PLEASE READ VERY IMPORTANT....bill to outlaw organic gardening

[glamazon]

Subject: Monsanto: A bill to outlaw organic farming next week?

US House and Senate are about (in a week and a half) to vote on bill that will OUTLAW ORGANIC FARMING (bill HR 875). There is an enormous rush to get this into law within the next 2 weeks before people realize what is happening.



Main backer and lobbyist is (guess who) Monsanto (aspartame maker) - chemical and genetic engineering giant corporation. This bill will require organic farms to use specific fertilizers and poisonous insect sprays dictated by the newly formed agency to "make sure there is no danger to the public food supply". This will include backyard gardens that grow food only for a family and not for sales.

If this passes then NO more heirloom clean seeds but only Monsanto genetically altered seeds that are now showing up with unexpected diseases in humans.

There is a video on the subject. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thE54K3PaTY

And another one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeWVkTU1s1E

The name on this outrageous food plan is Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (bill HR 875).

THIS IS REAL, FOLKS! PASS THIS ALONG TO ALL CONCERNED ON YOUR MAILING LISTS & CALL YOUR SENATE REPRESENTETIVES TODAY! Get on that phone and burn up the wires. Get anyone else you can to do the same thing. The House and Senate WILL pass this if they are not massively threatened with loss of their position.... They only fear your voice and your vote.

The best thing to do is go to <http://www.house.gov/writerep http://www.house.gov/writerep all you have to do is put in your zip and it will give you your congressperson and how to get in touch with them. When you call their office someone will answer the phone, just tell them (politely) that you are calling to express your views on HR 875. Tell them your views, they'll take your name and address and pass your comments along to the congressperson. The following linkhttp://<http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm >www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm is a list of the U.S. senators and their contact info.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

[ruffsongraw]

more insanity. soon we will have the govt selecting our toilet paper.
i called all three for NM. this is total BS.
thx SO MUCH for posting this & making us aware.
jen

[spicyfull]

Thanks for Sharing.

[glamazon]

Well I must admit the whole thing has me rattled...but on another site I stalk :D another raw peep posted this response which I thought was quite knowledgeable and insightful to boot.....

HR 875 is indeed a bad bill because it burdens small farms, conventional or organic, and makes it more expensive and difficult for them to compete. In times when we should all understand the importance of supporting small farms, especially organic farmers, that is reason alone to express opposition to the bill. On the up side, it's primary purpose to ensure the ability to trace tainted foods back to their source, which is not a bad thing. However, almost everything presented as "fact" by those opposing the bill is propaganda.

Opponents of this bill are using the same lies and manipulative scare tactics Monsanto would ordinarily use. Perhaps they realize the practical truth does not motivate the average person. Sadly, they are probably right. It seems that unless proposed legislation is perceived as the fore-horse of the apocalypse, most of us just can't be bothered.

The statement that Monsanto is behind the bill is based on the assertion that Stanley Greenburg, husband of the the bill's sponsor, Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, is a Monsanto employee. That is not true and even if it were, that certainly doesn't mean Monsanto sponsored the bill. It is a well-publicized fact that Greenburg is not a Monsanto employee. Greenburg runs/owns a successful research/polling firm that specializes in election-related issues. The falsity is spun from the fact that 10+ years ago Greenburg's firm conducted a public opinion poll for Monsanto. That is like saying that because I purchased a bottle of kombucha from Earth Fare this morning I must be in business with them.

Opposition to the bill claims that it gives Monsanto incredible power, criminalizes seed-banking and home gardens, mandates what to feed/treat organic produce/animals, mandates 24-hour GPS farm animal tracking, requires the seizure of violator's property (understood as real estate by the average person), and gives government the right to conduct warrantless searches of property. These statements are either blatant falsities or gross misinterpretations.

Monsanto is not mentioned in the bill and no "powers" are conferred on them.

A text search of the bill finds that the words "seed," "seeds," and "banking" are not mentioned in the bill. The definitions section does not include a term that would substitute for seeds. The bill does criminalize intentional food-safety violations that lead to a serious illness or death. There doesn't seem to be any half-truths or basis to the seed-bank falsity, other than the knowledge that if people think they can't grow their own food anymore they would become frightened and defiant. Obviously such disinformation serves a purpose.

The proposed record-keeping regulations apply to all food production facilities, which is defined as "any farm, ranch, orchard, vineyard, aquaculture facility, or confined animal-feeding operation." The seizure of property seems to be limited to any food product deemed to be "unsafe, is adulterated or misbranded, or otherwise fails to meet the requirements of this the food safety law." Both instances include language that could be improved upon. I am not afraid that my backyard tomatoes will be confiscated.

The Department of Agriculture already has the right to define what constitutes "organic" food so they can already tell farmers what to feed organic produce/animals. Nothing new there, but I don't even see where that is mentioned in this bill.

The words "GPS," "global," or "satellite" do not appear in the text either. I assume this was twisted out of the authority in the bill to "establish the national traceability system under this section to be consistent with existing statutes and regulations that require recordkeeping or labeling for identifying the origin or history of food or food animals." Seems like a good idea that if tainted food products are discovered in the marketplace we should be able to identify where they came from and how they got that way. This in no way mandates the 24-hour GPS tracking of farm animals.

