“If we invested one tenth of the amount of time, money, and effort that we do on the war on terrorism on these food safety poisonings, we would reduce, probably by a factor of ten, the poisonings of Americans, which are in the tens of thousands every year. I would suggest in this hearing if we think of this threat in these terms, then we will respond accordingly.”
That was Congressman Jay Inslee at today’s House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations’ hearing on “Diminished Capacity: Can the FDA Assure the Safety and Security of the Nation’s Food Supply?” (Itchmo has thorough coverage of the hearing.) And in fact, the situation is much worse than even Rep. Inslee describes. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:
An estimated 76 million cases of foodborne disease occur each year in the United States. The great majority of these cases are mild and cause symptoms for only a day or two. Some cases are more serious, and CDC estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to foodborne diseases each year.
I conclude my piece in The Nation by highlighting that in the six years since 9/11, ten times as many Americans have died from foodborne illness than died in the terrorist attacks. Rep. Inslee rightly points out that had Osama bin Laden been responsible for the E-Coli, melamine and other poisonings, we would do something about it, and at only a fraction of the cost of Bush’s “war on terror.”
But of course, that would require an administration that actually believes that ensuring the safety of our domestic food supply is a legitimate role of government.
PROGRAMMING NOTE:
I’m filling in for Frank Shiers tonight on 710-KIRO, and Ben from Itchmo will be my guest in the 11PM hour, talking about today’s food safety hearing.
Awesome. I’ll be listening.
If Osama had been responsible for tainted food imports in 2001, our esteemed administration would have indeed done something in response.
They would have invaded Iraq.
And invaded Iran.
How about a two-tiered food system? Those willing to pay taxes to have food inspected, identified, and labeled get to eat such food, and those who are unwilling to pay such taxes get to eat whatever else they might find on the market?
@4
Seems to me that this will result in the poor being fed crap. If, instead of taxes, you mean a premium price tier that producers sell that guarantees quality at that price, it’s a good idea.
Let’s hope that the first people to die from tainted food are all children of Publicans.
I’m wondering how uninformed and fucking delusional you moonbats are.
Your “leaders” are talking about “redeployment” in Iraq. Do you know where they want the soldiers to go? Of course you don’t know… because the fucking liars in the media that lead you around by the nose don’t want you to know.
They want to send them to Kuwait. And Saudi Arabia. To sit in “Rapid Deployment Centers.”
So…
Based on OBL’s previous rants, will putting our troops in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia appease him and make him stop being mean to us?
You fucking people are dangerous. People (including women and chirrns) are gonna die because of you fucking idiots.
Why do you come in here other than to shit on the furniture, you tired waste of time? Have you no life other than to annoy people? Does your value system thrive on the contempt of others? What a psychopath. No wonder the conservatives are doomed.
The dow broke 14,000 recently….. Psssssssssttttttttttt
What the heck was that… hehehehe..ah, that was the last of the hot air leaking out of the donk lie “worst economy in 50 years”.
Hey Dan – Don’t you know that only the “investor” class benefits from the stock market.
The average fucking loser here gains nothing from the stock market. They live for the moment and save nothing. They have no “investments” and no prospects of ever getting ahead due to their lifetime of bad choices. They fail to take advantage of our free/subsidized edujimication system, breed early and often like fucking animals, do crime, and fuck up their heads with booze and drugs. And then wonder what the fuck happened.
The reason they’re democrats is because it’s their only salvation. They must vote for those who will take from The Producers and give to The Takers.
Fuck them. Let them starve to death in the cold in the dark. Like I say, “If ya want what I got, do what I do. If ya lack the moral character, intelligence, or industry, fuck you.”
Chadt 8 – You can know a person by who hates them.
I’m proud to be hated by the fucking idiots who live here.
Loser…
I don’t hate you, Mark. You’re not worth it. You annoy me for the same reason that houseflies do.
******BREAKING NEWS*********
Carnation Washington
RS News source.
