<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Monsanto’s man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Matt Rosenberg http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:15:39 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/1 I agree for the most part.

I would add that I have never forgiven Taylor for the concept of "Substantial Equivalence." He seems to love GMOs. However I disagree about HACCP. It is not simply making salmonella tainted food safe to eat. It establishes procedures to prevent contamination to begin with. It can also be implemented on a scale so that it is not onerous to small producers. Let's not forget that even small producers need to make safe food. (Bill Marler has discussed this.)

I also agree with you that his approach will likely cause consolidation in general and be much friendlier to large corporations.

In general I don't like Michael Taylor but I am hoping this was like the Vilsack appointment in that it will keep big ag happy while at the same time making life difficult for them to continue in their ways. Unfortunately I fear it's much more likely to be a case that big ag wants the regulation so they can cover their ass when things go wrong. This could save them a lot of $$, kind of like big tobacco having surgeon general's warnings to cover them. 

In the end it's probably more about the dollars than sick people and animals.

]]> I agree for the most part.

I would add that I have never forgiven Taylor for the concept of "Substantial Equivalence." He seems to love GMOs. However I disagree about HACCP. It is not simply making salmonella tainted food safe to eat. It establishes procedures to prevent contamination to begin with. It can also be implemented on a scale so that it is not onerous to small producers. Let's not forget that even small producers need to make safe food. (Bill Marler has discussed this.)

I also agree with you that his approach will likely cause consolidation in general and be much friendlier to large corporations.

In general I don't like Michael Taylor but I am hoping this was like the Vilsack appointment in that it will keep big ag happy while at the same time making life difficult for them to continue in their ways. Unfortunately I fear it's much more likely to be a case that big ag wants the regulation so they can cover their ass when things go wrong. This could save them a lot of $$, kind of like big tobacco having surgeon general's warnings to cover them. 

In the end it's probably more about the dollars than sick people and animals.

]]> Comment #2 by Jill Richardson http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:37:23 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/2 Party in St. Louis baby! This was a good day for Monsanto.

]]> Party in St. Louis baby! This was a good day for Monsanto.

]]> Comment #3 by x99x http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:27:09 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/3 For a week or so now depleted uranium tainted dust/sand has been blowing all over Kurdistan and even reaching up to Tehran... so... I'm thinking maybe we deserve to be terrified of our food and food czars....

Maybe I just need a nap.

]]> For a week or so now depleted uranium tainted dust/sand has been blowing all over Kurdistan and even reaching up to Tehran... so... I'm thinking maybe we deserve to be terrified of our food and food czars....

Maybe I just need a nap.

]]> Comment #4 by tingo http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:28:04 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/4 now there's a thought:  how 'bout PREVENTING the contamination from occurring in the first place ??  and probably the best way is to increase the number of available, knowledgeable, competent and ethical inspectors.  but that would be logical, full of common sense and we can't have that, can we ?  better to hire poorly trained, poorly educated, probably illegally present in the usa,  at cut rate wages. workers who have come from  places where personal cleanliness is not important or not possible to obtain without great difficulty.  add agribusiness top level administrators to oversee national food/water health is kinda like inviting the fox into the hen house, ain't it?  i'm certain these people know how to do things right, after all, one can't really cut corners unless one knows how something works.  well, this is preaching to the choir i think.  allows me to ventilate i guess.    aarrrgghhhh!!!!  tingo. 

]]> now there's a thought:  how 'bout PREVENTING the contamination from occurring in the first place ??  and probably the best way is to increase the number of available, knowledgeable, competent and ethical inspectors.  but that would be logical, full of common sense and we can't have that, can we ?  better to hire poorly trained, poorly educated, probably illegally present in the usa,  at cut rate wages. workers who have come from  places where personal cleanliness is not important or not possible to obtain without great difficulty.  add agribusiness top level administrators to oversee national food/water health is kinda like inviting the fox into the hen house, ain't it?  i'm certain these people know how to do things right, after all, one can't really cut corners unless one knows how something works.  well, this is preaching to the choir i think.  allows me to ventilate i guess.    aarrrgghhhh!!!!  tingo. 

]]> Comment #5 by The Unhealthy Truth http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:12:17 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/5 The parallels to the banking industry are striking, so perhaps we should consider this query:

Would we welcome Henry Paulson back to DC with open arms because of his inside experience at Goldman Sachs and in the Treasury?

]]> The parallels to the banking industry are striking, so perhaps we should consider this query:

Would we welcome Henry Paulson back to DC with open arms because of his inside experience at Goldman Sachs and in the Treasury?

]]> Comment #6 by texasjenny http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:39:37 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/6 @tingo:

"better to hire poorly trained, poorly educated, probably illegally present in the usa,  at cut rate wages. workers who have come from  places where personal cleanliness is not important or not possible to obtain without great difficulty." 

Racism is neither acceptable nor productive.

]]> @tingo:

"better to hire poorly trained, poorly educated, probably illegally present in the usa,  at cut rate wages. workers who have come from  places where personal cleanliness is not important or not possible to obtain without great difficulty." 

Racism is neither acceptable nor productive.

]]> Comment #7 by matther http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:48:52 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/7 Thank you, Grist, for uncovering this. This is actually a major scandal. One more big disappointment, executed behind the backs of all those good-intentioned folks who voted for Obama, because they were hoping for change. By putting an ex mon executive in charge, they have put the fox in the henhouse. Just like Bush and Cheney. This is the beginning of the end of hope for better, healthier food in the future. It is the beginning of the total domination and control over what we eat in the hands of a greedy, unethical global corporation, which does not care about the health and well being of people, but only about shareholder value and total exploitation of natural resources. The hubris and ignorance of these people knows no boundaries. This has ended my positive relationship with this administration, and taken away the last shred of hope that there might be an actual change for the better. I see no more difference in what this administration does to the previous one. "Why by their fruits you shall know them."

