Rebel With a Fork Blog

Archive for the ‘Legislation’ Category

Ah yes. I live in Illinois. The land of crooked politicians. And Senator Durbin is really pissing me off. From the so called ‘food safety’ to the supplement labeling – he is determined to cut our access to healthy foods and vitamins.

I can’t wait until we finally find out out much he is being paid by Monsanto, Big Pharma, and Big Agri. Maybe Monsanto has promised him a big cushy job when he loses the next election. But if he gets any of this crap passed that will be too late for us.

Never have I seen a public servant exercise such disdain for his constituents. OK, maybe that’s not true. George Ryan was a real creep.

One thing I’ll give Durbin. He is tenacious. If he can’t get one bill passed, attach it to an appropriations bill where no one will notice and vote on it during a holiday – at night.

In today’s release from the  Alliance for Natural Health they reported -

Since he’s having trouble getting his own bill passed, he’s trying a different approach to get the same results. New Action Alert!

For weeks we have been telling you about Sen. Dick Durbin’s disastrous Dietary Supplement Labeling Act, which attempts to impose harsh limits on supplement availability by giving the FDA major new powers to make arbitrary standards and rules that will curtail supplement sales. Read the rest of this article >>>

 

 

Related articles

• CEI “Durbin Dollars” (volokh.com)
• Sen. Durbin Defends Reform Despite New Bank Fees (npr.org)

Nutrition and public policy expert Marion Nestle gives her annual predicitions on Food Matters for 2011 -

I am so disappointed in our leadership now.

What I don’t understand is on one hand you have Michelle Obama fighting to get kids to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, at the same time the government is making real food less available.

It has passed, and we just have to get on with life and eat the best we can for as long as we can. At some point we won’t have a choice. Everything will be a chemcial concoction. Our grandchildren have been guaranteed a life of sickness and dependance on prescription drugs. I think that is really sad, but it appears that there is nothing we can do about it at this point. Our voices have meant nothing against the influence of Monsanto.

But their grandchildren will die too, unless they have some secret garden. I think ‘they know not what they do.’

For today, we lay down the political battle and enjoy some great food. Make it a point to eat the best foods available while you still can.

The congressional vendetta continues…

I thought this was done. But congress continues to hold the American public hostage while they attempt to shove through their last pet projects before leaving. And how does the Monstano Protection Bill keep getting attached to a budget bill?

A grass hut in Belize looks more attractive by the day.

I’d ask you to take action again – but I don’t think it matters to them one bit what we think. They are going to do what they want before they leave office. I guess they’ll show us, huh? Monsanto must be paying them a ton.

If you care to try anyway – here is the latest action alert – (the other one hasn’t shown up yet) http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=j4X87cQS5%2FUAiCtUjilajg3kUDan3Cy1 

Related articles

• American food safety bill not what it seems (rt.com)
• War Over Monsanto Gets Ugly (nwoandsecretsocieties.wordpress.com)
• “The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s investments in Monsanto and Cargill have come under heavy criticism (African Agriculture)” and related posts (desertification.wordpress.com)
• “They are in the Process of Owning Food, all Food.” How Monsanto is Eating our Food Sovereignty (georgedonnelly.com)
• Analysis: Seed leaders Pioneer, Monsanto see S.Africa backlash (reuters.com)
• Americans are fattest people in developed world (still) (rt.com)
• Monsanto’s losing bet on GM sugar beets has bitter repercussions (grist.org)
• Monsanto obtains approvals for corn and soybean products in Latin America (newstatesman.com)

Related articles

• Tell the Senate to Strip S.510 from the Continuing Resolution! Lame-Duck House Sends Fake Food Safety Hot Potato Back to Senate. (pumabydesign001.wordpress.com)
• “More About the Food Safety Act” and related posts (ruralvotes.com)
• Slight of hand – Food safety bill moved into appropriations bill (bellalu0.wordpress.com)
• Betrayed again: S.510 fake food safety loaded into government funding resolution (ppjg.wordpress.com)

We will need to publicize  every Senator and Representative who takes part in this. So far it appears that they intend to pass whatever they want, no matter how loud the outcry has been from the people. We can only assume that they are being paid enormous amounts to totally disregard the wishes of the people who put them in office.

Here’s a personal video message for you

Take Action Here -

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/750/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5264

And/or here -

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/568/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4613

Call your Senators -

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Related articles

• URGENT ACTION NEEDED: Tell Your Senators to Support Family Farms (planetsave.com)
• Will Food Safety Reform Hurt Small Farmers? (food.change.org)

 How did the much needed food safety bill get so bogged downin corporate protectionism?

We need better enforcement of food safety regulations in big commercial farms and food production. No one will argue that. People have died as a result of commerically produced foods.

So why were small farms, locally grown and produced foods, and even supplements included in this bill? None of this is the problem – at least when it comes to food safety.

It is a problem however when it comes to big corporate profits.

The growing trend to eat locally produced food is cutting into profits.

Not only is it cutting into Big Food profits now, but it will cut into Big Pharma profits if God forbid, people actually started to get healthy.

If everyone were to start eating healthy – companies like Monsanto, Con-Agri, Kraft, Tyson, Perdue, Baxter, Abbott, and many others who depend on you eating cheap fake foods and getting sick would be in big trouble.

People are starting to wake up to that fact and growing their own food, buying organic, or buying at local farmer’s markets. Even having your own chickens has increased in popularity.

The solution?

Take away the right to obtain real food, or take supplements.

If Congress would have addressed the real problem and passed a real food safety bill that took care of some of the shortcomings in current regulations, or geez – even just made sure that current regulations are being enforced – it would have been easy.

But in the world of back rooms deals, the companies have to agree to regulations?

Yes, that is how it works. The regulations are negotiated.

And they only way they will agree to regulations is if their profits are safeguarded.

Your health and well-being mean nothing. It’s all about your money. If they need to keep you sick to keep profits flowing, so be it.

I for one am totally sick of being sold out to protect corporate fat cats.

I am totally sick of watching people’s lives be ruined by obesity and sickness so that they can protect their profits.

I am disgusted.

You don’t have to be fat.

You don’t have to be sick.

You don’t have to spend your life savings on medical expenses.

At least not yet.

Take action today to protect our right to real food.

Call:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Email:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/568/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4613