Where would we be without the alphabet soup of federal agencies to protect us from evil industry? Evil industry like Creekstone Farms, a beef producer which would like to test each head of cattle for mad cow disease?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has rejected one meatpacker's plan to test all its cattle for mad cow disease, signaling that it won't allow private tests for the deadly affliction.
[...]
Creekstone said it already set up its own private testing facility that would incorporate a test from California firm Bio-Rad and sent employees to France to learn how testing is done there. In the past few weeks, the USDA has approved four tests for mad cow; all but one were previously approved for use in other countries.
"Here when you have the market asking for something, you're saying no — with an approved test, no less," said microbiologist Michael Hansen, who studies animal diseases and food safety at Consumers Union.
Lovely. It seems that larger beef producers don't like the implication that all cattle should be tested, and the USDA is siding with them. I guess the consumers must be saved from themselves.
Via The Binary Circumstance, where Chip Gibbons notes it's all about a government agency preserving its own monopoly.
Update: Marginal Revolution has more, including some history.
Posted by Walter at April 12, 2004 09:14 AMWalter - This is off subject, and I apologize, but I had no other way of contacting you, and since you are recognized as a person who can sort through things...
Now that John Ashcroft is set to appear in front of the 9/11 Commission, the Left is making big woo-woo over various budget information.
One memo love to quote is his overview memo of 5/10/01. (See link to memo in PDF.) Leaving aside that the 2001 and 2002 budgets were in place before the new administration was in place, and leaving aside that the new budget may have reflected his understanding that a military emphasis rather than a criminal justice emphasis would reduce the DOJ’s role, I still read the memo with interest. I find it puzzling that he would not mention terrorism, and then I read it again, and I became more puzzled.
The memo states as:
Strategic Goal #1: Keep America safe by enforcing criminal laws.
Priority Objectives for FY 2003
· Reduce the incidence of gun violence.
· Reduce the trafficking of illegal drugs.
Strategic Goal #2: Prevent and reduce crime and violence by assisting state, tribal and community-based programs.
Priority Objectives for FY 2003:
· Reduce the incidence of gun violence.
· Reduce the trafficking and use of illegal drugs.
· Reform……
There are five more goals. None mention terrorism.
Now I am not the world’s greatest fan of Ashcroft, but somehow I have trouble believing that he would ignore terrorism. I mean he is an intelligent man. It just doesn’t make sense.
So here comes the tin hat, and before you dismiss me, let me say I have never before raised an issue like this. The question is, has the memo been doctored? I mean it has happened before by both people on both sides.
(And I am not saying the site linked to did. If it is changed, I have no idea who changed it.)
I also note that the first two strategic goals have the first two priority objectives the same.
Can anyone who reads this determine if the memo has been changed?
Posted by: Poker Player (aka Jim) at April 12, 2004 01:15 PMI was willing to believe that they just didn't want to trust the results of tests done by the meat providers themselves, because it wouldn't be independent testing, until I read the linked article.
They're saying that the perception that testing would produce is of more importance than the results gained from testing. I can see that in some cases, but not in this one, particularly since Creekstone can quantify their losses associated with the Japanese market.
Damn. Just damn.
Posted by: wheels at April 12, 2004 01:50 PMHi Walt...another off-topic question...actually, it's from left field too, but legitimate...
Do you, by any chance, know Biff Rose?
I have a really gooood reason for asking this, believe me...
Sorry, Jim, after poking around a bit I couldn't come up with any more info than what you have.
Posted by: Walter at April 16, 2004 09:07 AM