HOW a CITY OR STATE BECOMES SOVEREIGN & TELLS FED GOV TO GO STUFF IT
Sedgwick, Maine has done what no other town in the United States has done. The town unanimously passed an ordinance giving its citizens the right “to produce, process, sell, purchase, and consume local foods of their choosing.” This includes raw milk, locally slaughtered meats, and just about anything else you can imagine. It’s also a decided bucking of state and federal laws. (for instance, THE DeLauro bill, the PHONY SAFE FOOD that makes poison legal ACT...) From David Gumpert’s coverage:   This isn’t just a declaration of preference. The proposed warrant added, “It shall be unlawful for any law or  regulation adopted by the state or federal government to interfere with the rights recognized by this Ordinance.”  In other words, no state licensing requirements prohibiting certain farms from selling dairy products or producing  their own chickens for sale to other citizens in the town.

I applaud the residents of Sedgwick for making such a bold stand. Three other Maine towns are also slotted to vote on a
similar ordinance in the coming weeks.

I wonder, though, about how enforceable such a law is if the state or federal government chose to challenge it. In response to
a similar question, Edwin Shank (ofYour Family Cow) commented on Gumpert’s post:

       I’m not one of the “lawyers here” but my observation is that when the local law chooses to prohibit more than
       the rest of the state, nation or organization they will usually get by with it. It is when local law moves to allow
       more latitude that the trouble starts.

       For example, I can imagine that if a county in PA would take a Humbolt CA position on raw milk, the state
       would take an it’s-up-to-them position. But if local law in an area moved to allow raw butter, cream, kefir &
       yogurt… I’m sure it would not get to first base.

       Still, I say Kudos to the fine folks of Sedgwick Maine. Their common sense bravery warms the heart of every
       awake American. If nothing else, their move will bring the ridiculousness of the situation to the consciousness
       of another percent or so of Americans. One American at a time the tipping point will be reached.

     Deborah Evans, one of the citizens of Sedgwick also commented:

       The problem with your question is that nobody really knows the answer. In Maine, there are maybe ten or so
       “citizen-initiated rights-based” ordinances like ours, passed in various towns in recent years, on a variety of
       issues. For instance, Montville passed an ordinance forbidding the planting of GMO’s several years ago.
       ME’s Dept of Ag wrote them a letter saying they could not do that according to some legal point, whereupon
       Montville’s counsel wrote back that they could do it because of a different point of law. As far as we know,
       that was that.

       Also, Maine has “home rule” for its towns in the statutes. The Maine Municipal Association published
       “Municipal Home Rule: Grassroots Democracy or A Symbolic Gesture,” (from Maine Townsman, January
       1983) by Michael L. Starn, Editor. In this article, he writes:

       Municipal home rule in Maine is both constitutional and legislative. The constitutional provision can be found in
       the Constitution of the State of Maine, Art. VII, Pt.2, §1, and was adopted in public referendum in 1969. The
       amendment reads:
      “The inhabitants of any municipality shall have the power to alter and amend their charters on all matters, not
       prohibited by Constitution or general law, which are local and municipal in character. The legislature shall
       prescribe the procedure by which the municipality may so act.”

        Local Food and Community Self-Governance Ordinance states:

(1) Producers or processors of local foods in the Town of Sedgwick are exempt from licensure and inspection
       provided that the transaction is only between the producer or processor and a patron when the food is sold
       for home consumption. . . .

       (2) Producers or processors of local foods in the Town of Sedgwick are exempt from licensure and inspection
       provided that the products are prepared for, consumed or sold at a community social event.”

       Therefore, we the radicals who concocted this mutinous act of infamy believe that according to the Home Rule
       provisions of our State Constitution, the citizens of Sedgwick have the right to enact an ordinance that is “local
       and municipal in character.”

       David posted a link to our ordinance template so please feel free to read it over as I think some of your
       questions will be answered there. Having founded our legal position in the Declaration of Independence and
       the Constitution of the State of Maine, we feel that if a challenge is posed it can only be resolved in a court of
       higher authority.

       The Farmer to Consumer Legal Defense Fund, the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and the
       Alliance for Democracy have all aided us in our efforts to construct this ordinance over the last year. We have
       had the civics lesson of our lives – and it all started with a few of us sitting around a farmhouse kitchen table,
       having been gobsmacked by our Dept of Ag over a “new interpretation” of the 1,000-bird processing
       exemption..

       Regardless of the outcome when all the votes are counted, Sedgwick and the other three towns have stood up
       and taken a stand on what matters in our communities. We know of several other towns who are just waiting
       to see how this goes before they jump in the game. Our State Legislators and Senator are very excited about
       this as it gives them a mandate to begin to make the changes at the state level. Right now there are three bills in
       the Legislature’s Ag Committee that address our issues at the state level, largely because our issues are
       everyone’s issues when you get right down to it. If citizens in enough towns in enough states stand up and take
       a stand on their local food system based on their inalienable right to produce and choose the food they eat, the
       Fed might have to listen! What a concept.

       As a country the majority of us have become politically lazy and complacent. If we want change we must take
       up the tools of the democracy bequeathed to us by the Founding Fathers, organize, and get the ball rolling.

       If anybody thinks real change happens any other way, look at our history: Long before our Constitution was
       amended, individuals and small groups of outspoken people put their lives on the line to end slavery, to allow
       women the right to vote, to end racial discrimination, etc. Look at the struggles to legalize something as basic
       as the right to home school your own children. Real change comes from the people. Period.

