Guest guest Posted March 9, 2002 Report Share Posted March 9, 2002 The underlying principle in all of this is that milk is an opulence and not a commodity as it is now considered generally by most devotees. I don't know how much you wnat to rock the boat, but - IMHO, even the Indian temple system as it exists now with hired help and exiting animals is superior to the common practice in the US of just buying karmi milk. At least some cows get beter treatment and live in a dhama for at least a portion of their lives. One funding mechanism that would increase cow protection consciousness worldwide would be that every temple that doesn't maintain cows and does buy karmi produced milk (see how mellow I have become in my old age - previously I would ahve refered to it as blood milk :-) should pay a tax that would go to support cow protection programs at not only Indian temples but anyplace that does have their own cows. It could be as little as a 10% tax or even less, to the full 400% tax. The first 10% or so could be used directly for expenses, but anything above that would go to a capital fund, which could be used to generate income by building rental properties owned by the cow protection program, or purchasing additional land and building goshallas. Every $10,000 a non cow owning temple (adjusted by country) put into a trust, they could in perpetuity buy the milk some amount of milk, like what would be produced by one cow over an entire extended laction divided by the life expectancy of the calf. Temples could chose of the tax to go Indian projects or projects in their own country or zone, or it could be mandated that at least half of the first 10% go to India. Whatever. These are just preliminery ideas that can be tweaked or expanded upon. The tax could also be accepted voluntarily by all congregational members, with a strong example set by anyone fronting as a brahmana, and encouraged amongst all friends and life members of a temple. Consumption tax. Cut consumption by 10% and remit the 10% unspent on milk to Cow Protection Funds. Wealthy vaisyas and ksatriyas would be expected to give more, up to the full 400%. Compliance would be voluntary, but we all know who is the Supreme Cowherd boy, so only closet athiests would cheat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 10, 2002 Report Share Posted March 10, 2002 This is a great proposal! Cows need to be protected no matter where they are. We owe it to them! Y.s. Hrimati dasi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2002 Report Share Posted March 13, 2002 Dear all, --- Mark Middle Mountain <gourdmad (AT) ovnet (DOT) com> wrote: One funding mechanism that would increase cow protection consciousness worldwide would be that every temple that doesn't maintain cows and does buy karmi-produced milk should pay a tax that would go to support cow protection programs. The underlying principle in all of this is that milk is an opulence and not a commodity as it is now considered generally by most devotees. IMHO This type of sin tax would be very good and practicable if the authorities took it up as well. I am not sure if the option of milk as a commodity should be completely foreclosed, but a blood-milk levy could certainly bring in much needed finance to establish land for the animals. If so much was put forth by a family for their sin tax and for every amount there is also a consumption part, where they earn so much produce from the farm, then there is also a pull factor, not just a push factor, for moneys to be brought forward. Mark Try FREE Mail - the world's greatest free email! / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 13, 2002 Report Share Posted March 13, 2002 If so much was put > forth by a family for their sin tax and for every > amount there is also a consumption part, where they > earn so much produce from the farm, then there is also > a pull factor, not just a push factor, for moneys to > be brought forward. > > Mark The other thing is that it involves everyone in cow portection, not just those with hands on interaction with the cows. Which in this day and age of the dominance of urban culture is realistically going to be a very few. Tho rather than sin tax some more PC term like Cow Protection Adjustment, or CP Purification, CP connection Funding something something :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2002 Report Share Posted March 14, 2002 The sin tax is a great "concept". How will it be enforced? Also the common sense of this would be to also offer, devotee? milk to those who don't have or are incapable of having (i.e. city temples) their own cows. Years ago the 55th st. temple was recieving milk from Gita Nagari, which was at the time considered a "sister" temple. If the temples or individuals were able to buy or barter milk from Vaisnava cow product suppliers (ghee, butter, dung etc.) then those not willing to do so would more visibly be "guilty" of "sin" and a penalty (tax) could be invoked. But to establish a tax when for many there is no feasible alternative, is a kind of taxation without representation. p.s. i would prefer to buy some "composted" manure from a devotee than bags at Home Depot. obeisances eka Buddhi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 20, 2002 Report Share Posted March 20, 2002 If you mean the expiation fees would be built in, i am assuming you mean devotee milk would cost more?? Even so, my point is hopefully, long range. If you help those interested in being "cow people" in the working sense, then to me, the best case scenario is to create a supply and demand network. Now wishfullly thinking, there might be a demand. As you noted this milk should be more nourishing and more "offerable". BUT where is the supply. Why not figure out a real