What's Holding Up Food Safety in the Senate?

[Yeggo]

Two words: Tom Coburn.

I know I've been flogging this issue pretty hard lately, but as a chef, and someone who's dealt with state, local, and the occasional federal inspector from time to time, it's hard to imagine a better definition of dysfunction than a Senator being able to hold up a food safety bill because of an unrelated earmark ban amendment. I guess if you can't beat the opposition (the bill has bipartisan support), you can always try to cheat to win.

http://conversation101.squarespace.com/food-safety/2010/11/19/the-who-what-and-why-of-the-s510-delay.html#entry9523244

[truedelphi]

1. If there is any justice in the World, this Stupid piece of

Barnyard Excrement calling itself legislation will be held up forever.

This bill is to Food Safety as full body scans and groping is to national security.

[truedelphi]

4. Full examination of what this bill does in the NAME of

Food Safety.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9573997&mesg_id=9573997

[gateley]

2. They're like spoiled little children. I want what I want or I'm not going to play!

[ixion]

3. oh, you mean the Kill the Family Farm bill

hopefully it dies a horrible death.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

5. Kill this bill.

I'm usually seeing eye-to-eye with both Tester (author of the small-farm exemptions) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, Food, Inc.), but this bill is too draconian. It's a trojan horse straight from the desk of Monsanto designed to kill small farms in the name of media-overblown food safety. 2009: deaths in the US from food-borne illness, about 5000. Deaths from poorly regulated pharmaceuticals (several of which should never have even been approved by the FDA): 100,000.
My point is that the food safety issue is being wildly overblown in much the same way that the "War on Terror" has created a fearful populace eager to shed their liberties and embrace a "secure" state (see Patriot Act). Monsanto and the other food behemoths want people to be afraid of what they eat, and their friends in Big Pharma are only too happy for the obfuscation this issue is causing.

[Zoeisright]

6. Repukes don't give a shit about anybody except themselves.

And when THEY get food poisoning, they shriek to the high heavens.

Coburn is absolute pond scum.