Today's Downsizer-Dispatch . . . We weren't going to send any messages this weekend, but two things have happened that make it advisable to do so. First, the Agriculture Committee wants your comments on next year's farm bill. This is a perfect opportunity to focus our pressure on the handful of people in Congress who really make the decisions in this area. Therefore, it is also the perfect opportunity to oppose the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which is going to cripple small farms with huge costs, to the benefit of the big corporate farms. This opportunity is made even better because the Agriculture Committee has supplied their own online form for you to use to leave your comments. It's a very simple form, unlike most things the government does. This is your chance to hit a few politicians with thousands of messages, whereas we usually hit hundreds of members of Congress with just a few messages each. Seize the chance! Now here's the strange part . . . Even though they are seeking comments on next year's bill, the deadline for making those comments is TOMORROW! Go figure. And then go HERE and leave a message asking the Agriculture Committee to dismantle NAIS. If you need more information on NAIS you can find it on our NAIS campaign page HERE. Second item . . . Much to our surprise, we're very close to meeting our budget for December. We take it as another sign that we really are gaining momentum, because December has always been a terrible month for us. We only need $863 more to hit the mark. You can make your contribution HERE. Or, if year-end tax deductability is important to you, the contribution page for the Downsize DC Foundation is working again (oops!), and you can make your contribution there by clicking HERE. Thank you for being a DC Downsizer. Jim Babka President DownsizeDC.org, Inc.