Pew Commission Releases Final Report

Washington, DC – April, 2008 ––The current industrial farm animal production (IFAP) system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to a report released April 30 by the Pew Commission on Industrial Animal Production (PCIFAP).

Commissioners have determined that the negative effects of the IFAP system are too great and the scientific evident is too strong to ignore. “Significant changes must be implemented and must start now,” the Commission said. The findings and recommendations were announced at a press conference attended by 75 members of the media, legislative officials, public health organizations and interested citizens.

The Commission announced several key recommendations, including:

Ban the non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials in food animal production to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance to medically important antibiotics and other microbials.

Implement a disease-monitoring program for food animals to allow 48-hour, trace-back of those animals through aspects of their production, in a fully integrated and robust national database.

Treat IFAP as an industrial operation and implement a new system to deal with farm waste to replace the inflexible and broken system that exists today in order to protect Americans from the adverse environmental and human health hazards of improperly handled IFAP waste.

Phase out the most intensive and inhumane production practices within a decade to reduce the risk of IFAP to public health and improve animal well-being (i.e., gestation crates and battery cages).

Federal and state laws need to be amended and enforced to provide a level playing field for producers when entering into contracts with integrators.

Increase funding for, and expand and reform animal agriculture research.

“The goal of this Commission is to sound the alarms that significant change is urgently needed in industrial farm animal production,” said John Carlin, PCIFAP Chairman and former Kansas governor.

The PCIFAP consists of 15 Commissioners with knowledge and expertise in public policy, veterinary medicine, public health, agriculture, animal welfare, the food industry and rural society. The complete report is available at the Commission’s web site.

PCIFAP is a project of The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/

Thank you, JH.

At first I thought you were rolling your eyes at me..but it appears you have a nervous tic there…

Yuppykiller - 08 May 2008 11:49 PM

Thank you, JH.

You’re welcome any time. Glad to be of assistance.

At first I thought you were rolling your eyes at me..but it appears you have a nervous tic there…

 

That’s a good one! Thanks for making my day!

Let’s see, we have imported oil, imported rice, etc ...  Do we want our meat to be imported in from Mexico?  Personally, I don’t even want to drink their water!  Be careful what you wish for.

As previously promised here is the YDR weekly question of 4/14/08 and my response. The YDR edited my response choosing not to publish the last six short paragraphs. Another individual submitted a response and the editor published their lengthy response which exceeded by far the total number of words in my response by the same number of paragraphs. There was also sufficient space on that page of published responses to have included the last six short paragraphs of my response.

Perhaps the YDR feared an uprising over what I submitted. LOL

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Week’s Weekly Opinion Question - What’s Your Issue?

There are a multitude of important issues that have yet to be addressed by any of the candidates.

1) Not everyone has access to cable or satellite and our local news media to my knowledge has not addressed this issue. Why hasn’t the local media addressed the real reason nothing is being done to secure our borders? The reason is because of the North American Union currently in the works by congress which will remove our borders. Canada, Mexico and the United States are soon to become the North American Union which will result in our precious document “The Constitution” going up in smoke! Why haven’t any of the three presidential candidates discussed this or introduced legislation and pushed for passage to halt the formation of this union? Our nation will soon have a new monetary system similar to Europe’s Euro.

2) Why haven’t any of the three major presidential candidates introduced legislation and pushed for passage to stop the New World Order?

3) Renegotiating NAFTA It is not sufficient! At a candidate forum sponsored by United We Stand America, which was attended by our previous congressman, I requested he introduce and push passage of a bill to withdraw from NAFTA. NAFTA has not been beneficial to the average American. Our then congressman stated our congressional district would not be affected by NAFTA. He didn’t think that about the thousands of residents in his district that worked in Maryland that would be affected.

Ross Perot was the only one who had the courage to tell Americans to be prepared for the giant sucking sound of jobs being sent out of the U.S.A.

Previous Ohio congressman Jim Trafficant was the only member of congress to state on a syndicated talk show program back in 1985 for Americans to be prepared to hold on tight because within the next 5 years they will be losing their jobs, homes and cars because congress back then was working on doing this. 

