|
||
New Menu in Capitol Cafeterias Ruffles Conservative Feathers
The seismic shift so many of us were hoping for after the November 2006 elections hasn't exactly happened, but there's one place where tremors of change are shaking up the conservatives--the cafeterias on Capitol Hill.
As Marion Burros reported in yesterday's New York Times, when Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of da House, replacing that rotund reactionary Dennis Hastert, she imposed an eco-friendly agenda on her Housemates: increased energy efficiency, recycling and composting, and an overhaul of the House cafeterias and food concessions to incorporate more local, organic and healthy options.
Pelosi's initiative, called Green the Capitol, began last month and has been met with predictable resistance from the fossil-fueled fossils who pride themselves on having taken the "conserve" out of the word "conservative."
Restaurant Associates, the company that sources the House's food, ran afowl of Agribiz lobbyists, who clucked their heads off over the fact that the company's website -- which the House dining services website links to -- extolled the virtue of cage-free eggs while highlighting the cruelty of battery cages. Egged on by the egg industry, the company deleted an explanation of why battery cages are inhumane.
The dairy lobbyists took umbrage, too, calling the Green the Capitol complaint line to object to the website's assertion that rBGH has "not been properly tested for safety." Restaurant Associates agreed to water down its statement on that, too.
A weekly agribiz newspaper called Feedstuffs published an editorial accusing Restaurant Associates and Compass group, its parent company, of being "advocates of vegetarianism" who are "hooked on propaganda of animal rights groups."
Others have complained that the new menu is elitist, pretentious, and an egregious misuse of tax payer funds. Granted, mocking sustainable sushi and fair trade coffee is a no-brainer for knee-jerk neo-cons. But it takes real chutzpah for the food lobby to whine about misuse of public funds; the House cafeterias are not--unlike Agribiz-- subsidized by tax payer dollars.
"In fact," as Perry Plumart, the deputy director of Green the Capitol, told the Times, "we make money and Restaurant Associates makes money."
The Senate's cafeterias, by contrast, operate at an annual deficit of $1.3 million. Who pays for that? As of now, there's no plan to "green" them -- or have them operate in the black. That, apparently, would be too progressive.
Follow Kerry Trueman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kerrytrueman
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I wish people on both sides would stop trying to politicize things like food, clean air, morality, kindness.
There are, believe it or not, some things that most people agree on, if you seek agreement. [Well, except for people who LIVE to disagree.]
If the diners at the cafeteria like the food, they'll buy it and that's great. If the cafeteria encourages recycling and wise energy policy, so much the better. If the conservative talking heads are trying to politicize this, shame on them. To the extent that you are doing the same thing, shame on you.
It's time to seek the moderate center in American politics. It's past time. All this arguing is bad for the national digestion.
Agra-business is an important part of GOP support. As it was for Bill Clinton(remember Clinton's good friends in the Arkansas Chicken Factories?) These Agra-vating assholes are also preventing small farmers from getting 'country of origin' labels because major meat packers and food processors buy much out of country. Since Reagan de-regulated the meat industry, how many food recalls have we had? Its about business and politics, not food safety or quality.
Sounds like it's still LAME eco-coolness...shut the lights off...eat apples...drink tap water...
bark at the moon...dance around in a little circle...
Jonah Goldberg was on the Daily Show last night arguing that organic farming is fascist. Apparently only industrial farm produce is the fruit of liberty. That is the level of discourse where we find ourselves.
Into this lunchroom comes Senator Obama preaching "unity." How can he expect to reach an accord with someone who thinks eating organic produce is fascism? If you support Senator Obama ask yourself this: how does one break bread with someone who thinks going green is some sort of evil conspiracy? Obama is doomed to failure because he is the favorite son of failure. At least Clinton reveals which special interests support her. Mr. Obama is much more coy and thus dangerous.
yes, we know no democrats eat poorly.
At least the regressives gave us 'Freedom Fries'
I'm forever thankful for that...
Thats meant to be snarky, for those of you who's flameguns have a hair trigger
... Argh, I referred to you as "..Kelly..", Kerry - my sincere apologies for that (so embarrassing)..! O_o ...
... Thank you for exposing how 'porcine' the mindset of the Right remains, Kelly! Poor 'Publicans, still mourning the tragic loss of "Freedom Fries" - ROFL..! ;) ...
Funny how the conservatives are so quick to vet any statement about food safety, but to call any the misstatements that this administration has said a lie will get charges of treason bandied about.
Pelosi has to do something to make herself seem useful. Going green is more appealing than rolling up her sleeves and supporting impeachment proceedings.
It would be nice to see a 'greening' of school lunch programs, as well.
THE CONSERVATIVE AGENDA IS CRIMINAL, CORPORATE WELFARE, ALL PART OF THE EVANGELICAL WAR AGAINST HUMANITY.
REMEMBER HOW WE GOT INTO THIS FIX,
BUSH BOUGHT THE 'MINDLESS CHRISTIAN VOTE' WITH HIS 'FAITH BASED BRIBES' AND IN RETURN CHRISTIANS VOTED FOR BUSH, GETTING HIM CLOSE ENOUGH TO STEAL THE ELECTION.
AN EVANGELICAL CRIMINAL IN THE WHITE HOUSE
BEGGING FOREIGN LEADERS TO LOWER THE PRICE OF OIL-
'HOW PATHETIC'
Let the Republicans slither back to their Waffle Houses and wash down their steak and eggs with all the oil they want.
Why do republiCONS love cloned meat, hormone and antibiotic infused dairy, and pesticide laden vegetables soooooooooooooo much???????
Sigh. Just another example in a long line of examples. We don't call them the "regressive right" for nothing. Don't forget, voters, THESE are the people Mr. Obama thinks he's going to compromise with.
C'mon John, win this thing so we can inject just a tiny bit of the 21st century and a little common sense into our government!
Go John Go.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
