FDA Is Broken (BIGTIME), Endangers American Lives - ABC News - video link

[Bozita]

Story link:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3947922

FDA Is Broken, Endangers American Lives
Report Blames Congress for Cutting FDA's Budget

By JOHN McKENZIE
Dec. 3, 2007—

The report is scathing. An expert panel has told the Food and Drug Administration that the organization is so understaffed and underfunded, it puts American lives at risk.

Gail Cassel, co-author of a 56-page report titled "FDA Science and Mission at Risk," said, "The wheels are coming off. In fact, I would say they're off. They're already off."

The report uncovered failures at every turn. The most glaring is that the FDA lost 600 inspectors in the past four years, making the agency unable to protect the country's food supply. And the FDA's responsibilities have grown, rendering the agency ineffecitve.

Bill Hubbard, a former FDA associate commissioner, said, "When I came to the FDA in the early 1970s, we were doing 35,000 food inspections a year. This year, the agency will be doing 6,000.

more...


You'll find the video here:
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3947922

[Richard Steele]

1. Grrecomended.

[Elspeth]

2. This is the neocon strategy: starve federal agencies for funds, then privatize when

the agencies can't do their jobs.

Fucking neocons.

[Bozita]

3. Grover Norquist's "drown it in a bathtub" quote

[Elspeth]

4. Yep. Exactly

...

[magellan]

5. Nice of the corporate media to catch up on things

Odd, isn't it, how all these agencies were working well for the most part until Bush** came along.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

6. REPUBLICAN FINAL GOAL IS TO DESTROY FEDERAL GOVT

JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE

[gratuitous]

7. And I suppose YOU can't afford your own food lab

You should have chosen to be filthy rich, like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and their overrich pals did. Sucks if you have to rely on a government agency to ensure that your food is wholesome.

[NewJeffCT]

14. Is there anything they've touched that hasn't turned to shit?

I've even had problems with mail in recent months...

[stillcool]

8. Divine Design?

I wonder where all the Big Pharma bribes went?

[Triana]

9. An issue of national security and public health....

...this is just ONE part of our government that has gone severely lacking or been gutted by duhbya whilst the money goes into the coffers of Halliburton, Bechtel, et al for Iraq and Katrina "rebuilding" (ie: fleecing of American taxpayers to transfer public money that SHOULD be used for agencies like the FDA into private hands of bu$hit's and Trick Dick II's friends in 'biness' - instead)

:mad:

[Bozita]

10. But we're supposed to fear prescription drugs imported from Canada?

[OzarkDem]

11. They never ask for more money

quote from Rep. Rosa DeLauro in the linked article

A leading FDA critic in Congress, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, said, "The essence is, send me a plan, ask for money, and we'll consider it. But they never ask for more money or authority."


On edit: after listening to DeLauro's comments in the linked video, it seems she and other Dems could be doing more to address this issue.

[TahitiNut]

12. There are plenty of job openings for food-tasters - more every day.

:evilgrin: :grr: I hear children about the age of 6 or 7 do the best job - if they're kept hungry.

[KoKo]

13. KICK....KICK....KICK...That was in the 70's and folks complain about Boomer Influence!

I remember a Huge, Strong, Vibrant Consumer Movement from that Time. But under Poppy and Clinton it gradually eroded to nothing and under Chimp it DIED!

[Disturbed]

15. RWingers hate Govt. except for the War Dept.

The RWing goal is to destroy every Govt. Program, except the War Dept. because they need the
Military to do their dirty work of dominating all countries for Capitalism.

[defendandprotect]

16. Broken for decades: They call it "Monsanto's Washington office" . . .!!!!