Americans were told they would be retrained for jobs. Americans needed to be retrained for a new profession prior to the loss of their job and have a job prior to the loss of their job.

As Ross Perot said, Americans new jobs would be flipping hamburgers and other low paying jobs. With our current economy now those jobs are being reduced.

Our food supply has been contaminated on more than one occasion which we can thank our previous congressman for voting for the side environmental agreement to NAFTA that not one person of congress was permitted to see/read. 

I find it upsetting to read the millions of dollars spent by all the presidential candidates which could be put to better use. Imagine how many people without medical insurance could benefit from that money!

JH - 11 May 2008 03:59 AM

Let’s see, we have imported oil, imported rice, etc ...  Do we want our meat to be imported in from Mexico?  Personally, I don’t even want to drink their water!  Be careful what you wish for.

As previously promised here is the YDR weekly question of 4/14/08 and my response. The YDR edited my response choosing not to publish the last six short paragraphs. Another individual submitted a response and the editor published their lengthy response which exceeded by far the total number of words in my response by the same number of paragraphs. There was also sufficient space on that page of published responses to have included the last six short paragraphs of my response.

Perhaps the YDR feared an uprising over what I submitted. LOL

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This Week’s Weekly Opinion Question - What’s Your Issue?

There are a multitude of important issues that have yet to be addressed by any of the candidates.

1) Not everyone has access to cable or satellite and our local news media to my knowledge has not addressed this issue. Why hasn’t the local media addressed the real reason nothing is being done to secure our borders? The reason is because of the North American Union currently in the works by congress which will remove our borders. Canada, Mexico and the United States are soon to become the North American Union which will result in our precious document “The Constitution” going up in smoke! Why haven’t any of the three presidential candidates discussed this or introduced legislation and pushed for passage to halt the formation of this union? Our nation will soon have a new monetary system similar to Europe’s Euro.

2) Why haven’t any of the three major presidential candidates introduced legislation and pushed for passage to stop the New World Order?

3) Renegotiating NAFTA It is not sufficient! At a candidate forum sponsored by United We Stand America, which was attended by our previous congressman, I requested he introduce and push passage of a bill to withdraw from NAFTA. NAFTA has not been beneficial to the average American. Our then congressman stated our congressional district would not be affected by NAFTA. He didn’t think that about the thousands of residents in his district that worked in Maryland that would be affected.

Ross Perot was the only one who had the courage to tell Americans to be prepared for the giant sucking sound of jobs being sent out of the U.S.A.

Previous Ohio congressman Jim Trafficant was the only member of congress to state on a syndicated talk show program back in 1985 for Americans to be prepared to hold on tight because within the next 5 years they will be losing their jobs, homes and cars because congress back then was working on doing this. 

Americans were told they would be retrained for jobs. Americans needed to be retrained for a new profession prior to the loss of their job and have a job prior to the loss of their job.

As Ross Perot said, Americans new jobs would be flipping hamburgers and other low paying jobs. With our current economy now those jobs are being reduced.

Our food supply has been contaminated on more than one occasion which we can thank our previous congressman for voting for the side environmental agreement to NAFTA that not one person of congress was permitted to see/read. 

I find it upsetting to read the millions of dollars spent by all the presidential candidates which could be put to better use. Imagine how many people without medical insurance could benefit from that money!

I believe that we have gone down the slippery slope and it may be too late to put on the brakes.  I believe that we are in some serious trouble and it is going to take more than a new President or Congress to right the ship.  Perhaps a revolution is in order?

I believe that we have gone down the slippery slope and it may be too late to put on the brakes.  I believe that we are in some serious trouble and it is going to take more than a new President or Congress to right the ship.  Perhaps a revolution is in order?

It’s never to late to put on the brakes. Yes, you are correct as far as our nation being in serious trouble.

