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I can answer that!

As a conservative, and a long time FReeper, I can assure you I am opposed to big government and wasteful programs because it rarely helps and costs me lots of tax dollars I'd rather keep. Call me a cheap skate and a pessimist, but on this regard, I'm sure I have a heck of a lot of fellow travelers on this web site.

I'd like, as a minimum, a true accounting of the costs on this issue. Nothing the government does comes free or cheap. That isn't occurring. Everyone hems and haws about it, but the $70 million spent so far with only 100,000 farms registered with millions to go does not assure me.

Then there's the issue of liberty and freedom. I live out in the country in Alabama, where a lot of good, patriotic Americans reside and live a happy, simple life. Most of the old grannies and gramps have a few chickens and a pig or two, some folks have goats for milk and keeping brush down. This program says they'll have to register their home as a premise (all locations with livestock MUST). Now if they never take a single animal off the registered premise they'll have to register the animal. That's EVERY chicken, hog, and goat.

The country folk I know haven't even heard of this program. I only found out about it from Free republic. At first I thought it was a joke but all these requirements are truly part of it. It's simply crazy!

Fact is, the vast majority of people are not going to register their premises (as I said, few outside of full time livestock farmers even know about NAIS). They're not going to register their animals (the law says they don't have to if the animal never leaves the premises).

The big challenge will be if the proposed enforcement "events" occur. For example, Bubba Brown tries to take his hog to the slaughterhouse and they demand his premise and NAIS animal ID. If that starts happening, the law will fold like a cheap suit. You can't make instant lawbreakers of whole swarths of people without them seeking immediate relief from their representatives (who want to be reelected after all).

What about the Amish? I can't see them installing RFID chips on their cart ponies!

I do share Calpernia's concern of this program, but I'm pretty sure it will not be enforceable, and will have to be radically modified and toned down, much like Hillary's health care scheme.

As a conservative, and a long time FReeper, I can assure you I am opposed to big government and wasteful programs because it rarely helps and costs me lots of tax dollars I'd rather keep. Call me a cheap skate and a pessimist, but on this regard, I'm sure I have a heck of a lot of fellow travelers on this web site. I'd like, as a minimum, a true accounting of the costs on this issue. Nothing the government does comes free or cheap. That isn't occurring. Everyone hems and haws about it, but the $70 million spent so far with only 100,000 farms registered with millions to go does not assure me

Certainly no one likes gov't waste. Thank you for the non-hysterical and lucid answer.

Now if they never take a single animal off the registered premise they'll have to register the animal. That's EVERY chicken, hog, and goat.

If the concern is to be able to track outbreaks, I don't really have a problem with this. It is better that we know where diseased animals may have come from rather than shutting down the entire country's industry.

The big challenge will be if the proposed enforcement "events" occur. For example, Bubba Brown tries to take his hog to the slaughterhouse and they demand his premise and NAIS animal ID. If that starts happening, the law will fold like a cheap suit. You can't make instant lawbreakers of whole swarths of people without them seeking immediate relief from their representatives (who want to be reelected after all).

I can't get my car inspected without proof of insurance. I fail to see why this is any different.

What makes this a bad idea besides the fact that the gov't is doing it and some people may be ornery?