Tomato salad, anyone? Bush, McCain & the Republicans have CUT food inspections

[Bluebear]

The problem with unsafe food coming into the United States is growing. Recently there has been a flurry of health alerts from tainted food much of which is coming from China. The Bush trade policy is more interested in boosting foreign imports then in the safety of the American consumer.

For the past several years Bush has been CUTTING the funding for food inspections which has resulted in a reduction in the number of inspectors at a time when there is an increased level of imported food. The FDA has admitted they are overwhelmed and can not provide the necessary inspections. In addition to reductions in the food inspectors, Bush also cut the funding request for Drug inspections.

In 2006 Bush cut the Food inspection funding by 5%, drug inspection funding by 5.8% and the funding to inspect Blood by 4.7%. Similar cuts were also made in the 2007 Bush Budget. Why would a President of the United States CUT funding to insure the safety of the food and drugs that enter our country in the face of increased imports and the continued incidents of dangerous products that are being brought into the U.S.?

http://www.wincustomize.com/articles.aspx?aid=158699&c=1

[gateley]

1. I remember during the --

it was either the lead in paint or tainted pet food horrors -- that the person in charge of the inspection department (Bush appointed) said she felt her division had enough personnel. BUT -- when the actual numbers of inspectors were reported -- it was a mere HANDFUL.

[anigbrowl]

2. I'm sure you didn't meant o be xenophobic

But how about noting that most of the recent food contamination outbreaks in the US (spinach and now tomatoes) are domestic, not from foreign imports? We also have a less-than stellar record of exporting tainted food (ask a Korean about American beef). Regrettably, this is not a purely Republican issue either.

[Bluebear]

5. The news article was printed as found. Also, it is indeed the GOP who cut the FDA budget

[anigbrowl]

6. Oh, I block my quotes. I thought you'd summarized.

Certainly the GOP cut the FDA budget, but you don't have to look too hard for examples of Democrats pandering to agribusiness interests. This is not to let the GOP off the hook, but to point out that the left, too, has some mud on its boots.

[bobbolink]

8. I thought that was the case--domestic. Which serves us right.

If we were a nation that cared about our workers, we wouldn't be putting them in fields to work long hours without proper toilet and hand-washing facilities.

It's only right that such working conditions come back on US.

[cornermouse]

3. For one thing...

Tomatoes in grocery stores (out of season) other than those little grape things (which they haven't gotten around to breeding shelf longevity in to via genetic modification and taste out of) have NO taste other than the salt you put on it in a vain attempt to remind yourself what tomatoes used to taste like. Spending your money on tomatoes that are not grown by local gardeners and farmer's markets in season is a waste of money. You might as well put a piece of dampened cardboard in your salad or sandwich and if it's going to make you sick why spend the money?


Something I have been wondering about though... All this lead contaminated stuff we keep importing from China and elsewhere has to be contaminating our homes, cars, workplaces, and public buildings. At what point does the entire nation become so contaminated with lead that we have to bring everything we've bought for the last 15 years or so to a central location for proper decontamination and burial and start over from scratch?

I guess this is what the republican party had in mind when they said caveat emptor. We just didn't realize how thoroughly they believe in it. I would consider this to be a 98% republican created issue.

[Wiley50]

4. Would you care for some fresh tomatos and salmon, Ella? n/t

[Smear Talk Express]

7. Yep...

They're too busy spending trillions upon trillions on guns, gaols, and gestapo to spare a few million for public safety. Too bad so few in the Democratic Party are willing to stand up to it all.