Red Meat: Kills?

[Big Muddy rancher]

Tom Vilsack's Kind of Agriculture
Another Shill for Monsanto

By RONNIE CUMMINS

Yesterday's announcement that former Iowa Governor, Tom Vilsack, has been selected as the new Secretary of Agriculture sent a chill through the sustainable food and farming community who have been lobbying for a champion in the new administration.

"Vilsack's nomination sends the message that dangerous, untested, unlabeled genetically engineered crops will be the norm in the Obama Administration," said Ronnie Cummins, Executive Director of Organic Consumers Association. "Our nation's future depends on crafting a forward-thinking strategy to promote organic and sustainable food and farming, and address the related crises of climate change, diminishing energy supplies, deteriorating public health, and economic depression."

The Department of Agriculture during the Bush Administration failed to promote a sustainable vision for food and farming and did not protect consumers from the chemical-intensive toxic practices inherent to industrial agriculture. While factory farms and junk food have been subsidized with billions of tax dollars, the US industrial farm system has released massive amounts of climate-destabilizing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and increased our dependence on foreign oil.

The Secretary of Agriculture is responsible for directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its $97 billion annual budget, including the National Organic Program, food stamp and nutrition programs, agriculture subsidies, and the Forest Service.

While Vilsack has worked to restrain livestock monopolies, his overall record is one of aiding and abetting Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs, also known as factory farms). Vilsack's support for unsustainable industrial ethanol production has already caused global corn and grain prices to skyrocket, literally taking food off the table for a billion people in the developing world.

Over the past month, Organic Consumers Association members have sent over 20,000 emails to President-Elect Obama's Transition Team, calling for the appointment of a Secretary of Agriculture who would develop and implement a plan that promotes family-scale farming, a safe and nutritious food system, and a sustainable and organic vision for the future.

"Obama's choice for Secretary of Agriculture points to the continuation of agribusiness as usual, the failed policies of chemical- and energy-intensive, genetically engineered industrial agriculture," said Cummins. "Americans were promised 'change,' not just another shill for Monsanto and corporate agribusiness. Considering the challenges we collectively face as a nation, from climate change and rising energy costs to food insecurity, we need an administration that moves beyond 'business as usual' to fundamental change—before it's too late," concluded Cummins.

Vilsack's business as usual positions have included the following:

· Vilsack has been a strong supporter of genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops, especially pharmaceutical corn.

· The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He is also the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.

· When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child for economic development was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.

· The undemocratic 2005 seed pre-emption bill was the Vilsack's brainchild. The law strips local government's right to regulate genetically engineered seed.

· Vilsack is an ardent supporter of corn and soy based biofuels, which use as much or more energy to produce as they generate and drive up world food prices, literally starving the poor.

The OCA has launched an online petition campaign at www.stopvilsack.orgto mobilize hundreds of thousands of people to oppose Vilsack's Senate confirmation.

Additionally, OCA's nationwide network of 850,000 organic consumers are urging members of Congress to move beyond business as usual and implement a comprehensive strategy for organic food and farming in 2009 and beyond.

Ronnie Cummins is director of the Organic Consumers Alliance. He can be reached at: [email protected].

 

[Sandhusker]

MRJ, "Yes, Tex, USDA did deny Creekstone proposal for a reason. The accepted or available testing was/is not conducive to private use, as evidenced, IMO, by the failure of some government expert conducted tests which had to be sent to England to get the results, with the English commenting to the effect that it was a very difficult and complicated sample to test and it was no surprise that results were inconclusive in previous tests. "

Just because the government has a hard time with something, private industry will have a harder time? :lol: :lol: :lol: That sounds like Pelosi reasoning.

MRJ, "At that time, was there an infallibly accurate test for BSE? To force, which this would have done, testing of all beef for BSE with no test available which had a high percentage of reliability would have been a foolish decision. "

Two silly things about that statement that make no sense;
1) BSE testing would not of been forced on anybody. Get your facts right.
2) If the test is not reliable, what the heck is the USDA doing using them to protect consumers and the herd?

