WARNING! Govt to Nationalize Farming and Outlaw Gardens/Organic Farming!

[Crowish]

I have to say that this scares me more than anything and that is saying a lot.

 

[Minarchy4Sale]

Yup
And it is world wide. Our elected "leaders" are all behind it. it is part of the New One World Government.
And there is not a damn thing you can do about it , peacefully.
They don't care what you think or how much you complain. It is going to be done. It is already well under way.

There is alot we can do about it peacefully, but it requires us to take back our governing institutions, starting at the lowest level and working our way up.

 

[LittleLightShining]

I received a reply from NOFA-VT :

We -- NOFA and the National Organic Coalition, of which we are a member, are very aware of this and are watching it closely. We will be involved at the national level as the debate regarding these bills progresses& will be developing alternatives to protect small scale agriculture and organic farming.

 

[LittleLightShining]

March 10, 2009



Dear ___________,


Thank you for contacting me about food safety legislation. I share your concern that Congress must address the disturbing breakdowns in our nation's food safety network.


Salmonella outbreaks, melamine contamination and other recent breaches in food safety have shaken public confidence in our food regulatory system. The most recent outbreak, originating at the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plant in Georgia, has caused 8 deaths and infected 550 individuals. The most grievous aspect of this recent catastrophe is that the top executives running the plant are being investigated for knowingly distributing tainted products.


I believe Congress must give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the resources it needs to more effectively oversee food production. FDA decisions must be based on sound scientific evidence and must be immune from political considerations or influence from special interests.


The Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, on which I serve, held a February 11, 2009 hearing on the PCA Salmonella outbreak. Several bills are currently being written to strengthen food safety and protect consumers from dangerous outbreaks. I am committed to passing legislation that will increase oversight, transparency and accountability in our food chain, while not posing undue burdens on our small food producers in Vermont.


Once again, thank you for contacting me. Please continue to stay in touch and I will see you in Vermont soon.


Sincerely,

PETER WELCH

Member of Congress

 

[acptulsa]

Our small producers already have 'undue burdens', thank you. Adding more won't help. Why not try to find out how the existing governmental protections against salmonella completely failed us, before adding more layers of incompetence to further interfere with the layers of incompetence which are already failing us?

Just damn.

Time after time they say we need more regulation because regulation failed. We have got to make the public see the inherent fallacy here. And though we all believe the way to go is to eliminate this not-so-necessary evil, we would probably do better to ask, why not investigate and see what's wrong with the failed government we already have before we add more?

 

[amonasro]

So show me some examples from the bill which would allow nationalization of farms or ban organic farms/ gardens.

The language used is broad enough. Basiscally every restaurant, food distributor, or anyone who sells or processes food to be consumed is covered under this law. They will become Federally regulated and subject to Federal law and heavy fines. Simple as that. It will be like the FDA, only worse. Absolutely ridiculous.

SEC. 201. ADMINISTRATION OF NATIONAL PROGRAM.

(a) In General- The Administrator shall--

(1) develop, administer, and annually update a national food safety program (referred to in this section as the ‘program’) to protect public health; and

(2) ensure that persons who produce, process, or distribute food meet their responsibility to prevent or minimize food safety hazards related to their products.

---

SEC. 202. REGISTRATION OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND FOREIGN FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.

(a) In General- Any food establishment or foreign food establishment engaged in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding food for consumption in the United States shall register annually with the Administrator.

(b) Registration Requirements-

(1) IN GENERAL- To be registered under subsection (a), a food establishment shall submit a registration or reregistration to the Administrator.

(2) REGISTRATION- Registration under this section shall begin within 90 days of the enactment of this Act. Each such registration shall be submitted to the Secretary through an electronic portal and shall contain such information as the Secretary, by guidance, determines to be appropriate. Such registration shall contain the following information:

(A) The name, address, and emergency contact information of each domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment that the registrant owns or operates under this Act and all trade names under which the registrant conducts business in the United States relating to food.