Not by their words! ]]> Thank you, Grist, for uncovering this. This is actually a major scandal. One more big disappointment, executed behind the backs of all those good-intentioned folks who voted for Obama, because they were hoping for change. By putting an ex mon executive in charge, they have put the fox in the henhouse. Just like Bush and Cheney. This is the beginning of the end of hope for better, healthier food in the future. It is the beginning of the total domination and control over what we eat in the hands of a greedy, unethical global corporation, which does not care about the health and well being of people, but only about shareholder value and total exploitation of natural resources. The hubris and ignorance of these people knows no boundaries. This has ended my positive relationship with this administration, and taken away the last shred of hope that there might be an actual change for the better. I see no more difference in what this administration does to the previous one. "Why by their fruits you shall know them."

Not by their words! ]]> Comment #8 by Username http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:35:20 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/8 Nice Article Tom, I enjoyed reading it.

]]> Nice Article Tom, I enjoyed reading it.

]]> Comment #9 by mtvyfan http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:41:53 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/9 Oh, great, here we go again! I just hope that President Obama will step in and stop this, but since he trusted Taylor as his interim ag advisor, I doubt it. Well, I guess this is one way to control our explosive population. The most cited genetic defect reported in independent tests is smaller testicles and fewer births in rats. In hogs they give birth to sacks of water after eating GMO corn. So, why not in our little children who are growing up on this crap.

Before any of you scientific types start blasting me on scientific reason why I am wrong as it seems happens everytime I express my OPINION again I am not a scientist, first check out http://www.responsibletechnology.org and see what Jeffrey Smith has scientifically cited for the real scoop on GMOs.

I do not believe Monsanto has any altruistic feelings for feeding the world all of that claptrap is pure marketing. Unfortunately, most of the governments of these countries believed them and are now paying the price. Monsanto has a lot of blood on its hands and karma will be paid.

]]> Oh, great, here we go again! I just hope that President Obama will step in and stop this, but since he trusted Taylor as his interim ag advisor, I doubt it. Well, I guess this is one way to control our explosive population. The most cited genetic defect reported in independent tests is smaller testicles and fewer births in rats. In hogs they give birth to sacks of water after eating GMO corn. So, why not in our little children who are growing up on this crap.

Before any of you scientific types start blasting me on scientific reason why I am wrong as it seems happens everytime I express my OPINION again I am not a scientist, first check out http://www.responsibletechnology.org and see what Jeffrey Smith has scientifically cited for the real scoop on GMOs.

I do not believe Monsanto has any altruistic feelings for feeding the world all of that claptrap is pure marketing. Unfortunately, most of the governments of these countries believed them and are now paying the price. Monsanto has a lot of blood on its hands and karma will be paid.

]]> Comment #10 by Catmoves http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:54:09 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/10 Couldn't agree with Matther more.

It is becoming more and more evident that putting the fox in charge of the hen house is standard methodology with the current administration. 

And do we really want to put Big Agriculture and its chemical approach to our food any further along the road to domination? I'm sick of thin shelled getting smaller daily eggs from our factories. I'm sick of overly salted foods just so Big Agri will have longer shelf life for its second rate food. I'm sick of meat rated "choice" that is almost "cutter and caner" level. I'm sick of all the damned chemicals taking the place of meat in my pet's food.

I'm getting kind of sick of the FDA, too.

And I'm getting sick of all the dang Czars (Tsars) being created by a man who does not see what he is doing.

He needs to start listening to the American side of things, not some foreign country's idea of what we should be and do.

 

]]> Couldn't agree with Matther more.

It is becoming more and more evident that putting the fox in charge of the hen house is standard methodology with the current administration. 

And do we really want to put Big Agriculture and its chemical approach to our food any further along the road to domination? I'm sick of thin shelled getting smaller daily eggs from our factories. I'm sick of overly salted foods just so Big Agri will have longer shelf life for its second rate food. I'm sick of meat rated "choice" that is almost "cutter and caner" level. I'm sick of all the damned chemicals taking the place of meat in my pet's food.

I'm getting kind of sick of the FDA, too.

And I'm getting sick of all the dang Czars (Tsars) being created by a man who does not see what he is doing.

He needs to start listening to the American side of things, not some foreign country's idea of what we should be and do.

 

]]> Comment #11 by amicus curiae http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:33:00 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/11 M   money

O  overrules!

N  natural

S  safe

A  acceptable

N  non chemical

T  trustworthy

O  organic foods!

My definition of what Monsanto is really about!

]]> M   money

O  overrules!

N  natural

S  safe

A  acceptable

N  non chemical

T  trustworthy

O  organic foods!

My definition of what Monsanto is really about!

]]> Comment #12 by Green Granny http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:11:43 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/12 A few days ago, someone at Common Dreams suggested a bumper stick that says "Don't blame me, I voted for Change."

I'm tempted to get post cards printed with that sentiment -- and mail them to Obama and his administration with a brief explanation every time they do these things.

]]> A few days ago, someone at Common Dreams suggested a bumper stick that says "Don't blame me, I voted for Change."

I'm tempted to get post cards printed with that sentiment -- and mail them to Obama and his administration with a brief explanation every time they do these things.

]]> Comment #13 by tingo http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/ Sun, 19 Jul 2009 04:01:53 -0700 http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/13 not THAT disinterested, no?  whut a great sign that would make !  tingo

]]> not THAT disinterested, no?  whut a great sign that would make !  tingo

]]>