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Sue Diederich – IICFA – Northern IL
Wheel of Life Movie: Health, Environment, & 6 other aspects of living
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Sir, I cannot believe you actually mean to tell any member of the American public that you no longer wish to be bothered with their concerns – especially with you being member of Congress (or staff of a member of Congress – works both ways!). I am sure you would rather we contact you directly than through the newspapers, radio and television…
I guess they might have to (don’t believe so, though) stop, but I really hope they don’t. Your email address is public information. Your position is federal public servant. Sorry, but that makes you fair game for these communications. Just chalk it up to job descriptions. You need to know – we are going to tell you – and keep telling you until we get honest and intelligent action. There are several tens of thousands if not millions of us who all see problems with NAIS and the travesty of the so-called “food safety” bills, and there are only 540 of you. A lot of you will be hearing a lot from us!
We look to our elected officials to be statesmen, complete with honor and interest in the welfare and well-being of American people. Are you a statesman, or are you only another politician? It only takes one… Just one.
We contact legislators with the assumption that they are in their positions to govern our country justly and feel compelled to help us out. I guess Congress-people have a different agenda from the one they constantly tell their voters about?
Will YOU be that one? Don’t just say it – mean it!
I do have to give you credit for answering yourself… Rather than through a form letter replying to something you’ve never even seen. You get points for that. Yet, I feel that we should all be flyng our flags upside down in the universal signal of distress… Is that what it will take to get legislators to listen and DO something? Does every American need to raise a distress flag to get your attention? I would be willing to start that campaign about now – after more than three years of attempts to get ANY member of Congress to listen and take any intelligent action whatsoever on just this single program!
There are FAR TOO MANY ISSUES with the NAIS program and the so-called “food safety” bills that need to be answered to ave any American’s communications about it brushed off with no good reason. You got your job because you promised to serve the public interest. This issue is all about the public interest in every way one could imagine.
Will you be the one to get the public those answers? Definitive answers? Honest answers? TRUE answers?
I am one of the people in this country that believe NAIS is extremely detrimental not only to consumers (that would be 100% of the US population, remember, including you, sir!), but also to the 80% of livestock owners in this nation that do not cause disease problems, contamination problems or any other problems – except to provide competition to the multi-national conglomerates. As punishment for this crime against humanity the USDA issues rules such as the one that states: a goat (which averages 3 – 4 feet long by a foot or more wide by 3 – 4 feet tall) should do just fine in 10 square feet of space throughout its life, and can still be called “pasture raised” because it is allowed to see the light of day. (No wonder the animal welfare and animal rights people give you guys such a hard time!!)
That works for those that see no problem keeping more than 1000 goats on roughly 5 acres of land and have the money to truck in all their feed – and – can still sleep at night selling them off to largely unsuspecting consumers as meat that was “pasture raised,” “grass fed,” “naturally raised,” or worse yet “organic.” It is also exceptionally beneficial to industrial agricultural concerns, mainly because that is status quo for them. Yet, the USDA allows for all of these FALSE AND MISLEADING terms to be used in marketing meat coming from just such situations – and the FDA has had no issue either.
I own no livestock. I would love to. NAIS will prevent that – permanently. It will also create an astronomical “barrier to entry” for many others. Another boon for Big Ag!! YIPPEE.
NAIS will also have an incredibly adverse affect on state budgets – already strapped by the rape perpetrated by the banks and their bail-out enthusiasts. Creating monopolies is something I thought was illegal, but Congress seems hell-bent to allow the USDA, UN and WTO to do just that with American farming. Monopolies mean exponential increases in consumer prices. With more than 1500 commercial uses for only the casein in cow’s milk – not to mention porcine blood extracts in brake fluid for vehicles, as well as beef blood and albumen and/or chicken egg albumin used in every vaccine from measles to Avian flu – the REAL costs are astronomical. Even the chip makers and industry insiders are against this program!!
NAIS is a problem. Actually, NAIS is an American disaster. Why is it that Congress talks to those profiting from NLIS in Australia, and the Canadian profiteers, but not to the small farmers in those countries – and that when all of our politicians keep saying small farmers are the backbone of our country – it is virtually a second National Anthem – the very ones which will be driven to extinction by NAIS? Yet, many in Congress support the “food safety” bills (yes – in quotes because that is NOT what these bills are about!) and the NAIS program itself.
For at least the past 20 years Congress has been little better than a multiple-mouthed spokesperson for irresponsible corporations and foreign authorities that put money before truth, safety, health and even reality. People in this country are a bit tired of the abuses in Washington DC, and we are going to let you all know about it. Email is easiest, but there are phones and the post office if need be. Sir, you should have gotten a “white paper” from NICFA back in March before the hearing on NAIS… If you did not, I will be more than happy to send it to you – I aided in the research for the consumer portion of it.