(B) The primary purpose and business activity of each domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment, including the dates of operation if the domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment is seasonal.

(C) The types of food processed or sold at each domestic food establishment or, for foreign food establishments selling food for consumption in the United States, the specific food categories of that food as listed under section 170.3(n) of title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, or such other categories as the Administrator may designate in guidance, action level, or regulations for evaluating potential threats to food protection.

(D) The name, address, and 24-hour emergency contact information of the United States distribution agent for each domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment, who shall maintain information on the distribution of food, including lot information, and wholesaler and retailer distribution.

(E) An assurance that the registrant will notify the Administrator of any change in the products, function, or legal status of the domestic food establishment or foreign food establishment (including cessation of business activities) not later than 30 days after such change.

---

(b) Regulations- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall promulgate regulations that require all food establishments, within time frames determined by the Administrator--

(1) to adopt preventive process controls that--

(A) reflect the standards and procedures recognized by relevant authoritative bodies;

(B) are adequate to protect the public health;

(C) meet relevant regulatory and food safety standards;

(D) limit the presence and growth of contaminants in food prepared in a food establishment using the best reasonably available techniques and technologies; and

(E) are tailored to the hazards and processes in particular establishments or environments;

---

SEC. 405. CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES.

(a) Civil Sanctions-

(1) CIVIL PENALTY-

(A) IN GENERAL- Any person that commits an act that violates the food safety law (including a regulation promulgated or order issued under the food safety law) may be assessed a civil penalty by the Administrator of not more than $1,000,000 for each such act.

(B) SEPARATE OFFENSE- Each act described in subparagraph (A) and each day during which that act continues shall be considered a separate offense.

 

[tangent4ronpaul]

Subject: Our prediction comes true

The Congressional war against small business continues. The Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (H.R. 875) will create a new food safety bureaucracy, and require a "traceability" program for "food production facilities and food establishments."

These new regulations will drive many small farms and restaurants out of business. Big Business can afford the compliance costs and will benefit from the reduced competition as smaller firms go bankrupt. Consumers will face fewer choices and higher prices, but will we really get safer food in return, and will it really be worth the cost?

Congress would have to know a lot of things that probably can't be known in order to evaluate this question, but they're charging ahead anyway, re-engineering society on the backs of small business owners.

Part of the bill's intent is to absorb already-existing food-tracking programs. Section 210 (d)(4) says the new food-tracking system must be "consistent with existing statutes and regulations that require record-keeping or labeling for identifying the origin or history of food or food animals," including "the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) as authorized by the Animal Health Protection Act of 2002 (AHPA)."

The contention that NAIS was authorized by the AHPA is wrong. NAIS implementation has never been authorized by any Congressional legislation. It's a bureaucratic initiative.

This false assumption gives NAIS the aura of Congressional approval. Instead . . .

This is another step on the road to converting NAIS from a "voluntary" program to a mandatory one. This is exactly what we predicted three years ago when we launched our anti-NAIS campaign.

H.R. 875 is a de facto "authorization" of NAIS. It makes the penalties laid out in the AHPA applicable to participants of NAIS. It also presumes that NAIS can be "required," or made mandatory for all owners of livestock and poultry -- even exotic pets.

Up until now Congress has largely ignored NAIS, but Rep. David Obey, who introduced the Omnibus Appropriations Act, included $14.5 million for additional NAIS funding and has specifically expressed his intent that the money will be used to implement NAIS aggressively according to the USDA's September 2008 Business Plan (written by bureaucrats as well).

This plan includes:

* Forcing cattle owners to use NAIS "840" RFID (radio frequency identification) tags when they participate in vaccination programs
* Increasing compliance in the sheep and goat industries through new regulations and "increased emphasis on enforcement."
* Requiring premise registration for horse owners who must submit their horses for EIA testing
* 98% compliance by July 2009 for poultry and swine
* 90% compliance by July 2009 for horses, sheep, and goats
* 60% compliance by Oct 2010 for cattle

These figures reflect the USDA's goal of near-total control of every aspect of the livestock industry.