I'll give you an A+ for your loyalty to NCBA, but an F for reasoning, logic, and facts.

 

[CattleCo]

"Sound science was not invented by USDA, nor does USDA own the concept. "

Well we have Sec of Ag Vaseline in charge :roll:
We will have a National ID program...it will be totally screwed up!
We will see the bottom fall out of the food animal business and it will have nothing to do with the short supply..........all to do with shrinking demans due to lack of money to buy meat.
We will have more government controls and regulations that will put the smaller producer out of business and increase cost to the big boys!
Basically...........agriculture is screwed!
Thank you liberal moron democrats!

 

[Anonymous]

"Sound science was not invented by USDA, nor does USDA own the concept. "

Well we have Sec of Ag Vaseline in charge :roll:
We will have a National ID program...it will be totally screwed up!
We will see the bottom fall out of the food animal business and it will have nothing to do with the short supply..........all to do with shrinking demans due to lack of money to buy meat.
We will have more government controls and regulations that will put the smaller producer out of business and increase cost to the big boys!
Basically...........agriculture is screwed!
Thank you liberal moron democrats!

After the years of corruption, big corporate lobbyiest sellouts, and corporate fascist direction of the Espy's, Vennamans, and Johanns what would be new :???:

As long as you have Packer lackeys like NCBA and Farm Bureau - who are in the pockets of every big corporate that waves a dollar in their face--masquerading as cattlemans/producers groups, the farm/ranch/Ag lobby will remain split and weak and get little accomplished....

 

[mrj]

Ho Hummmm. Poor boys, some of you seem to have to attack others to make yourselves look good. Sad, but, on the other hand, it's no problem for me to do my part to lift your self esteem.

No, Sandhusker, not the difficulties, but the RESPONSIBILITY and the BLAME for failures.....which is ALL with USDA if they allow others to do that testing.

To the contrary, wouldn't the market force everyone to test if one does it?

The test was what was available at the time. Is there anything better today???

You claim I lack facts, yet you present nothing to refute what I say re. NCBA, Beef Checkoff, etc.

My comments are not as much out of loyalty, as to correct outright lies and lesser mis-information about the beef checkoff, primarily.

Lets, see, OT, Espy was a Dem., and was punished, I believe. Where were the charges and convictions for Veneman, Johanns, and any others you CLAIM are guilty of corruption, lobbyist sellouts and corporate fascist activities? BTW, what does that term mean, anyway?

I hate it as much as anyone that LIBERALS in Congress got financial industry laws gutted and regulations twisted to allow shysters to prosper at the expense of honest banks and other legitimate financial institutions. It does seem the more honest solution would be to work with the lawmakers we have not, and work to remove the offenders, and change those laws to reflect honest business people, especially those who have been harmed by those new rules and regulations over the past 10 to 20 years. They are not all new, by any means.

Sorry some of you cannot believe there are honest people in "big business" and those corporations you love to paint as evil.

Did you complain back when liberal, Democrat Farmers Union and others had USDA packed with their people?

mrj

 

[Anonymous]

I hate it as much as anyone that LIBERALS in Congress got financial industry laws gutted and regulations twisted to allow shysters to prosper at the expense of honest banks and other legitimate financial institutions. It does seem the more honest solution would be to work with the lawmakers we have not, and work to remove the offenders, and change those laws to reflect honest business people, especially those who have been harmed by those new rules and regulations over the past 10 to 20 years. They are not all new, by any means.