With all due respect, if you are a member of Congress, be thankful if these are the ONLY alerts and opinions you have gotten until now on NAIS… You will eventually be called upon to vote on the NAIS issue, as well as the travesty of the so-called “food safety” bills. Your job, sir, is to listen to Americans and do as you were hired to do. It is NOT to legislate our “best interests” according to anything other than our opinions. Nor is it to brush off the concerns of American citizens because they go against your personal beliefs or preferences.
It is my responsibility as both a consumer and as a concerned citizen to ensure that members of Congress – ALL members of Congress – are aware of the facts of the issues on which they legislate. I understand that legislators do not have the time nor the desire to educate themselves on the details of every issue they legislate on, nor to read the bills (or even to write the bills) that they vote on. Its my job to make sure you are as knowledgeable as possible – BEFORE you vote.
Your ONLY responsibility, Mr. Goule, is to do right by the people you serve – which as a federal legislator is ALL Americans – not merely the ones that lined your campaign war chest to get promises from you. Which oath will you honor?
One does not need to be a resident of your district in order to contact you on any federal issue. This despite the attempts of many of your fellow legislators to limit contact to only “constituents.” To be fair, it isn’t all that hard, though… One only has to go to the web page of the legislator in question and use their home office address to get a message through – perhaps it was thought that many would be too lazy or too stupid to do so… Being in federal office makes ALL Americans your constituents. You might represent the people of your home state, but you legislate for all of us. Far too many of you seem to have forgotten that fact. Far too many citizens have as well. I have not.
Each – and every last one – of the 6 so-called “food safety” bills introduced and one “discussion draft” is unconstitutional. Not one does anything to promote health or food safety. NAIS is unconstitutional. NAIS does nothing for human nor animal health. Harmonizing United States laws to WTO rules despite harm and hardship to Americans is also unconstitutional as well. In fact, they have a special word for those actions. Further, some are just plain wrong… Take HR 875 for instance… It states (among other things) that NAIS is existing law. Unfortunately for Ms. DeLauro, NAIS is NOT law, it is not even out of draft stage. If it were, it would be fully implemented, in all three of its abysmal stages, and across the board in all states. It is not. I do believe people in DC are counting on the people outside of DC not to recognize the fact that to make that bill law, Congress and the President will also make NAIS law, by default. We do. And – we will not stand for it.
People are also being counted on to not know the difference between being “stakeholders” (legal definition: uninterested third party holding property for its rightful owner) and “landowners” or “livestock owners” or even “farmers.” Or, a better one is “premise” (part of and a conveyance on a deed) and private “property.” When the USDA contract with the State of Illinois states that the Illinois Department of Agriculture is to convince “farmers to register their farms as premises” – people did indeed start getting a clue. Why make that particular distinction if the terms were interchangeable?? Why hasn’t Congress asked about this?? Why is this information not important to the public servants elected to federal office? Why have you not questioned these items? Why has NO ONE in Congress questioned ANY of these things?
If NAIS is voluntary, why is it that not a single member of Congress has taken interest in the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund’s lawsuit against the USDA and the Michigan Department of Agriculture for making it mandatory through cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding? Why no interest in the civil forfeiture lawsuits happening in Wisconsin? Why no question as to why Mary Zanoni’s FOIA lawsuit was dismissed only to find out that the FEDERAL NAIS database used by the State of Wisconsin was housed in Canada and therefore was not subject to United States laws? Why all of a sudden, after the dismissal of the suit, did Senator Fiengold send a note on his letterhead that the database was “being moved back to Madison?” These are all foreshadowings of what we can expect if Congress decides to mandate the NAIS program. Why was Max Thornsberry shut down by the very same representative that asked him for the data on daily importation of TB in Mexican cattle – even when Dr. Thornsberry had the documents containing the data he attempted to give at the March hearing of the subcommittee on livestock, poultry and dairy? Not only was that behavior rude, it was obvious.
I have to say – listening to the two Congressional hearings on NAIS that have been held thus far this year has been rather like watching episodes of the Twilight Zone on TV – until one realizes that these legislators are serious. Then it becomes more like watching Titanic.
Dr. Thornsberry and American livestock owners will go down with the ship, while the corporate bugaboos will get the lifeboats – and Congress gets to look like it was actually doing something. I guess they felt looking like it was better than actually having to do it. Not many listening to those two fiascos were fooled – its more like we were fueled.
