Obama's Broken Promises to Family Farmers: Disappointing and Dangerous

[Bluebear]

by Jim Goodman

"And it means ensuring that the policies being shaped at the Departments of Agriculture and Interior are designed to serve not big agribusiness or Washington influence peddlers, but the family farmers and the American People.

--President-elect Barack Obama, December 17 2008, Chicago, Illinois.

The message was one of hope, the words of a newly elected President echoing the Populism of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the promise of John F. Kennedy. It stopped there, the delivery of the promise fell short.

We have gotten a New Deal, albeit one that is more protective of those who caused the economic and agricultural crises than of those who suffer from them. We have also gotten a new version of "The Best and the Brightest" in the Obama Administration and their faulty counsel extends beyond war into food and trade policy.

The campaign promises were not worth the notepads they are written on. The promises were broken and business at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will carry on much as it did during the Bush Administration.

Instead of going outside the agribusiness and agrochemical industries, Obama has kept the revolving door spinning and appointed the very lobbyists and special interests he said would find no home in his administration:

Monsanto stalwarts Michael Taylor, special assistant to the FDA Commissioner for food safety and Roger Beachy, head of National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)...

Islam Siddiqui, Chief Agriculture Negotiator, office of U.S. Trade Representative, is a particularly troubling nomination. He is no friend of consumers, considering his most recent employment at CropLife America (CLA), the pesticide industries main trade association. As a registered lobbyist and vice president of regulatory affairs, Siddiqui was responsible for setting and selling CLA's international and domestic agenda which, simply put, was to weaken regulations on pesticides and agricultural chemicals worldwide.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/04-5

[spanone]

1. all the 'disappointed' only prove what a clusterfuck mr Obama inherited

did they think he would answer all their prayers in the first year?

[anonymous171]

2. Obama appointed these people. He did not inherit them. nt

[SpiralHawk]

4. These appointments herald more land abuse and more mutant food

materialism & chemicalism & mutatism & corporatism run amuck.

[Bluebear]

7. Catch the unrec's in solidarity with our family farmers.

[QC]

17. How dare a bunch of dirtfarmers question our dreamy president! n/t

[Bluebear]

3. Sorry...He did not inherit these lobbyists, he appointed them.

[atreides1]

5. You're right

They should wait and give him the time to follow through with his "promises"!

Like the one about no lobbyists, oops, guess that one ain't happening is it?

Maybe, they would like something done before they are kicked off their farms and either living in a homeless shelter or under an interstate overpass!!!

But, I guess that would be asking too much of a community organizer, who just can't seem to organize!!!

[laughingliberal]

6. After this word from our sponsor...We now return to your regularly scheduled program

No, but he could have appointed a few people to the economic team that don't believe sucking up to the Goldman Sachs crowd is the way to improve the economy for everyone.

[nichomachus]

10. You don't "fix" a clusterfuck by continuing to fuck in a cluster

Unless you're suggesting that George Bush made Obama appoint these lobbyists to regulatory positions.

[laughingliberal]

13. Perfect assessment nt

[Bluebear]

16. indeed

[avaistheone1]

25. Yes, George Bush is still in charge.

:sarcasm:

[QC]

30. How about if you fuck more slowly while in that cluster?

That seems to meet many people's definition of progress.

[ixion]

8. Monsanto is single-handedly destroying Agriculture in the US

and they need to be reigned in, and have a massive lawsuit slapped on their ass.

[jgraz]

12. Why stop at the US?

They're killing it globally.

[Greyhound]

29. Yeah, it's global.

One of the key purposes for NAFTA was to remove the final obstacles confronted by Monsanto®.

[MNDemNY]

9. Obama is looking out for his constituants......

large corporations, and international conglomerates. He's doing a bang-up job of it, too. Color me, not surprised.

[jgraz]

11. Hey, he never *promised* he wouldn't break his promises

What are you complaining about? :shrug:

[Bluebear]

21. -

[avaistheone1]

26. Good one. I'm stealing that if you don't mind.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. So which actual promise has been broken?

Any?

No?

Well then.

[havocmom]

27. The agencies within Dept of Ag that I am somewhat familiar with are working much better now

And the worker bees I know/hear about are much happier because there is some real progress being made towards function from the top down. They were NOT happy under the crap appointees bush had running things... into the ground.