mrj

:lol: :lol: :lol: Comical Maxine-In fact plumb laughable- as how many of those financial Bailouts- and rules and regulations were introduced and promoted by your cultist Champion- Bush- and his appointees Paulson/Bernanke- and supported 100% by the Bankers/Financial world- because they know they've found out the big banking/financial/corporate world is made up of crooks- and unregulated- let GREED override ETHICS- and can't be trusted :???: ....
The same reason the consumers and producers don't trust the Multinational Corporate Packers/Importers self regulation anymore- and are asking for some oversight/policing...
If you'd have told me 8 years ago that Democrats could control the Congress and the White House- let alone a black man in the White House- I'd of told you were drinking too much gin again-- but about 4 years ago with the corruption and Corporate Fascism that took over this country with the last Administration (which included USDA and NCBA crawling in bed with the Packer Mafia in a Menage a Trois)- I could see the handwriting on the wall- and the backlash that was arising amongst the American people- and I predicted what that backlash would do in 06- and again in 08....

 

[Mike]

as how many of those financial Bailouts- and rules and regulations were introduced and promoted by your cultist Champion- Bush- and his appointees Paulson/Bernanke

One. Just one. To keep from having a run on the banks.

Any economist alive will tell you that the first one averted total disaster.

The Republicans voted against it though. It became a Reid/Pelosi Bill by the time it was voted in by the Democrats. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

as how many of those financial Bailouts- and rules and regulations were introduced and promoted by your cultist Champion- Bush- and his appointees Paulson/Bernanke

One. Just one. To keep from having a run on the banks.

Any economist alive will tell you that the first one averted total disaster.

The Republicans voted against it though. It became a Reid/Pelosi Bill by the time it was voted in by the Democrats. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Yep- right there tells the tale-- Playing partisan politics ahead of the benefit of the country-- and sadly thats whats been happening too much in this country- with both cults....Worrying more about filling their pockets with campaign money- or the next election- playing politicians and not statesmen worrying about the country and whats good for the people/consumers as a whole...

 

[Sandhusker]

OT, "Playing partisan politics ahead of the benefit of the country...."

You just described Obama's porkulus bill perfectly.

 

[Anonymous]

OT, "Playing partisan politics ahead of the benefit of the country...."

You just described Obama's porkulus bill perfectly.

Remember--42-45% of that Pork was put in by folks that have the cultist (R) by their name....Even my own (R) representative Rehberg (who I refused to vote for this time because he refused to answer my letters about why at the last minute he changed his position and voted to keep a trade embargo on Cuba- when for years Montana Agricultural groups have worked to set up a trading partnership with Cuba :???: -- and then since has taken over $10,000 in campaign donations from a Florida based Anti-Cuban Trade Lobbyiest Group :???: - sounds like he's taken lessons from old Conman Burns that we sent down the road kicking his lunchbucket :wink: ) stuck in what even McCain called the epitome of Pork--the building of the Montana World Trade Center in Missoula MT :???: -which will cost taxpayers $583,000-- and no body can even say what it does or what its for :???: ...

 

[Sandhusker]

OT, "Playing partisan politics ahead of the benefit of the country...."

You just described Obama's porkulus bill perfectly.

Remember--42-45% of that Pork was put in by folks that have the cultist (R) by their name....Even my own (R) representative Rehberg (who I refused to vote for this time because he refused to answer my letters about why at the last minute he changed his position and voted to keep a trade embargo on Cuba- when for years Montana Agricultural groups have worked to set up a trading partnership with Cuba :???: -- and then since has taken over $10,000 in campaign donations from a Florida based Anti-Cuban Trade Lobbyiest Group :???: - sounds like he's taken lessons from old Conman Burns that we sent down the road kicking his lunchbucket :wink: ) stuck in what even McCain called the epitome of Pork--the building of the Montana World Trade Center in Missoula MT :???: -which will cost taxpayers $583,000-- and no body can even say what it does or what its for :???: ...

BULLSHIT. That bill was written by Pelosi and endored by Obama. Republicans had NO input. I'm an Indendent, I'd calll the Republicans if they were part of it. They weren't even given ear service. That whole pig has a D behind it.