NAIS does not prevent importation (legal or illegal) of any animal disease. NAIS does not protect the food supply in any way. Given recent USDA reports of soaring pork, poultry and beef exports, as well as new market openings, it will not even boost trade. (It hasn’t worked for the Aussies, either) NAIS stops at slaughter, so it cannot prevent human illness caused by contamination in meat or meat products. Further – I defy anyone on the planet, let alone on Capitol Hill to tell me just where more than 100 microchips will fit into a single pound of ground beef!! NAIS would not and could not prevent the Westland/Hallmark recall of more than 143 MILLION pounds of ground beef last year, nor the recent Idaho and Illinois recalls of more than 39,000 pounds each. Of course, being livestock based, it would do nothing to counter the problems that the FDA ADMITS IT ALLOWED to continue at the peanut and pistachio plants. (Neither will any of the “food safety” bills – and they wouldn’t have stopped the spinach, basil, or tomato salmonella problems, either.)
If NAIS is truly only for animal health reasons as the USDA has stated before, then why is it claimed to be used for marketing, for recovery of lost and stolen animals, etc. If it is for reasons of food safety then why does it stop at slaughter when the CDC and FDA admit more than 90% of food borne disease happens AFTER slaughter? If it is for the quick detection of disease, why has the USDA cut testing? If it is for the prevention of the spread of disease, why are diseases included that have no permanent affect on animals and pose no threat to human health? Just what IS the reason for NAIS?
What NAIS does is cost the smallest producers, many of whom never even sell into any market, the very most, while leaving the corporate and industrial farms virtually off the hook. Small producers must tag and track every animal. A CAFO would need one tracking number for an entire herd of animals. 80% of farms are considered “small farms” in this country – more than 80% of those will be run out of business. NAIS tracks disease AFTER it occurs, and provides for the wholesale slaughter of animals that could otherwise provide much needed food for humans. Many of the diseases reportable now, let alone under NAIS do not pose a human threat. FMD does not pose a human threat. Scrapie does not pose a human threat. Exotic Newcastles disease, and most forms of Avian flu might – if one is unhealthy to begin with – maybe cause pink eye. Maybe.
Further, there are no exemptions from NAIS. No religious exemptions, no size or scale exemptions, no organic exemptions – none whatsoever. There are not even any provisions for size or scale fairness! NAIS allows for on demand inspections as well as USDA entry onto what WAS private property without warrant. Both serious constitutional issues. What about privacy issues? What about private property issues? There is no consideration provided in the program documents for the clouding (or possible transfer) of title.
It allows for a 6-mile-radius KILL zone (oops… .depopulation zone) around every positive test – without further testing. So, if they decide to kill off all but one cow in a six-mile radius, and then that one cow tests positive, you get yet another 6 mile radius kill zone going on. And this will save billions due to disease losses????? There are no provisions for reimbursement for any animal – not even for those tested after death and found to have been healthy. NAIS removes the liability of the government for damages caused without reason (and with reason in the case of diseases like TB, pseudo-rabies, etc).
Removing the liability while increasing the authority of the same government agency just ain’t gonna fly in this country. There have been far too many abuses already – even apathetic consumers are not going to put up with that.
FMD is listed as one of the diseases that will set this kill zone into effect. I am sure you remember what happened with the idiots in the UK. Well, what you might not realize is that farmers in the UK do NOT want their version of NAIS and have parliamentary backing for that position, FMD usually does NOT permanently damage the animals – its only real detriment is somebody decided it was a dollar figure problem (trade), AND, FMD covers more than one species – so we could knock out potentially all individual animals of more than three species over dozens to hundreds of miles for something that is merely someone’s idea of a dollar-killer.
BSE is another disease that will set off kill zones. BSE is NOT transferable between animals other than cow to calf. It is not “catching” unless neural tissue is consumed. Therefore, unless the farm in question is in violation of existing FDA feed bans, thousands of animals will needlessly die. Further, it was our own USDA – developers of NAIS – that decided it was OK to continue importing beef cattle from Canada – even tough – 4 of our 5 ONLY cases of BSE arrived from there, and they continue to confirm more cases of BSE to this day.
Avian flu is another biggie. There are countries where no birds are EVER allowed to see the light of day throughout their entire lives. Most often, the poor, those raising their own food, and the small farms are the targets. CAFOs have nothing to worry about – that is standard operating procedure for them. So are health problems in their customers. NOTHING that lives is healthy without sunlight. Nothing. So what happens – antibiotics and birds stuffed into barns with little more than three square feet per bird. Do the math – then figure out the cost to human health of the ingestion of all the chemicals and synthetic vitamins required to keep the birds ALIVE let alone healthy.
A disease becomes a “‘pandemic” because people in more than one country get it and a few die from it. However, as will the flying pig flu (swine flu) – far less than .001 % of the world population died from it. For H5N1 Avian Flu, the ONLY human to human transmission was between mother and child (H5N3 as well as H5N1 – the very same strain in those Baxter vaccines… Hmmm…Convenient.). Several others in the same household never got so much as a runny nose. Yet, Avian Flu is one of the government’s biggest sellers in the fight for intrusive and abusive federal and state programs in the name of protecting the public. I would suggest that people (most especially those legislating these programs!) should read the research (doesn’t require a college degree, though most if not all in Congress have obtained one), and make more intelligent, reasonable, sound decisions. If there is no proof one way or the other, how do you tell if Baxter is right or if I am??