Such control isn't possible without aggressive, heavy-handed means. There's already enough opposition to NAIS to make those targets impossible. That means farmers that don't comply will be run out of business.

Many who do comply will lose their businesses because of the compliance cost.

This issue is important right now because a hearing is scheduled on H.R. 875 on Wednesday, March 11. Please check the list in the P.S. to see if your Represenative serves on the committee, and if they do, please call them.

For the rest of you, we need to prepare the Congress to vote against H.R. 875 should it get out of committee. Use our simple Educate the Powerful System to . . .

************************************************************

https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/46

************************************************************

* Tell your Representative and Senators to strip NAIS from any pending legislation
* Tell them to introduce legislation to abolish the program entirely

Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.

Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.

P.S. The subcommittee members are . . .

Joe Baca (D-CA), (p): 202-225-6161
Leonard Boswell (D-IA), (p): 202-225-3806
Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), (p): 202-225-6131
K. Michael Conaway (R-TX), (p): 202-225-3605
Jim Costa (D-CA), (p): 202-225-3341
Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), (p): 202-225-5431
Tim Holden (D-PA), (p): 202-225-5546
Steve Kagen (D-WI), (p): 202-225-5665
Steve King (R-IA), (p): 202-225-4426
Frank Kratovil, Jr. (D-MD), (p): 202-225-5311
Betsy Markey (D-CO), (p): 202-225-4676
Walt Minnick (D-ID), (p): 202-225-6611
Randy Neugebauer (Ranking Minority Member), (R-TX), (p): 202-225-4005
Mike Rogers (R-AL), (p): 202-225-3261
David P. Roe (R-TN), (p): 202-225-6356
David Scott (Subcommittee Chair), (D-GA), (p): 202-225-2939
Adrian Smith (R-NE), (p): 202-225-6435

 

[LittleLightShining]

In my disgust I called Welch's office and wasinformed that 875 is going nowhere. Our efforts should be aimed at HR 759. I was also cautioned that the text of the bill is misleading because it is being changed in committee and the text available for viewing is not the current text of the bill.

I was told that 759 only deals with interstate commerce so local food producers would be minimally impacted by this legislation. I haven't spent much time looking at it yet. I guess I know what I'm doing for the afternoon.

 

[fedup100]

This is all about control. Control of whether you or your kids can eat. This is about starvation and THIS MY LINE IN THE SAND!!

These so called "public servants" that are nothing more than Lords and Ladies that sit daintily in the peoples house and fart through silk have legislated their own undoing. This bill will be the last nail in their coffin.

 

[LittleLightShining]

I'm having the same problem seeing the text of 759 as I was with the other bill. I was able to access the first section and that's it. If anyone else is reading it please be sure to share your findings.

 

[Zippyjuan]

HR 759 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-759


But you probably meant this one: HR 759 http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h759/text

 

[LittleLightShining]

But you probably meant this one: HR 759 http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h759/text

Yes, that's the one. Thanks for the link. My computer doesn't like Thomas for some reason.

 

[pinkmandy]

I'm reading 759 now. I find it even more alarming! All the fees, the surveillance...no, I'm not liking this at all.

 

[Acala]

Black market

The future is in the underground economy.

In the Soviet Union, the command economy was so inefficient that a huge percentage of food and other goods was produced and traded outside the official economy. People grew vast amounts of food for commerce on the small plots of land they were allowed to have supposedly for growing food for their own use. Without these highly efficient private farms operating in the midst of the lumbering socialist agricultural machine, the people would have starved to death. And so the Politburo wisely ignored this capitalist "disease" within the worker's paradise.

This is going to be our future. The above-ground economy is going to be so stifled by taxes, regulations, and fiat money that it will be unworkable. But the government will not have the means to effectively stamp out the underground economy. Keeping a low profile and bribing local officials will keep you in business.