 

[Anonymous]

OT, "Playing partisan politics ahead of the benefit of the country...."

You just described Obama's porkulus bill perfectly.

Remember--42-45% of that Pork was put in by folks that have the cultist (R) by their name....Even my own (R) representative Rehberg (who I refused to vote for this time because he refused to answer my letters about why at the last minute he changed his position and voted to keep a trade embargo on Cuba- when for years Montana Agricultural groups have worked to set up a trading partnership with Cuba :???: -- and then since has taken over $10,000 in campaign donations from a Florida based Anti-Cuban Trade Lobbyiest Group :???: - sounds like he's taken lessons from old Conman Burns that we sent down the road kicking his lunchbucket :wink: ) stuck in what even McCain called the epitome of Pork--the building of the Montana World Trade Center in Missoula MT :???: -which will cost taxpayers $583,000-- and no body can even say what it does or what its for :???: ...

BS. That bill was written by Pelosi and endored by Obama. Republicans had NO input. I'm an Indendent, I'd calll the Republicans if they were part of it. They weren't even given ear service. That whole pig has a D behind it.

So then McCain- and the Taxpayers groups and Time and Newsweek Magazine were all wrong when they chastised Rehberg as being the #7 Porkulus adder-eh :???:

The really hypocritical part was when he issued press release after press release praising and bragging about all the pork he was bringing to the home folks- and what a good job he was doing for them--- then voted against it :roll: ......

 

[Mike]

Remember--42-45% of that Pork was put in by folks that have the cultist (R) by their name....Even my own (R) representative Rehberg (who I refused to vote for this time because he refused to answer my letters about why at the last minute he changed his position and voted to keep a trade embargo on Cuba- when for years Montana Agricultural groups have worked to set up a trading partnership with Cuba :???: -- and then since has taken over $10,000 in campaign donations from a Florida based Anti-Cuban Trade Lobbyiest Group :???: - sounds like he's taken lessons from old Conman Burns that we sent down the road kicking his lunchbucket :wink: ) stuck in what even McCain called the epitome of Pork--the building of the Montana World Trade Center in Missoula MT :???: -which will cost taxpayers $583,000-- and no body can even say what it does or what its for :???: ...

BS. That bill was written by Pelosi and endored by Obama. Republicans had NO input. I'm an Indendent, I'd calll the Republicans if they were part of it. They weren't even given ear service. That whole pig has a D behind it.

So then McCain- and the Taxpayers groups and Time and Newsweek Magazine were all wrong when they chastised Rehberg as being the #7 Porkulus adder-eh :???:

The really hypocritical part was when he issued press release after press release praising and bragging about all the pork he was bringing to the home folks- and what a good job he was doing for them--- then voted against it :roll: ......

Those Earmarks by both sides were added in the budget Bill a year ago. That was before the Democrat Caused Meltdown in the U.S. Economy. Some of them were good for the areas that they represent.

If Zer0 had been any kind of man..........he would have vetoed the Bill and started over from scratch like he promised during his campaign. Of course he didn't. He's a liar just like you are.

By the way. Alabama has a trade relationship with Cuba now.......Just as long as Cuba pays up front in cash................

 

[Anonymous]

BS. That bill was written by Pelosi and endored by Obama. Republicans had NO input. I'm an Indendent, I'd calll the Republicans if they were part of it. They weren't even given ear service. That whole pig has a D behind it.

So then McCain- and the Taxpayers groups and Time and Newsweek Magazine were all wrong when they chastised Rehberg as being the #7 Porkulus adder-eh :???:

The really hypocritical part was when he issued press release after press release praising and bragging about all the pork he was bringing to the home folks- and what a good job he was doing for them--- then voted against it :roll: ......

Those Earmarks by both sides were added in the budget Bill a year ago. That was before the Democrat Caused Meltdown in the U.S. Economy. Some of them were good for the areas that they represent.