Although I didn't see anything in the proposed bill having to do with warrantless searches, perhaps opponents think that is the same thing as the right to inspect a food facility pursuant to the bill. Despite that, government already has numerous opportunities to search private property without a warrant thanks to the US Supreme Court. For all intents and purposes, whatever was left of the Fourth Amendment was done away with under the Patriot Act. Now when government wants to violate your rights, they just fabricate an issue connecting you to terrorism and everybody falls in line.

According to Congresswoman DeLauro, she introduced the bill to deal with recent food-safety issues experienced during the last administration with spinach, tomatoes, peppers, and now peanut butter. Evidently, she was unaware Republicans slashed the food inspection budgets to such levels that yearly inspections were no longer possible. According to the FDA, they did not have the budget to inspect these facilities once every 10 years. Obama has promised to raise the FDA food-inspection budgets by app. 1.1 billion dollars annually.

Another concern I have with the bill is that while those injured by violations are given a right to sue, they can only get actual damages, perhaps attorney fees, and no punitive damages. This often creates a disincentive for an attorney to take a case on a contingency basis. When that happens, it basically means it takes away a consumer-victim's right to sue while protecting corporations from damages for intentional conduct. By example, it is like when a surgeon is jacked up on meth while performing a surgery and amputates some one's leg "by mistake," he only has to pay for the cost of the lost leg and no more. Many doctors have been protected this way under state "tort reform" laws. If this bill applied to medical malpractice, the injured patient would not be able to get punitive, or punishment" fines from the surgeon as a means of dissuading that surgeon and others from performing surgery while high. Furthermore, unless I misinterpreted the language, whistleblowers who turn in those violating the law, can get actual damages, but appear to be exempted from the Federal Whistleblower's Act, which means they are afforded little protection and therefore little incentive to blow the whistle. Screw the honest, concerned, or injured citizen while covering corporate ass. That's the American way anymore.

For those of you who want to be informed based on your own interpretation of the bill, here is the link: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-875.

[michigan roman]

i quit listening to and trusting the ruling class / government over a decade ago , they lied to everyone and acted like we were working and fighting wars to survive in order to build a democracy where we discussed / debated then voted on things while all the while the governments been moralless punks lying to us in order to leech power out of us . and have now turned on us with all that power they conned and dictate to and prey upon us . ive ZERO respect for all these punks in government / big business / press / media / tv / hollywood (all the same entity ) and i wouldnt waste one second listening to them or voting in their phony set up where they act like peoples votes mean a damn thing . i live to crush them and look every second for an opening to depower them , all the while preparing my own outlook / philosophy that ide institute to run a kingdom . yes sounds stupid thinking one person could stand against them and or create a new way but weve no choice in the matter but to try growing on our own and preparing to make a stand to take back what we worked for and have it function how we want .

[steveoregon]

You might want to see what snopes.com says about this issue before you accept all the information in the original post. In fact, it's a good idea to double and triple check the facts of anything that says "pass this along".

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/organic.asp

.

[~ladybug]

Snopes.com is run by a husband and wife team - no big office of investigators and researchers, no team of lawyers. It's just a mom-and-pop operation that began as a hobby.

They are not always right when it was a matter of public record. They do their research just like we do.

Snopes.com is not the bottom line. Think for yourself. Do not allow your freedoms to be taken away.

Believe what you will. But the end result of this will be no more organic, no more local produce. We will remember the good old days of being able to go down to the roadside stand and buy local.

If the powers that be have their way, it will one day be as illegal to grow sprouts in your kitchen as it is to grow pot.

[glamazon]

Conguero posted this info on another thread about this debate

http://www.leavemyfoodalone.org/

Welcome to LeaveMyFoodAlone.org
This website is a petition designed to stop HR 875. In its current form, the bill could prevent small local organic farms and community gardeners from growing and selling you nutritious, truly fresh, organic produce. It would crush our small local food producers by imposing heavy government regulation that only large corporations could adhere to.

I sent this following letter to the above link

There are alot of issues with this proposed bill...especially the wording which is an obvious way to leave loop-holes for big business and people that still have excess money to sway people in power. Meanwhile the majority of the population are struggling financially and more worried about a roof over their children's head and having ANY food on their tables at this very moment to voice opinions about this bill. Sadly, there are MANY people in out country that are just unaware of this bill or any other bills. I think majority of the time our government banks on that fact!

According to Congresswoman DeLauro, she introduced the bill to deal with recent food-safety issues experienced during the last administration. Although she is actually IN and a participant of the political arena she somehow is unaware Republicans slashed the food inspection budgets to such levels that yearly inspections were unable to be done. According to the FDA, they did not have the budget to inspect these facilities once every 10 years let alone once yearly!! Now President Obama has promised to raise the FDA food-inspection budgets by approximately $1.1 billion dollars annually. But I'm concerned that as with the LOOPHOLES from the "bank" bailout that the bigger fish in the FDA will get the money intended to FIX/STOP food contamination and disperse as they see fit. Let's face it, Food and Drugs should never have been a JOINT DEPARTMENT in the first place.