I advise eveyone to figure out a way to make a living in the underground economy - raise chickens, repair machines, build solar ovens, make wood gas generators, sew, grow organic food, raise bees, etc. You will be able to trade these services and products for the services and products of others.

 

[pcosmar]

Does anyone here understand,
Agenda 21

Google it.
Read it
Understand it.
It is your future.

 

[LittleLightShining]

Does anyone here understand,
Agenda 21

Google it.
Read it
Understand it.
It is your future.

I hear you. But what do you suggest we do? Just ignore all the steps they're putting in place to get us there because it's futile? What are we here for?

 

[Bettawrekonize]

The future is in the underground economy.

In the Soviet Union, the command economy was so inefficient that a huge percentage of food and other goods was produced and traded outside the official economy. People grew vast amounts of food for commerce on the small plots of land they were allowed to have supposedly for growing food for their own use. Without these highly efficient private farms operating in the midst of the lumbering socialist agricultural machine, the people would have starved to death. And so the Politburo wisely ignored this capitalist "disease" within the worker's paradise.

This is going to be our future. The above-ground economy is going to be so stifled by taxes, regulations, and fiat money that it will be unworkable. But the government will not have the means to effectively stamp out the underground economy. Keeping a low profile and bribing local officials will keep you in business.

I advise eveyone to figure out a way to make a living in the underground economy - raise chickens, repair machines, build solar ovens, make wood gas generators, sew, grow organic food, raise bees, etc. You will be able to trade these services and products for the services and products of others.

Things are not the way they used to be back in those days. Now a days, if you modify your house without telling the government (ie: to avoid taxes) they see it via satellite and send you a bill (I've heard of a couple of instances of this). You can't grow anything illegally and hide it as easily from the government anymore, the feds can watch anything you try to grow. Having an underground economy won't work like it used to (things are much different now) the government has cameras everywhere monitoring everything and technology is so much more sophisticated. You want rights, you have to stand up for them, reverting to old techniques of evading government control illegally is not the same today as it used to be (things are much different now thanks to technology).

 

[s35wf]

This is all about control. Control of whether you or your kids can eat. This is about starvation and THIS MY LINE IN THE SAND!!

thank all of you for jumping on this. im spreading the word as much as i can given time constraints. if anyone needs any assistance on trying to save their home whether it be refi or loan modification, pm me.

Helena 407-230-2757

 

[pcosmar]

I hear you. But what do you suggest we do? Just ignore all the steps they're putting in place to get us there because it's futile? What are we here for?

I CAN NOT suggest what to do. That would violate forum rules.
I do know that writing the people that have an interest in promoting this will do no good.
Our elected Representatives are not interested in stopping it, in fact many are solidly behind it.

We can only educate others. Get Mad, and get ready.

 

[Acala]

too much

Things are not the way they used to be back in those days. Now a days, if you modify your house without telling the government (ie: to avoid taxes) they see it via satellite and send you a bill (I've heard of a couple of instances of this). You can't grow anything illegally and hide it as easily from the government anymore, the feds can watch anything you try to grow. Having an underground economy won't work like it used to (things are much different now) the government has cameras everywhere monitoring everything and technology is so much more sophisticated. You want rights, you have to stand up for them, reverting to old techniques of evading government control illegally is not the same today as it used to be (things are much different now thanks to technology).

You give government too much credit in the effectiveness category. And I know - I work for the government.

I give then straight "A"s in treachery, greed, ruthlessness, immorality and violence. But in effectiveness they get an "F". People have ALWAYS been able to evade government scrutiny. At this very moment, under the watchful eye of the supposedly all-seeing government, a MASSIVE underground economy is operating. Government can't keep up with enforcement of existing laws, let alone a NEW raft of micro-managing laws. You can and, if you want to survive, will participate in the underground economy. The only question is will you prepare now so you can do it well or will you be playing catch-up?

And, by the way, dropping into the underground economy helps starve the beast and build community. In other words, it helps prepare for the change when the moment comes.