If Zer0 had been any kind of man..........he would have vetoed the Bill and started over from scratch like he promised during his campaign. Of course he didn't. He's a liar just like you are.

By the way. Alabama has a trade relationship with Cuba now.......Just as long as Cuba pays up front in cash................

Those Earmarks by both sides were added in the budget Bill a year ago. That was before the Democrat Caused Meltdown in the U.S. Economy. Some of them were good for the areas that they represent.

And they couldn't ask to have them removed :???: Even when the homefolks didn't know what they were for :???:

Yep-- you guys keep the Rose colored blinders on-- and blame it all on the (D) cult-- with the (R) cult that controlled Congress 12 of the last 14 years- and D.C. for 6 of the last 8- being totally blameless- and the saviour of the US producer :roll: ....

That cultist mentality/backslapping is one of the biggest reasons we have the problems we have.....

 

[Mike]

And they couldn't ask to have them removed Even when the homefolks didn't know what they were for

Zer0's earmark wasn't removed. :lol: They just took his name off the Bill as a sponsor. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

You're much too easy.........

According to campaign promises he would not let a Bill come across his desk with earmarks. See what a Liar you two are? :lol: :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

And they couldn't ask to have them removed Even when the homefolks didn't know what they were for

Zer0's earmark wasn't removed. :lol: They just took his name off the Bill as a sponsor. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

You're much too easy.........

According to campaign promises he would not let a Bill come across his desk with earmarks. See what a Liar you two are? :lol: :lol:

So if one does bad--- thats license for all to do bad.. :???: Thats GW Bush type thinking.... :roll:

 

[Mike]

And they couldn't ask to have them removed Even when the homefolks didn't know what they were for

Zer0's earmark wasn't removed. :lol: They just took his name off the Bill as a sponsor. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

You're much too easy.........

According to campaign promises he would not let a Bill come across his desk with earmarks. See what a Liar you two are? :lol: :lol:

So if one does bad--- thats license for all to do bad.. :???: Thats GW Bush type thinking.... :roll:

It appears Zer0 thinks that way too. :lol: :lol:

None came out did they? Not even Zer0's....................... :lol: :lol:

Ya'll just can't help lying, can ya? :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Tex]

I am with Ron Paul on this one. If you don't have earmarks, the administration determines how money is spent and that is it. That is a real problem and the House and Congress have part of the responsibility to make sure taxpayer money is spent appropriately.

The big problem with earmarks has been their abuse of government for private (sometimes directly tied to Congressmen that have so been prosecuted) interests instead of public interests.

Often times earmarks are used to "bribe" a congressperson. More often than not, it is an inside game of party leaders (just as Bush misused the transportation bill).

Keeping partisan politics out of spending is not easy. There is too much leverage there by party leadership and is often abused. Getting non committee discussed earmarks out of bills is important because it does not allow the legislative process to hash out the garbage and people being able to see the "garbage".

One thing everyone has to realize is that the more government spending there is, the less private spending. There has to be a balance struck there. It should be the result of good policy and not partisan pay offs as it has too often been.

 

[Sandhusker]

And they couldn't ask to have them removed Even when the homefolks didn't know what they were for

Zer0's earmark wasn't removed. :lol: They just took his name off the Bill as a sponsor. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

You're much too easy.........

According to campaign promises he would not let a Bill come across his desk with earmarks. See what a Liar you two are? :lol: :lol:

So if one does bad--- thats license for all to do bad.. :???: Thats GW Bush type thinking.... :roll:

No, that's the exact thinking that I'm always giving you libs crap about! How many times have I said the following; " Once again, a liberal excusing bad behavior because somebody else did it. When do things ever get better in the liberal world of excuses and no accountability?

 

[Sandhusker]

I like it when the politics stay in PB, or at least the mud slinging politics.

I imagine that others who stay out of PB on purpose to avoid this may also feel this way

Just saying.

You've got a point, but nonsense can't go unchallenged no matter where it is.