[Metta]

15. Obama has become just another lying poltiician serving his masters.

Happy karma, Obama.


edited for spelling.

[anonymous171]

20. All politicians are liars. That's why you have to hold them accountable

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

18. Monsanto, Corporate Farming, and the Future of Food

Worth a look, especially if you are giving Obama a pass here.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food

[Bluebear]

19. thank you for that link

[QC]

22. KICK!

[Bluebear]

23. thx

[earth mom]

24. Obama gives lip service to environmental concerns while behind the scenes

he plays kiss up to corporate america who are slowly but surely killing our planet! :grr:

Hell, even Michelle Obama's White House garden was polluted!!!

[Divine Discontent]

28. One Termer Barack Obama. The sheer level of topics where he is behaving just as * would is sick!

I just got a call yesterday from my best bud who said the people he's staying with are so upset they voted for Obama (regardless if McCain would have done them the same or worse, the point is, Obama should not be for Wall St only), and that he's done nothing for small businesses. They told my friend that they will not vote for him again.

It's just a horrible nightmare what is going on with Obama. He's sided with centrists and right wing pandering of the issues on far too many subjects from privacy, to international affairs, to the bank fiascos and what they've gotten away with.


Come on, Obama! damn...

[Karmadillo]

31. Bitter ol' clingy people.

nt

[Tim01]

32. Obama has hired the foxes to watch the chicken house. And he's paying them with eggs.

Guess who the chickens are?

[TicketyBoo]

33. Well, if the farmers are disappointed,

the line forms at the rear.

[cali]

34. Can anyone point me to one reg or action on the part of the USDA

or NIFA that's harmed family farmers?

[riderinthestorm]

39. As a small midwestern farmer, I can name a few right off the bat

HR2749, the food safety act has direct and negative implications for my operation. So do most of the "organic" food labelling directives which aren't really feasible for a small operation (proximity to neighbors is the biggest problem. Most small farmers are on "small farms" which means neighbors with pesticide usage are so close they eliminate our chances of gaining the "official" organic label).

The National Animal ID Act is especially treacherous for me as a livestock operator that breeds, sells and transports animals across state lines.

And don't even get me started on the health certificate requirement which means each animal must be inspected by a vet before it gets on a trailer to go anywhere. $25 for each animal to take them up to the University of Wisconsin for vet work for example. Doesn't sound like much but multiply that by dozens of trips with 40 horses/year and it's extortion for small breeders who can't shove 80 animals in a stock trailer for transport (the vet charges $25/load so big ag pays $25 to ship 80 hogs - same as me who pays $25 to ship one horse. Punitive to the small operation).

These are just a few without taking even one iota of a second to organize my thoughts. Frankly, give me 5 minutes and a chance to rifle through my files and I could probably riff off at least 25 more virtually instantly.

The USDA is completely geared towards big ag. Have you watched FOOD Inc. yet? That's an eye opener for anyone who isn't "in the industry".

[Nikki Stone1]

35. When you appoint people, you can't blame the previous administration anymore.

Sigh,

:(

[Starry Messenger]

36. Farmers just want a magic genie, I guess.

[KG]

37. being farmers, they prolly already had ponies.

[Starry Messenger]

38. Yeah, they're probably demanding unicorns.

The ponies are losing their luster.

[QC]

41. I hope they're not gay farmer--then they'll demand fabulous pink ponies

and those are hard to find!

[Starry Messenger]

42. Especially the kinds with flowing manes.

But I bet gay farmers are especially poutrageous. They'll destroy the Democratic Party for their own selfish whims.

[Bluebear]

43. Those gay farmers with their pet projects of theirs. nt

[QC]

45. They got to see pictures of the president with his shirt off. Isn't that enough???

I'll never understand those poniless poutragers.

[QC]

44. Yeah, they just love sitting there in the comfy seat of "perpetual victim."

Their struggle to gain a few rungs on the ladder of significance has become nothing short of ridiculous.

[Tashca]

40. Interesting point of view

Unfortunately it looks like most posted without reading the article.

This is not about American farmers....this is about the food supply. This is about setting up American style agriculture around the world in unencumbered fashion. This is about forcing open world markets to take our production and products whether they want to or not. This is about you taking the food you are presented with and liking it.

edit: spelling