Another concern with the bill is that while those injured by violations are given a right to sue, they can only get actual damages, perhaps attorney fees, and no punitive damages. This often creates a disincentive for an attorney to take a case on a contingency basis. Sadly we are all to aware there aren't many Erin Brockovich's still roaming around nowadays.

This bill basically takes away a consumer/victim's right to sue while protecting corporations from damages for intentional conduct. By example, it is like when a surgeon is high on coke [not the cola...altho its sugar content can get ya high as well..another FACT the FDA minimalizes with their propaganda] while performing a surgery and amputates some one's leg "by mistake," he only has to pay for the cost of the lost leg and no more. Many doctors have been protected this way under state "tort reform" laws. If this bill applied to medical malpractice, the injured patient would not be able to get "punitive, or punishment" fines from the surgeon as a means of dissuading that surgeon and others from performing surgery while high.

Furthermore, so-called whistleblowers who turn in those violating the law, can get actual damages, but appear to be exempted from the Federal Whistleblower's Act, which means they are afforded little protection and therefore little incentive to blow the whistle. Screw the honest, concerned, or injured citizen while covering corporate ass. That's the American way anymore. Then because of fear based coercion, big business/government again get away with horrific tactics and manipulations that mainstream Americans will only be privy to 20-30 years later when all the damage is long past and people that were involved are no longer around or made accountable for!!!

If the Bill's regulations were applied in a one-size-fits-all manner to certified organic and farm-to-consumer operations, it could have a devastating impact on small farmers, especially RAW milk producers who are already unfairly targeted by state food-safety regulators. Although this Bill seems somewhat well-intentioned, we are calling on Congress to focus its attention on the real threats to food safety: globalized food sourcing from nations such as China where food safety is a joke and domestic industrial-scale and factory farms whose collateral damage includes pesticide and antibiotic-tainted food, mad cow disease, E.coli contamination and salmonella poisoning. And, of course, Congress and the Obama Administration need to support a massive transition to organic farming practices." I'm sure Michelle Obama would be very interested in this whole proposed bill, especially now that she went on national news and showed the area on the White House grounds that her future garden will be located. History has shown, whatever the First Lady embarks on, many Americans tend to follow suit. Thankfully we now have people in that seem genuinely concerned about health and wellness in our country!

[JCB44]

Let them try to enforce this in my garden

[JCB44]

i quit listening to and trusting the ruling class / government over a decade ago , they lied to everyone and acted like we were working and fighting wars to survive in order to build a democracy where we discussed / debated then voted on things while all the while the governments been moralless punks lying to us in order to leech power out of us . And have now turned on us with all that power they conned and dictate to and prey upon us . Ive zero respect for all these punks in government / big business / press / media / tv / hollywood (all the same entity ) and i wouldnt waste one second listening to them or voting in their phony set up where they act like peoples votes mean a damn thing . I live to crush them and look every second for an opening to depower them , all the while preparing my own outlook / philosophy that ide institute to run a kingdom . Yes sounds stupid thinking one person could stand against them and or create a new way but weve no choice in the matter but to try growing on our own and preparing to make a stand to take back what we worked for and have it function how we want .

thank you roman

[rawlight]

My recollection about the food contamination outbreaks of the last few years is that it hasn't been on farms that produce organic vegetables. I remember going to Whole Foods during one such outbreak and the organic spinach, for example, was not pulled. I was told that contamination usually comes from the run off of slaughterhouses getting into the produce. But farms that grow organic produce have stringent rules about how close they can be to slaugherhouses, hence they don't get contaminated.

So it bothers me that "they" are not attacking the real culprits.

[pittypat12345]

Fact is folks, this is a state's rights issue. The Constitution, which is nothing but a piece of paper to some these days, does not give the Federal government the right to impart these regulations. This issue should be left at the State level. It's just another way for the Federal government to expand itself creating even more bureaucracy and inefficient money-wasting for all of us to deal with. If you value your civil liberties and think that you have better judgment than the government to decide what foods you should consume and/or produce (and how you should produce them) then you should vehemently oppose this bill.

As for if it will affect home gardens. . .What the bill does not exclude explicitly, it includes implicitly, and the government will use any loopholes or vague parameters to stretch their control. This is scary stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtLGuOQemnQ

[pixie_333]

i haven't kept track of what's going on lately if it's passed yet or... but interestingly enough this info has not hit the radio or tv news from what i've heard except for maybe a couple times.
also upon research it's been discovered the health woman nominee obamba elected .. if you look at the people who gave her donations.. some are from the GM feilds. and also the congress woman trying to pass this gets money from them too.
so between these 2 facts... lack of media attention and donations... we may have our answer if it's going to pass.

[pixie_333]

ps.. that woman may already have been elected.. i don't keep up with all this stuff..names etc nor news.

[somelikeitraw]

soilent green (old scifi movie, but this could have been how it all came about)