This is pure INSANITY, Mr. Goule – pure, unadulterated (and criminal) insanity.
One does not need to be a scientist to figure out that four separate and distinct strains of DNA do not occur in a single virus in nature. Especially when two of those strains are swine flu, one bird flu and one human strain – but not until three weeks after Mexico first reported human cases, was it EVER found in pigs, and then it was found in Canada – where it has stayed. Um?! No question there? No United States investigation into Baxter Labs’ release of live avian flu to 18 countries – it is a US corporation.. Again, hmmm… The FDA can threaten the makers of Cheerios over a health claim on the label (one they previously allowed!), but they can’t investigate a level 3 security lab loosing a deadly virus on 18 separate unsuspecting countries in a shipment of vaccines?!?!?! Pardon me for being just a little bit incredulous.
No connection made between the fact that all 18 countries have not yet been publicly divulged – but – Baxter not only provided the vaccines for the pigs at the Smithfield CAFO in LaGloria where the first human cases occurred (the first boy lived a mere 600 yards from the “farm” in question) but also was the company of choice to develop the vaccine against this same swine flu? The public is questioning, sir, why isn’t Congress? No investigation? Also no proof I am wrong.
Just where ARE our Congressmen and women? Are you all on vacation somewhere? How do we reach you if not by phone, email or letter? Some of us can visit, but what of the rest? There is something fundamentally wrong in Washington DC, Mr. Goule, and you can help us start to fix it if you choose.
Its time for Congress to stop pandering to “vertically integrated,” profit motivated corporations, the UN, WTO and the ridiculous “trade agreements” – which were not handled through proper channels in the first place – and start doing your jobs. Just because Congress decided the public wouldn’t notice if they gave up on their responsibility to ensure the public safety and the sovereignty of this country by fast-tracking such crap through, does not mean that it was intelligent, legal or that it went unnoticed. It only proves that massive congressional recalls need to be implemented – and have been needed for a very long time.
Where are our statesmen??? All of you need to remember that “statesman” is a title that must be earned. It is not conveyed upon election. Politicians get elected. Statesmen have courage, integrity and a sincere desire to serve the public – and they exercise those qualities every day, convenient or not – apart from the lofty ideas delivered by hired speechwriters.
As a servant of the public, your job is to “do right by” American citizens, and to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic.” That means ALL enemies, Mr. Goule, in person and in policy. How can you do that if you refuse to learn the facts of those issues you must vote on? How can you do that if you cannot be bothered to read and understand the impact of the bills you support or oppose? How can you know if you do not ever check?
If only Congress would do its job as it was designed, nothing (in theory) should ever have to get to the Supreme Court…. Fortunately, our Founding Fathers knew better than to trust such power to one branch of government and created the court to do what Congress and the President would not. Unfortunately, they don’t seem much more interested than legislators or the President.
But that still does not excuse the fact that Congress hasn’t really done the job it was designed and contracted to do virtually since its inception. Then, since 1913 it has steadily lost interest in even trying, and since 1988 it has attempted to do anything but. All of you should simply just STOP cowering before central bankers, foreign organizations and major corporations, and start getting this country back to the way it should be.
I signed my oath as a public servant in the circuit court system. I had to request the paper, as the County official taking that oath told me I didn’t have to sign anything. Did you? Did ANY of you?
You need to know these things – like it or not. If it is documents you wish to see instead of opinions, please feel free to let me know. You can reply to this email, or my phone number is below. I have been collecting documents, as have several thousand others, for more than the last four years. We would be happy to send them along for you to educate yourself on the realities all of you seem so willing to dismiss.
There is an old saying about “50 million Chinamen can’t be wrong” – you have 97 to 98% of livestock owners in addition to untold numbers of consumers telling you there is a HUGE problem with this program and with those bills. When are legislators in Washington DC going to actually take an HONEST look?
We were once a great, powerful and wise country. We were respected everywhere on the planet. We had no need to go begging with our hand out to the likes of the WTO for permission to sell our goods. We had quality products made inexpensively right here at home. We had jobs. We EARNED our way. Now, we are a little better than a mere laughingstock. YOU – Mr. Goule – and men and women like you – can help return us to the glory this nation was founded to exemplify – but only when you act accordingly.
One final thought… The poor and the small farmers of the entire planet are looking to what happens here on this issue. Our country was built on the backs of the poor and the small farmers. We will not fail.
All it takes is one man of honor.
Let that man be you.
Sue Diederich
Palatine, IL
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