Joe Levi:
a cross-discipline, multi-dimensional problem solver who thinks outside the box – but within reality™

Defund the fraudulently-named Food Safety Modernization Act

Quote of the Day:

“We want to make sure we’re not over-playing the hand on the federal side because there is state inspection, and there’s a tremendous amount of self-regulation. Restaurants and food processing businesses of course don’t want to poison their clients, because they want them to come back.”

— Rep. Jack Kingston, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s agriculture subcommittee, on the YouTube EyeOnFDA channel

Yesterday we talked about a new tactic — de-funding agencies that assume unconstitutional powers. But we can also use this tactic against bad laws . . .

After a long, hard struggle, the falsely-named Food Safety Modernization Act passed in the lame-duck session last month. But if there is no money or personnel to enforce it, is it really a law?

Rep. Jack Kingston is the chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee in charge of the FDA. He is considering leaving the $1.5 billion cost of the FSMA on the cutting room floor. He’s interviewed in this YouTube clip.

We should encourage Kingston and his colleagues to de-fund this bad law that was passed by a repudiated Congress. As the letter to Congress below indicates, the FSMA will only bankrupt farmers, while failing to save any lives.

Please use our Freedom to Farm campaign to send your letter.

We have updated the hard-wired message . . .

Please repeal the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

You may borrow from or copy these additional remarks, or add your own . . .

Rep. Kingston, of the Appropriations Committee, is considering de-funding the FSMA. Please encourage him to do this.

Congress should be cutting spending anywhere it can. And the FSMA is completely unnecessary. According to updated CDC figures regarding food-borne illness, there is a . . .  http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html

  • 1-in-2,400 chance I will be hospitalized.
  • 1-in-100,000 chance I will die.

And the FSMA will do little to nothing to lower these chances. The CDC also reports . . .
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/foodborneinfections_g.htm

  • Three of the four most common food-borne diseases originate in animals, even though the FSMA has no jurisdiction over meat and poultry
  • The fourth most common disease, Calicivirus, usually originates with infected kitchen workers. The FSMA has no impact on this problem
  • Produce contamination is usually caused by factory-size, animal farms whose rivers of cow feces end up in the water supply, soil, or on equipment that comes into contact with fresh produce. The FSMA doesn’t address that problem, either http://www.naturalnews.com/030587_Senate_Bill_510_Food_Safety.html#ixzz16pkYVMPX
  • Food producers are already regulated and inspected by their state governments

The FSMA solves none of the problems that its supporters pretend exist. Worse, its compliance costs will drive many smaller farms out of business and allow Big Ag to control what I eat. That will make my food MORE dangerous.

The FSMA was passed by a repudiated lame-duck Congress. Do not fund their mistake. De-fund the FSMA, or repeal it entirely!

You may send your letter using DownsizeDC.org’s Educate the Powerful System.

And check out this articles from the Downsize DC Foundation . . .

Our Heresies: Against State Idolatry and the Mystical View of the State

The Foundation blog is updated daily with new information and analysis. Check it out!

Jim Babka, President
DownsizeDC.org

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