vaysha method of cow production. If it is a large community, engage in making butter, sweets, incense etc, things that can be shipped. If the farm is near a city, especially in america, there are usually "Greenmarkets" that cater to those wanting specialty items and organic goods. If there is a built in plan to make this endeavor something that will generate mooola ($) than the temples and individuals could possibly attract more people to help them. smaller farms should consider what they can manufacture that will produce a larger income to compensate for the protection of non-useful cows. Start composting that dung. offer haycart rides for birthday parties. Package some burfi (homemade carmels) to sell at local stores. Do this with the idea of engaging more people in the project (great for temples). If just a couple has to make all that burfi plus care for oxen it could wear them out. I'm not talking milking machines etc. I'm talking about taking advantage of the "new age" movement to get back to the earth, and encourage "mom and pop" business'. obeisances ekaB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2002 Report Share Posted March 25, 2002 Once again I am trying to catch up on everything. What Madhava Gosh is saying is correct. Just as the Indian temples/goshallas had gotten use to the idea that giving away their animals was okay (now that has been outlawed) the western temples have gotten use to the idea that to continuously buy Karmi milk is okay. So, my idea is that there is going to be a North American GBC meeting this May here at New Vrndavana and that this Ministry will make a presentation about this. Balabhadra is into it. I don't know that we can expect something to happen but it will raise the awareness that this is a serious situation that has been rationalised for years. So can we tweak this a bit? In other words what can be presented that might possibily be enacted or how should it be presented? I am thinking USA is a good place to start since they are very much aware of the overbreeding priniciple and have all slowed their breeding and only breeding for milk for the Deities, so possibly they are ready for the next step. And there is a good amount of temples in the USA and only 5 farms. Your servant, Chayadevi - Mark Middle Mountain <gourdmad (AT) ovnet (DOT) com> Devi Devi <vedadevi (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>; Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) pamho (DOT) net> Saturday, March 09, 2002 12:06 PM Re: report 2 > The underlying principle in all of this is that milk is an opulence and not > a commodity as it is now considered generally by most devotees. > > > I don't know how much you wnat to rock the boat, but - > > IMHO, even the Indian temple system as it exists now with hired help and > exiting animals is superior to the common practice in the US of just buying > karmi milk. At least some cows get beter treatment and live in a dhama for > at least a portion of their lives. > > One funding mechanism that would increase cow protection consciousness > worldwide would be that every temple that doesn't maintain cows and does buy > karmi produced milk (see how mellow I have become in my old age - previously > I would ahve refered to it as blood milk :-) should pay a tax that would go > to support cow protection programs at not only Indian temples but anyplace > that does have their own cows. > > It could be as little as a 10% tax or even less, to the full 400% tax. The > first 10% or so could be used directly for expenses, but anything above > that would go to a capital fund, which could be used to generate income by > building rental properties owned by the cow protection program, or > purchasing additional land and building goshallas. > > Every $10,000 a non cow owning temple (adjusted by country) put into a > trust, they could in perpetuity buy the milk some amount of milk, like > what would be produced by one cow over an entire extended laction divided by > the life expectancy of the calf. > > Temples could chose of the tax to go Indian projects or projects in their > own country or zone, or it could be mandated that at least half of the first > 10% go to India. Whatever. > > These are just preliminery ideas that can be tweaked or expanded upon. > > The tax could also be accepted voluntarily by all congregational members, > with a strong example set by anyone fronting as a brahmana, and encouraged > amongst all friends and life members of a temple. Consumption tax. Cut > consumption by 10% and remit the 10% unspent on milk to Cow Protection > Funds. Wealthy vaisyas and ksatriyas would be expected to give more, up to > the full 400%. > > Compliance would be voluntary, but we all know who is the Supreme Cowherd > boy, so only closet athiests would cheat. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 14, 2002 Report Share Posted April 14, 2002 > Once again I am trying to catch up on everything. What Madhava Gosh is > saying is correct. Just as the Indian temples/goshallas had gotten use to > the idea that giving away their animals was okay (now that has been > outlawed) the western temples have gotten use to the idea that to > continuously buy Karmi milk is okay. So, my idea is that there is going to > be a North American GBC meeting this May here at New Vrndavana and that this > Ministry will make a presentation about this. Balabhadra is into it. I don't > know that we can expect something to happen but it will raise the awareness > that this is a serious situation that has been rationalised for years Yes with all the bankruptcy stuff going on unlikely to see any serious financial committement this go around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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