The following talking points and sample letter are adapted from materials provided by the Liberty Ark Coalition. www.libertyark.net.
Talking Points on Premises Registration and NAIS
* Premises Registration and NAIS will hurt Wisconsin's economy:
o There has been no analysis at federal or state level that establishes the costs or benefits of these programs. o Costs of the program include the cost of the tags, hardware, software, time and labor will be imposed on farmers o Many small farmer and ranchers cannot afford these costs o Service providers (veterinarians, feed stores, auction houses, meat processors, etc.) will be harmed when the farmers and ranchers go out of business. o Remaining farmers will pass the costs on to consumers, lowering demand for local foods and driving inflation
* Neither the USDA nor DATCP has scientific proof that these programs
will improve disease control: o It does not address the cause, treatment, or transmission of disease, in domestic or wild animals. o It does not significantly improve on current methods for identification and tracking of disease.
* NAIS is not necessary for the market. Age- and source-verification is
already available through the USDA’s Process Verified Program. Many private companies also have their own quality certification programs.
* NAIS will not improve food safety
o USDA itself has stated that this is not a food safety program o Contamination of food with e. coli and other bacteria occurs at the slaughterhouse or afterwards, while NAIS will stop before that point.
* NAIS will not protect against terrorism.
o The microchips chosen by the state can be cloned, destroyed, or infected with computer viruses, and reprogrammed. Any terrorist or thief can use this. o The database of information, created by the state and available to USDA, will provide a target for hackers.
* NAIS infringes on people’s constitutional rights, including due
process, privacy, and religious freedom.
* NAIS unfairly attacks the rights of pet owners and those who raise
animals as food for their family.
* USDA states that NAIS is voluntary at the federal level, so there is
no “federal mandate” requiring Wisconsin to implement this program
* Other states are also rejecting or limiting NAIS, so Wisconsin will
not be disadvantaged by refusing to participate.
* Mandatory premises registration violates our rights. For the first
time in our history, individuals would be required to register with the government simply because they own animals.
Sample letter – Personalize and put it into your own words for the greatest effect!! If you are an animal owner faced with mandatory premises registration under the current regulations, explain what it would mean for you.
If you don't know who your state legislators are, you can go to http://waml.legis.state.wi.us/
The general switchboard at the State Capitol is: 608-266-2211
Dear Representative or Senator _________:
I am a ____ (small farmer, consumer, taxpayer – tell them a sentence about yourself). I am contacting you to oppose premises registration in Wisconsin, the first step toward a federal NAIS program.
I am opposed to all three stages of NAIS -- premises registration, animal identification, and tracking -- because they impose heavy burdens on our rights and our economy, without providing any real benefits. Neither the USDA nor the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has provided any scientific basis for the claims of improved disease control.
Premises Registration and NAIS is an unprecedented expansion of government bureaucracy into people's private lives and infringes upon property rights. For many important sectors of our agricultural community, such as the Amish, assigning a specific number as required by premises registration and NAIS also constitutes a violation of religious beliefs.
NAIS will drive many small and medium-size farmers and ranchers out of business and discourage people from owning horses and other livestock as pets, resulting in far-reaching effects on our economy. The only winners in this program are the microchip manufacturers, the associations that will manage the databases, and the government employees paid to implement it.
I urge you to take action to reverse the legislation mandating DATCP's premises registration regulations, oppose implementation of any other portion of NAIS, and prevent coercion from being used to force people into the program. The best approach would be to reject the entire program.
I look forward to your response.
Thank you for your attention to this issue.
Name
Address City, State, Zip
Phone
Email (if you have it)
