[LINK] more RFID fun...

[rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au]

Eric,

Eric Scheid wrote:

>found on http://hereticfig.com/?p=77 while browsing...
>
>On April 25, 2005, the USDA released ³Draft Program Standards² (³St.²) and a
>³Draft Strategic Plan² (³Plan²) concerning the National Animal
>Identification System. If you think the description below sounds too bizarre
>to be true, please go to <http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml>,
>read the Standards and Plan, and check the citations.
>
>By January 1, 2008, the NAIS will be mandatory.
>
>Every person who owns even one horse, cow, pig, chicken, sheep, pigeon, or
>virtually any livestock animal, will be forced to register their home,
>including owner¹s name, address, and telephone number, and keyed to Global
>Positioning System coordinates for satellite monitoring, in a giant federal
>database under a 7-digit ³premises ID number.²
>  
>
No sympathy here. Damn fools brought it on themselves.

The reason the rules are so bureaucratic is that the farmers left 
"traceback" to the bureaucracy. Had they lifted their own backsides a 
decade ago, they would have been the creators of the system (example: 
Australia). The US farm sector ignored it; it's easier to get the 
Department of Trade to muscle other countries in the WTO than to improve 
their own processes.

 >wailing and gnashing of teeth< "The government is supposed to 
*subsidise* us, not regulate us!

If you wanted to admire stupidity, this is one of the best opportunities 
I've ever seen:

 >There are no exceptions‹under the USDA plan, you will be forced to 
register
 >and report even if you raise animals only for your own food or keep horses
 >for draft or for transportation.

...because of course an outbreak of disease in the "house cow" won't 
affect the cattle in the saleyards...

RC