax ID pins, connected to an address, farm plans, public sales records, FSA records etc etc, lets face it if the feds want to get down and dirty they have more information than they need at this time about me or other individuals.
So it basically comes down to this in my opinion, don't tell me how NAIS is going to help me in a FMD outbreak, reality is if I am in the 12 mile circle I am virtually finished anyway. Instead, get me an export market open as a result of individual ID or premise ID, and make sure those increased dollars dont just help a tag company, the federal government, a packer or a feeder. I dont mind sharing those dollars at all, but I would think at least a third of those dollars should be mine, I am afterall the entity who can make it work, or can keep it from working.
Thanks for reading the rant, hope it makes some sense.
