Mark Berninghausen asserts that
"Compared with the number of possible occurances, these bad occurances
are, or have been, few."

I must respectfully disagree.  The bad occurrences so wildly outnumber
the good ones that it is literally impossible to count them.  Mark and
others here confine their accounting of bad outcomes to beekeepers,
while studiously ignoring those most harmed by these programs: the
people who are forced to pay for them.

When the state of New York (or any other state) funds a bee inspection
program, it takes money by force from millions of people.  The
overwhelming majority of these people have better uses for their
money.  They would not willingly give their money to bee inspectors. 
If one argues that bee inspection benefits everyone, then why are
these programs not funded by free market means?

Walmart or McDonalds never force anyone to buy their products. Money
is given to all private-sector businesses willingly, because the
person making the purchase believes they will be better off with the
product or service and without the money.  If they don't believe that,
they keep their money and save it or spend it elsewhere.  The essence
of trade is that both parties do so willingly, because both benefit
from the trade.

There are many ways that beekeepers and others with an interest in
healthy bees could tackle the problem without resorting to the
violence and theft inherent in government programs.  Dues paid to a
voluntary association might confer the priveldge of adding certain
claims or trademarks to the honey labels.  If inspections really do
improve the productivity and health of the bees, then surely it is
worth the most to the beekeeper.

One thing that would never happen with a free-market bee inspection
service is having unknown, uninvited agents arriving unannounced,
trespassing on private property, and sticking filthy tools unwashed
after countless inspections of unrelated hives with unknown pathogens
into what had been a healthy colony.  This scenario is repeated over
and over again in even the best-run government program, but it would
never be tolerated in a private business.  The owners of such a
"service" would be properly charged with trespass and required to
compensate bee owners for all damages.

If New York beekeepers desire an inspection service, by all means
create one and run it by whatever rules you please.  But please don't
force those of us who disagree with your assessment of the benefits to
fund your business with money stolen from us at gunpoint.

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