Say No to EPA’s Cow Tax

Amanda Nolz November 26th, 2008

Today’s headline is about EPA’s desire to tax ranchers for livestock emissions. This proposed “cow tax” will have a colossal impact on the agricultural industry. I urge you to read more on this issue, and read the following press release sent out by NCBA’s Policy Affiliate Relations Manager, Elizabeth Bostdorff.

CALL TO ACTION: URGE EPA to NOT REGULATE GREENHOUSE GASES

Currently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is collecting comments on an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding regulating Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act.

WE NEED YOUR HELP to tell the EPA NOT to regulate Greenhouse Gases under the Clean Air Act since such regulation would be economically devastating to the entire U.S. economy, including the cattle industry.

There are two forms of the comments that you can submit to the EPA against this rule. See the Call to Action site at NCBA to access these forms. You can also submit your comments via email. Just send them to: a-and-rDocket@epa.gov and be sure to reference Docket ID# EPA-HQ-OAR-2008-0318 in the subject line.

PLEASE help us fight against regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act by sending a letter TODAY!

Deadline for letters is Friday, November 28th.

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15 Comments to “Say No to EPA’s Cow Tax”

tom kilgore Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 8:49 am

I think the time has come for a showdown. I will not pay this tax. I will either fight to the end or get out of the cattle business. The latter sounds pretty wimpy to me.
Bob Parish Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 10:06 am

If the EPA can do this will they want to tax familes with children or pets. This would be the final straw for a lot of producers. Someday when there is no more food people ignorant enough to propose this will wonder why.
Brian House Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm

EPA’ S Cow tax Would devistate not only cattlemen but all agriculture producers. Also very rediculas way for epa to make money..
Kelly Maxfield Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 1:45 pm

This country was founded on the Agricultural industry. We have taken this whole greenhouse issue too far. Just where does EPA think that our food and dairy products are going to come from in the future? The biggest problem that Agricultural producers have today is the negative intervention of the government. This is a horrible idea and will result in no solution other than millions of more American wondering where their next meal is coming from. We currently have capacity to feed our people. With these kinds of idiodic ideas we will be again dependant on foreign soures for a valuable commodity which will put us further in debt.
What are we thinking? The only hope we have is to be self sustaining and agriculture is one advantage we possess. This will cripple this industry. My suggestion is to cut thousands of useless government jobs that have nothing better to do than sit around and think up these idiotic solutions to provide more funding to keep the ineptness in government going for years to come. THIS INITIATIVE WILL HAVE A CRIPPLING EFFECT TO THIS COUNTRY!!! WAKE UP!!!
Mike Probst Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 1:50 pm

Just when you think this country has gone completely to the dogs, another stupid idea gets thrown at the good hard working people of America by the do-gooders of this country. The EPA wants to tax cows for methane gas! Give me a break that is worse than reintroducing wolves and closing slaughter houses for horses put together. Maybe those EPA brainchilds or politicians behind them, think that food comes from Safeway instead of the farm. Most of these folks making theses ridicules rules probably couldn’t feed themselves in the real world if they had to. I guess they want all agriculture producers in the country to go broke. What a joke.
Brad Boner Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

Our founding fathers had serious issues with unfair taxation. If the new administration is going to cater to these extreme environmentalists then we will have little choice but to take action to save our heritage. It seems I remember something about tea in a harbor somewhere that was caused by a situation very similar to this one.
Jordan Deru Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 6:27 pm

Taxes like this are what’s hurting the American People! How about working on something that will benifit the American People instead of hurting them more! In our current economic situation I have no problem paying taxes for things that help our wonderful country function; but paying taxes on how many people make a living on top of those taxes that are requried is only going to HURT the current economical situation not help it. If they want us to start spending money to stimulate the economy then how about giving us the break we need so we will have money to spend instead of taxing us more so we are forced out of business and have no money to spendat all!!
G R Peart Says:

November 26th, 2008 at 8:59 pm

We need to stop this now, the american people sould wake up to these tree huggers that are trying to take away our freedoms.
Soot Bredhoff Says:

November 27th, 2008 at 2:30 am

If the EPA imposes this tax it will be totally asinine.
Lloyd Thorsgard Says:

November 29th, 2008 at 1:25 am

I have sent the following email to a-and-rDocket@epa.gov but it keeps being rejected. Since today is the last day for comment apparently my comment will not be heard.

I must protest this proposal to tax emissions, as it applies to livestock. I see an estimate that it will cost $87.50 per beef animal. I own 700 little Longhorn mamma cows which are worth about $300. each on today’s market. That would be almost 30% tax on my property, just to maintain my right to keep them. Add another 1000 calves and yearlings and my license to operate would cost over $100,000. Is that annually? Even a small percentage of this tax number will devastate the livestock industry in the US. Where will the meat, milk and eggs come from in the future? If it comes via imports, will not there be an equal amount of methane produced and introduced into the atmosphere we share with the world? This is a sure fire way to destroy the entire economy of the US. Lloyd Thorsgard, Northwood, ND 58267
Mary Seidelman Says:

November 29th, 2008 at 9:41 am

I guess we should join Industry and move to Mexico and S. America.

Can you imagine, if this passes how meny dead auditors there will be? The boys out West will make sure of it. Real Cowboys know how to dispose of bodies
Steve Zinke Says:

November 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pm

We have a cow calf operation. I was reading the article on the EPAs cow tax. I am really wondering how us cattle farmers are going to keep going? It is a struggling economy. Over this last year we have had many dispersal sales and low prices for our product. The cattle farmers are hard working people. The goverment has never bailed out the cattle people. Now they want to put a tax on cattle? Which is such a rediculas proprosal. EPA has to much time on there hands. Do they know where there food comes from I wonder? Do they eat? It will be devastating to the Cattle industry. There will be cattle farmers that will go out of business right and left and it is a struggle right now anyway with the high corn prices we had to feed. We must have a bunch of idiots up there. There will be no cattle in the US if we dont care of our farmers. I am wondering if your dog takes a poo will we be taxed for that? Enough is enough! What is happening to our U.S? . Becky in Iowa
A. Mach Says:

November 30th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

Forget about gold, invest in lead! They can come and collect their blasted tax in person!
Jason Aiken Says:

December 1st, 2008 at 1:46 am

This is just crazy. A tax on cattle, when are we going to draw the line. If this tax takes hold many cattle producers will be forced out of business others will just cut their losses and shutdown there won’t be many producers left. When that happens where will our food come from. It will have to be imported right. So we will actually make it worse for everyone because prices will go up so the consumer surplus will go down. And we will be putting more polution in the air to get the products that we consume to our country. So where in this idea can you see it is a good one, I could not find it.
Amanda Nolz Says:

December 8th, 2008 at 10:28 pm

Wow! I couldn’t have asked for a better discussion table than the response to EPA’s proposed ‘Cow Tax.’ I’m so relieved and thankful that there are dedicated and brave individuals that will stand up and speak out when the time calls for it to protect the future of our industry. Keep the discussion coming. I look forward to hearing more from you on future hot topics in agriculture today. Thank you for your continued readership. God Bless!

-Amanda