The Food Safety Bill: Deeply Flawed, But Still Needed

Josh Ozersky at Time.com:

The Senate's Food Safety Modernization Act, prematurely announced as a done deal a week ago, is stalled again -- or "doomed," if you go by some news outlets. In any case, it's in trouble. The Senate bill contains provisions for fees that could technically be considered taxes, and any bill with taxes has to start in the House. Nobody seems to have thought of this, and the clock is ticking as this little technical error morphs into a "potentially fatal" flaw. Part of the mystery lies in the fact that everybody seems to want our food to be safer -- so much so that the bill had the support of both parties, a consensus that these days is as rare as plutonium. In any case, the chances of getting a newly empowered FDA to protect us from pestilence are slim. But would our food supply be that much safer if the act ends up passing? I don't think so. I think the bill is a poor one. Here's why.

Read the whole story

Comments

[right Alice]

09:10 PM on 12/08/2010

Top Ten Lies About S. 510, The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

http://www.citizens.org/?p=2360

[TaurusRose]

03:30 PM on 12/08/2010

The FOOD Patriot Act

[EasyZee]

01:16 PM on 12/08/2010

I am against any food bill that Monsanto is in favor of. Monsanto is the most evil corporation imaginable.

[CharlesCT]

12:54 PM on 12/08/2010

This question has already been asked. Why is every bill deeply flawed? Think about that statement. A bunch of millionaires sitting around creating garbage. Then, "even flawed and expensive, we need this bill." Really? We need another bad bill? Is the flaw because big money got it and set it up so that it is useless? Flawed. Why?

[TaurusRose]

03:25 PM on 12/08/2010

I came to the thread to post just about the same thing. Thank you. F/f

[Independent4America]

12:42 PM on 12/08/2010

Why is all US legislation damaged goods before it even leaves the factory?
But we are told to just settle because this kind of half-a55ed bad legislation is better than none.
This disregard for quality and settling for any result however poor is what is killing the country.

[grn1]

12:09 PM on 12/08/2010

For the first time in the history of GMO's there was a television program addressing related health problems. After spending 5 years here bashing media for the wars and blshit news cycle a revelation of consumer interest appeared yesterday on the Dr. Oz show. I would like to believe where I spent a good part of my career was somehow an open forum of expression and art.Thank you to all those at the OZ show for giving people a voice.

[HazelPethigFan]

09:24 PM on 12/08/2010

i hoped they mentioned frankendrugs like insulin. Most insulin in this country is of the transgenic GMO variety. Human genes are transplanted into bacteria to produce GMO insulin. Where is the outrage? Why aren't people protesting diabetics?

How far will the antiGMO blsht go?

oh...and by the way...unfanned.

[grn1]

10:39 AM on 12/09/2010

they didn't but should have
http://archive.centerforfoodsafety.org/VentriaPR4_24_07.cfm
www.plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/gepts/Gepts%20APHA%2006.pdf
www.ucsusa.org/.../genetically-engineered-rice-0013.html
www.geneticallymodifiedfoods.co.uk/about-drugs-gm-foods.html
www.foe.org/pharmaceutical-rice-missouri-threatens-food-supply - Cached

Several years ago my good friend and coworker Harry, who was receiving dialysis died.
I went to the hospital to rub what was left of his legs (no feet) and comfort him with good laughs. He stood behind me, beside me, and above me in many ways. My concern for him was as equally rewarding as my concerns for natural foods.

I will not unfan you and understand your concerns.

[grn1]

10:20 AM on 12/10/2010

Oh and by the way I don't have any fans just friends

[jsgaetano]

11:53 AM on 12/08/2010

"Deeply Flawed, But Still Needed"
 
Isn't that what Democrats have said about everything they've passed in the last two years?  It's such a shame Obama and the ConservaDems have to put all their energy into opposing good policies.

[alexjones1]

11:50 AM on 12/08/2010

This bill was written and paid for by monsanto and cargill. It's only aim is to squeeze out mom and pop producers.

[right Alice]

12:29 PM on 12/08/2010

Exactly. Remove Michael Taylor from his govt
or govt-consultant position. His former ties to the company
suggest special interests, as did Che rtoff'sw/ thebodyscanners.

[EasyZee]

01:18 PM on 12/08/2010

Exactly! Monsanto is the most evil corporation imaginable. Any bill driven by Monsanto is a very VERY bad thing indeed. We need a bill putting and end to Monsanto, not one strengthening them.

[TaurusRose]

03:27 PM on 12/08/2010

You got it right.
And this from Obama who so fervently promised us: NO LOBBYISTS in his administration.
What a betrayal.

[totaldisbelief]

11:49 AM on 12/08/2010

Does "deeply flawed" mean loss of freedoms for you and I and more control for the corporations?

[Dead Che]

11:48 AM on 12/08/2010

Yes, we need more deeply flawed laws. We need more smart government types telling us how to live our lives, what to eat, how much water our shower head can use, what kind of light bulbs we "like", how much salt we can put on our food, and how big the tank on our toilet can be. We are way to ef'n stupid to figure any of this out for our selves.

[babybecks]

10:58 AM on 12/08/2010

Odd that you have to convince Americans that they should have the right to know where their food comes from. Go figure.

[jaeger1234]

11:42 AM on 12/08/2010

Odd that the government believes that they have the right to outlaw bake sales and pizza day at school

[totaldisbelief]

11:50 AM on 12/08/2010

I'm waiting for mass arrests at Farmer's Market's and shoot outs at roadside fruit stands.

[jsgaetano]

11:53 AM on 12/08/2010

Odd that conservatives think the government has no right to regulate food safety.

[alexjones1]

11:51 AM on 12/08/2010

Is that what you think the purpose of the bill is? You probably think the patriot act was patriotic don't you?

[babybecks]

12:06 PM on 12/08/2010

You're barking up the wrong tree with that one. But thanks for the condescending snark