Interesting that you proposed a revolution… did you happen to see Jay Leno a couple of evenings ago? Jesse Ventura was Leno’s guest. Ventura moved from Minnesota to Mexico and Leno asked him why and he said because he is saner than Leno. Ventura pointed out that the reason why our nation has always had the problems it has had and currently has is because of both major political parties. He said there was absolutely no reason why a third party and candidates representing a third party or independent candidates could not win elections. After all he is living proof that it is doable. Ventura said that if the mess America is in right now is to be resolved it won’t be done by the democrats or republicans as they are one and the same. He said the only way to resolve our nation’s problems is to oust all democrat and republican elected official in congress and elect only third party or independent candidates. He called upon American to revolt and said it is time for a revolution and the way to do it, is to first oust all congressional members representing a major political party. He said they have all been there too long and haven’t done anything in the best interests of our nation and its people in all the years they have been in office. He added all they have done is sold our country down the tubes and in most instances simply gave it away.

JH - 12 May 2008 02:25 AM

I believe that we have gone down the slippery slope and it may be too late to put on the brakes.  I believe that we are in some serious trouble and it is going to take more than a new President or Congress to right the ship.  Perhaps a revolution is in order?

It’s never to late to put on the brakes. Yes, you are correct as far as our nation being in serious trouble.

Interesting that you proposed a revolution… did you happen to see Jay Leno a couple of evenings ago? Jesse Ventura was Leno’s guest. Ventura moved from Minnesota to Mexico and Leno asked him why and he said because he is saner than Leno. Ventura pointed out that the reason why our nation has always had the problems it has had and currently has is because of both major political parties. He said there was absolutely no reason why a third party and candidates representing a third party or independent candidates could not win elections. After all he is living proof that it is doable. Ventura said that if the mess America is in right now is to be resolved it won’t be done by the democrats or republicans as they are one and the same. He said the only way to resolve our nation’s problems is to oust all democrat and republican elected official in congress and elect only third party or independent candidates. He called upon American to revolt and said it is time for a revolution and the way to do it, is to first oust all congressional members representing a major political party. He said they have all been there too long and haven’t done anything in the best interests of our nation and its people in all the years they have been in office. He added all they have done is sold our country down the tubes and in most instances simply gave it away.

Mexico?  Now that’s insane!

JH - 12 May 2008 02:25 AM

I believe that we have gone down the slippery slope and it may be too late to put on the brakes.  I believe that we are in some serious trouble and it is going to take more than a new President or Congress to right the ship.  Perhaps a revolution is in order?

It’s never to late to put on the brakes. Yes, you are correct as far as our nation being in serious trouble.

Interesting that you proposed a revolution… did you happen to see Jay Leno a couple of evenings ago? Jesse Ventura was Leno’s guest. Ventura moved from Minnesota to Mexico and Leno asked him why and he said because he is saner than Leno. Ventura pointed out that the reason why our nation has always had the problems it has had and currently has is because of both major political parties. He said there was absolutely no reason why a third party and candidates representing a third party or independent candidates could not win elections. After all he is living proof that it is doable. Ventura said that if the mess America is in right now is to be resolved it won’t be done by the democrats or republicans as they are one and the same. He said the only way to resolve our nation’s problems is to oust all democrat and republican elected official in congress and elect only third party or independent candidates. He called upon American to revolt and said it is time for a revolution and the way to do it, is to first oust all congressional members representing a major political party. He said they have all been there too long and haven’t done anything in the best interests of our nation and its people in all the years they have been in office. He added all they have done is sold our country down the tubes and in most instances simply gave it away.

No, I missed Ventura.  I like him though, and he is on right about 3rd party candidates.  I wish we could wipe the slate clean and start over, but the 2 parties have such a foothold that they outspend and out legislate any chance alternative parties may have.  My thoughts on revolution came from a quote from Thomas Jefferson that I often think of when look at the state of our country.  I believe that our Founding Fathers are rolling in their graves, but I also believe that Jefferson foresaw what was going to happen.  Here are a few of my favorite Jefferson quotes:

“Every generation needs a new revolution.”

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed
from time to time with the blood of patriots
and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”

“A wise and frugal government, which
shall leave men free to regulate their own
pursuits of industry and improvement,
and shall not take from the mouth of labor
and bread it has earned - this is the sum
of good government.”

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is
for people of good conscience to remain silent.”

“Experience hath shewn, that even under the
best forms of government those entrusted
with power have, in time, and by slow operations,
perverted it into tyranny.”

“I predict future happiness for Americans if
they can prevent the government from wasting
the labors of the people under the pretense
of taking care of them.”

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”