S O U N D   O F F

March 27, 2008

As state and federal taxpayers we've read with interest the letters in various publications on the subject of mandatory premises registration for kids exhibiting at the Colorado State Fair. HB1129 would have prohibited the state fair from doing so. The bill passed in the Colorado House but was killed in the Senate. An attempt to attach it as an amendment to Sen. Isgar's SB1236 was blocked this week by Sen. Isgar.

Our objections, regards the exploitation of children for the sole purpose padding numbers to get federal grant monies, have been published in many venues, including the Greeley Tribune, Range Magazine and www.GoodNeighborLaw.com

As cow-calf producers, we can assure you that NAIS in its current form, is unacceptable to most livestock producers. It requires us to register our property in a database, which, in our view requests information we consider as Trademarked and personal.

The equity in our brand “Born and Raised in the USA,” lays in our genetics. We’re as against revealing that information as Pepsi would their pop recipe! That’s our livelihood!

Because there are no information privacy guarantees, most likely the information would fail a FOIA test. So if in fact we were forced into such, we’d be compelled to mark every item submitted with, Company Sensitive and Proprietary Information, and let government employees answer to penalties, fines and even possible jail time, for release of our information.

NAIS is still voluntary at the national level. For a myriad of reasons including cost burden, zero market benefit, and lack of government’s ability to provide vaccine before mortality, a vast majority of producers refuse participation.

Apparently, the Colorado Department of Agriculture and Chuck’s CSU alma mater, are accepting federal funding to implement this program. Since CDA provides oversight for the state fair, it stands to reason why Commissioner John Stulp leads the youth mandate process of premises registration.

This week a group of youngsters from Cheraw, CO were refused time on the State Fair Commission's agenda to speak their minds about this mandate. Why?

As long-time supporters of the Junior Livestock Sale at the Colorado State Fair, we will be forced to re-think our support because of this onerous action taken by CDA and the State Fair Commission.
To gift some individuals unjust enrichment from their exploitation of children...is criminal.
We ask that Governor Ritter call for an immediate “Cease and Desist” on CDA and the Colorado State Fair’s burden of premise I.D. mandate on our children.

Thank you,

Chuck & Roni Sylvester