So, Kudos to the fine citizens of Sedgwick, Maine. May you inspire many other municipalities to follow suit!
 
 

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

THE ACTIVIST should utilize the internet and become  a POSTER which is what ANITA SANDS HERNANDEZ, Los Angeles Writer humorist,, Futurist and Astrologer does. She finds 'telling' articles, posts them and POSTS them at her website then sends the URL out to her TWITTER friends, her FACEBOOK readers and to her extensive EMAIL lists, --to people who she's noted are thinkers, do-ers and are likely to pass the information on.  The themes? HOLISTIC HEALING without doctors, but also for CATS AND DOGS  ,  TRUTHS the GOV WILL HIDE & NEVER TELL YOU,  The  FUTURE, WHAT'S COMIN' AT YA! FRUGAL LIFE STYLE TIPS,  and ALL the things you'll need to do to SURVIVE the COMING GREAT DEPRESSION,  Also cottage industries galore, like ARTISANRY FOR EXPORT, EARN EUROS... (and more.. see the dozen themes below) Anita is at astrology@earthlink.net ). Get a 15$ natal horoscope "my money/future life" reading now + copy horoscope as a Gif file graphic! No smarter, more accurate career reading out there!
 

<=== BACK TO THE HOLISTIC INDEX PAGE, HOW TO LIVE 150 YEARS

<=== BACK TO TRACKING THE ECONOMY, an INDEX PAGE

<===BACK TO MONEY SECRETS ONLY STREET SMART EXPERTS KNOW

<=== BACK TO  DIRTY SECRETS which the GOV DOES NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW

<===BACK TO THE SECRETS OF THE OLIGARCHS, THE EMPIRE INDEX PAGE

<=== SHOW ME THE FIX INDEX PAGE.

 <==  SHOW ME THE HAPPY R)EVOLUTION PAGE

<===  BACK TO "GUERILLA CAPITALISM" -- THE SOLUTION!

<==== BACK TO THE "VITAL SIGNS OF A DYING ECONOMY" the "FUTURE" WEBPAGE

<==== BACK TO THE WALL STREET MELTDOWN WEBSITE,  with "WHAT TO DO TO SURVIVE" TIPS

<=== BACK TO ENRON PLANET, the DOOMSDAY SCENARIO!

<====BACK TO THE HOLISTIC GOURMET, BON MARCHE

<=== BACK TO THE FRUGAL ARTISAN IMPORT/ EXPORT TYCOON AND HIS "STUFF"

<===  BACK TO THE GLEENERS PAGE

<==  BACK TO THE FUTURE INDEX PAGE

<=== BACK TO THE GENTLEMAN FARMER'S GARDEN INDEX

<=== INVESTIGATE DOING DRIP IRRIGATE- LINES in PUBLIC GARDENS as a CHARITY

<=== BACK TO "DONE WELL,  ACTIVISM IS A DELIGHT  and IT CREATES CAREERS for YOU as well as PLANETARY EVOLUTION"

<=== BACK TO THE MALTHUSIAN INDEX PAGE

<===BACK TO THE PHILOSOPHY INDEX PAGE

<=== BACK TO THE LUCK IN LOVE WEBSITE

<== BACK TO THE PROPAGANDA STUDIES WEBSITE, HOW GOV LIES TO YOU

<=== BACK TO ALL POINTS OF THE COMPASS POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY TUTORIAL

<=== BACK TO JERRY'S REFRIGERATOR & the Tin Foil Hat Collection of CONSPIRACY THEORIES!

<====BACK TO THE FREE MONEY WEBSITE

<==== BACK TO THE HARD TIMES WEBSITE

<===== BACK TO THE POVERTY INDEX PAGE

<==== BACK TO THE "TIPS to SURVIVE THE FUTURE" INDEX PAGE
BACK TO THE "FIX YOUR FLAGGING AMBITION" SEMINAR

<== BACK TO THE  SNOOKERED INDEX PAGE

<===BACK TO THE REALITY 101 SEMINAR FOR TEENS

<==== BACK TO THE SHOW BUSINESS PAGE, ARCHIVE, SEMINAR, WHATEVER YA WANNA CALL IT

<====HOW TO TINKER WITH OTHER PEOPLE's BRAINS

<====BACK TO THE NEW AGE EMPOWERING INDEX

<===BACK TO "HOW TO MERCHANDISE YOURSELF" INDEX

<===BACK TO THE ALL ABOUT TAXES INDEX PAGE

         <=== MEET ANITA SANDS WHO WRITES ALL THESE ARTICLES

        <=== TAKE ME TO THE HOLISTIC PET, HOW NEVER TO NEED a VET

       <=== BACK TO THE TRUTHS ABOUT DENTISTRY THAT WILL SAVE YOU 100 THOUSAND!

        <=== BACK TO THE SNOOKERED WEBPAGE, HOAXES WE HAVE ALL KNOWN

        <===BACK TO EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WEB STUFF (for dummies) so you can make your own website.

        <=== BACK TO THE CONVERSATION INDEX

        <=== BACK TO  REAL ESTATE BUYING FOR THE POOR PERSON. IT CAN BE DONE!

        <===== BACK TO THE PHILOSOPHIC DIFFERENCES  INTERPRETED  WEBSITE.

        <=== BACK TO "HOW TO MARRY A BILLIONAIRE" A 120 CLASSROOM SEMINAR that teaches THE SUPER BEAUTY how to GIVE UP JOCKS, SACRIFICE HERSELF AND SAVE THE WORLD

        <===BACK TO THE NUKE ME, I'M IMPERISHABLE!  WEBSITE