Stop Agribusiness Control of Food Safety Appointments-Contact Congress

[Guest guest]

Friends,

 

Help stop a former Monsanto executive from working in the White House!

Currently America is in the middle of a record food safety crisis and it

could get a whole lot worse.

There's a possibility that former Monsanto executive Michael Taylor and

irradiation proponent Dr. Michael Osterholm will be named to top food safety

spots in the new Administration.

We need your help to defend America's food supply. Write Secretary Vilsack (

_AgSec_ (AgSec) ) and tell him to stand strong on

food safety.

Ask Secretary Vilsack to say no to Taylor and Osterholm.

1. _Michael Taylor_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/339e54c855/id=25\

90 & name=Michael-Taylo) , a former Monsanto executive,

whose career literally fits the definition of _the revolving door_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/59b3bdca7a)

between

government, lobbying and corporate interests. Before serving on the Obama _ag

transition team_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/cb81a97294) ,

Taylor made a name for himself rotating in and out of law

firms, Monsanto, the USDA and FDA. While at the FDA he helped write the rules

to

allow_rBGH_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/a58dc620f4)

into the American food system and our children’s milk.

Now we’ve learned that Taylor may be in line to run an office in the White

House on food safety!

2. On Monday, Secretary Vilsack is set to announce _the appointment of Dr.

Michael Osterholm_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/d36c4c9c79) , a

food safety expert, to lead the Food Safety agency at

the USDA. According to _Food & Water Watch_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/8c0752f446) ,

Osterholm has been “a zealot in

promoting th[e] controversial technology (of _irradiation)_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/7545edb4e2) as

the panacea to

contaminated food.â€

Irradiation allows food processors to_ nuke disease_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/6c259e5d53)

from contaminated food at

the end of the production line, while ignoring the root problems that create

unsafe food.

For Osterholm, the recent _peanut butter fiasco_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/a33cbdc799)

apparently was just another

example of how irradiation could save the day. " _Clearly it's a problem_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/7788012dd9)

where the raw peanut butter or paste is consumed and not cooked, " Osterholm

said.

 

About the magnitude of America’s most recent food safety crisis, Osterholm

said, " The recall has reached a level that is far beyond what's necessary. "

 

Try telling that to the relatives of the nine people who died and to the

over 600 sick individuals across the country.

 

" This was like peeling an onion, " Osterholm continued. " It demonstrates the

magnitude of processed food in this country. "

 

Well, at least he got that much right…

The problem, Osterholm doesn't take constructive criticism of his favorite

technology lightly. In 1999 he wrote _an editorial calling food safety

advocates who questioned the safety of irradiation terrorists_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/8ebb71c777) .

This doesn't sound like the type of leader that the USDA needs right now. If

you think this is bad news, let the Administration know about it!

Join Food Democracy Now! in calling for true reformers to be placed in

positions at the USDA, FDA and beyond. We need a food safety system with some

teeth - one that is independent of corporate interests.

Write Secretary Vilsack and ask him to reconsider these decisions.

 

If you’d like to see Food Democracy Now! grassroots work continue, please

consider _donating as little as $10 or $25_

(http://cts.vresp.com/c/?FoodDemocracyNow/9fd8d1aec8/8d6b6c9943/7321bac9d9) . We

need all your support to be

able to create the change that is needed at the USDA.

 

Thanks again for helping make this a success, it's time to join together to

create Sustainable Change.

Best,

Dave

 

Please cut and paste the below email and send it to Secretary Vilsack at the

following address.

Unfortunately Vilsack does not have to pay attention to you. Also contact

your Representative and 2 US Senators.

Ask them to Contact Representative Colin Peterson, Chairman of the House

Agriculture Committee and Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate

Agriculture

Committee and ask that they urge appointment of Independent Consumer safety

advocates to food safety positions, not Michael Taylor and Michael Osterholm

revising the preprinted form letter to Secretary Vilsack below:

 

_AgSec_ (AgSec)

 

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

 

I ask that you take the lead in helping America protect the safety of its

food supply by appointing a real reformer at the USDA Food Safety and

Inspection Service (FSIS) position and advising President Obama not to name

Michael

Taylor to any position in the administration.

 

Please appoint someone other than Michael Osterholm, who has proven to be

too biased in favor of a single technology that has been ineffective in

stopping food safety outbreaks and is something that most American consumers

don’t

want.

 

I took the President at his word when he said he would close the revolving

door in this new administration and I know that you want to lead a new era at

the USDA.

Please appoint true reformers to positions within the USDA to help you

transform America’s food and farm system for the 21st century.

 

Thanks for your consideration.

 

Sincerely,

 

--

Dave Murphy

Clear Lake, IA

 

917 968-7369

_dmurphy123_ (dmurphy123)

 

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