RS – Today the Ames Lake HOA decided that the flowers in the culdesac circles should in fact be carnations. Club President Darcy Burner, recently defeated democrat for congress, delivered a brief statement. “Today we made great progess for the Ames Lake HOA and set an example for other HOA’s in keeping with the traditions of our founders…Carnations are a great choice for the Ames Lake HOA and I’m proud to sign this notification to the HOA making it official.”
The DB for Congress campaign had this statement.
“today’s decision and signing show the kind of experience and leadership that the 8th district can expect from Ms Burner if she is ever elected.”
Must suck to see the lowest ratings in recent history for the Publican party knowing the economy is going so great. Good thing we Dems will get all the credit. And there’s NOT ONE FUCKING THING you baby-raping, draft-dodging, right wing traitors can do about it! HE HE!
One of my great-grandmothers died in 1938. I blame President Roosevelt.
Hey Stefan, how’s your lawsuit against Dean Logan and KCRE coming along? Have you won yet? When are you going to share the proceeds with the generous donors to your “legal action fund” who helped pay for your lawsuit? Is there any money to distribute? Did you survive summary judgment? Why have you been so quiet about your lawsuit lately?
ROGER RABBIT ON VACATION
Hey trollfucks! While I’m gone, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! (ha! fat chance) I’ll see you when I see you, unless they hang you for treason first.
Quick, Roger is gone….
Invade Iran…..
**just a little Joe Wilson humor for ya**
Stupidman: Dream on if you think the Moonbat!s are getting credit on the economy.
Let me help you.
New Budget FY08 started when Stupidman?
Who was the president when the FY08 was approved?
Who held the senate when the FY08 was approved?
Who held the congress when the FY08 was approved?
Why do you continue to pay overpriced sticker prices? Cuz you drink the libtard kool-aid!
Who the hell is KingBud and why is he imitating Mark the Housefly? Are they the same psychopath? Which is the dominant personality? Or IS there a personality?
I love Jet Blue sponsoring Daily Kurse Convention!
Well I guess I’ll still be at 100% not flying Jet Blue! Since this is a FREE country, I can exercize my freedoms and stay away from Jet Blue.
Hurry Moonbat!s, take Jet Blue.
chadt, apparently you don’t pay attention to much around on ASSWipes!
Low memory quotient and a Moonbat! to boot.
I’m sure you fly without an aircraft, much less Jet Blue.
chadt: Don’t do drugs so I have no idea what you be speaking about.
Et tu?
My mistake. The turkey IS a flightless bird.
Neocons don’t believe that the “public good” is a valid concept.
This is one of the guiding “principles” that our first retarded president used.
re 9: If the Dow goes up, you credit Republicans. If it goes down, you blame the Democrats.
You are not saying anything — other than that the market goes up and down and political parties exist while that’s happening.
Idiot.
Is there such a thing as a Wingbat or a Moonnut? I guess Lieberman is BOTH!
@10
Mark you’re sound more management than working class in that screed. Red Necks are working class. Red Neck meaning a sun burned neck from working outside and all that and meaning that you are poor rural and white.
Time to change your name to greedy upper-class bastard. You aint no red neck.
He’s a psychopath. It’s probable that nothing he says is true.
It’s all part of his attempt to annoy.
@30
Yeah.
MTR seems to think being a “Redneck” will some how piss us off and I want to take that away from him.
Headlice: The DOW went up in the Clinton years, after the congressional change in 1994. So what is your point?
Oops… my bad is was the Dot Bomb bubble. Did little loony loocie lose some bucks then? Awwwww.
Vote Kucinich – HE KNOWS ALL!
Chadt@25: And at Arlington Stadium in Texas, their barbequed legs are great!
90,000 people in the U.S. die every year from hospital-acquired infections, and no one does anything about that either. Pathetic.
@33 Buuzzzz Buzzzz Eat some shit and fly around Buzzzz
Pyschobud’s rewarding life….. Eat some more shit and try to avoid the flyswatter
Too funny!
Puffybutt’s wife says she agrees with me. Dems will get all the credit for this great economy. And no matter which alias the traitor is using, she’d rather have my dick than his anyday.
chadt @ 35,
Appropriate response, given that Arlington Stadium hasn’t been used for big league ballgames in over a decade. LOL.
Jay Inslee IS a food-borne disease!