On February 10, 2010 USDA announced that it will revise the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) policy and offer a new approach to achieving animal disease traceability. USDA concedes in their fact sheet that they were forced to once again alter their animal identification proposal due to the opposition of the American public. However, this is not the first time USDA has revised their wording and reshuffled the deck to get the public to register their premises and their animals with them.

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is preparing to issue a water moratorium in South County on well drilling and new construction water hook ups. This action is a direct result of successful litigation that eliminated the Pajaro Valley’s illegal tax imposed on farmers for the water withdrawn from their own wells. The water agency now owes tens of millions in reimbursement that it cannot pay.

Court warning to Planning officials -- immunity lost!  The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found a silver lining within a gray cloud. The Court applied the findings of the Supreme Court's Lingle v. Chevron to eliminate government's long-held defense regarding private property takings. The court ruled that government officials can no longer rely on the "substantially advances a legitimate state interest" defense when regulating property.

Kazman explains that as convenient as driving may be, it is much, much more than that. It is a lovely activity, and a moral activity, and control over it is one of the last things you would want to give up to any government.