No longer able to rely on the FDA and USDA to guarantee his food safety, Sammy is eying alternative food sources. Here he is sniffing his first sunflower. (I explained it wasn't quite yet ready for consumption, but he's getting hungry and doesn't know whether to chow down on commercial dog food and risk his kidneys, or try green sunflowers at the risk of his stomach.)It's becoming apparent (especially under the current government we now "enjoy"), that more and more our government is doing less and less in regulating commerce. From Big Dick Cheney's "energy policy" as written by a commission of big energy and oil execs and headed up by Enron's Ken Lay, pharmaceuticals testing the safety of their own drugs and dictating Medicare prescription policy to congress, to post-Katrina appointed private securtity in the form of 'above the law' likes of Blackwater and others, examples abound of why the need for the government we currently have is becoming less and less apparent, particularly when the safety of the citizenry is trumped in most instances for the welfare of business. It's apparent our health, safety (and pocket books) are not "our" government's main concern.
The current poisons in our petfood is but another example. Yesterday ""Democracy Now!" ran another of what should be a source of public outrage:
"The new postage rates that are being implemented by the US Post Office, which could affect many small and independent publications in this country. Postal rates for smaller periodicals could increase by as much as 30%, while some of the largest circulation magazines will face hikes of less than 10%."
So where'd the government come up with the new rates? Oh, our own Postal Service Board of Governors confess they accepted the rates submitted by media behemoth Time Warner, Inc. This strongly affects small liberal and conservative publications alike such as The Nation, Mother Jones, National Review, The American Conservative. (I'm just so sure Time Warner didn't have that intention when proposing these rates, aren't you?)
Hang in there Sammy, those sunflowers'll be ripe soon!
*To sign the petition against these new rates.
4 comments:
Aaah, to be young again & able to not only smell the flowers, but eat them! My old lady dog has been staring hungrily at the Quail that pass through our back yard. (Un)fortunately, by the time she hobbles out the dog door, they've skied to greener pastures or less dangerous territory. Our big boy dog wouldn't know a quail from a sunflower (but we love him!).
I didn't know about the postal rates not increasing equally for all. When will I learn? Mostly, I think it's all to subsidize the daily trash-liner & landfill material (i.e., junk mail). You heard that for the first time the P.O. is offering a "forever" stamp? If you pay 41-cents today, the forever stamp is good forever, regardless of future increases. Of course, that encourages people to stock up, thereby increasing the P.O.'s short-term income. Do you think they've finally seen the email writing on the wall? ~~ D.K.
nice pic...and the FDA is one of the reasons i grow food and shop at farmer's markets...
going to sign the petition right now..sounds like the postal svc needs a reality check -- if these small biz go out of biz -- they'll be in deep shit...
thanks az: After I posted this, I heard of two more examples of how our government is "looking out" for us.
One being the student loans necessitated of many to complete their educations on college campuses across this great nation. Many use the "preferred campus lender" which is nothing more than a bank or loan company that provides kickbacks to the college or university for sending all that wonderful business their way. Of course, it's those lenders wonderful lobbies in state and fed'l gov'ts who turn a blind eye to that in exchange for much needed contributions....so, thank you, college students of America. In return, we give you a lesson in the term "usury".
Oh, and the other benefit of government? An article in yesterday's local paper of rating doctors who tend to our health care. That sounds wonderful, except the doctor's ratings are determined by insurance companies and the criteria for their high ratings have nothing to do with how qualified they are or how well they perform.
Nay, it has to do with "good physicians." Those are the ones who order fewer tests and see patients less frequently, etc. In other words, those who COST THE INSURANCE COS. THE LEAST--patients care be damned!
Whoops, time to go. I'm missing "Survivor".
raed: As I complained to my mailman last week on "junk mail" day about all the crap he put in my mailbox, he was quick to jump on my complaint, reminding me w/o all that junk, he'd likely be out of a job. (And I was only trying to be sympathetic! Guess I learned my lesson.)
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