Category Archives: Food
Western Water Wars
Western Water Wars went wild last week when young Dallas Swonger peed in an Oregon reservoir and forgot to flush.
Thanks to the Water Bureau’s quick thinking response, the three parts per billion of Swonger effluent were safely removed by draining 38 million gallons of water. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish – yes that’s his real name – humbly accepted credit for the life saving action:
“I didn’t have a choice. I don’t have the luxury of slicing it too thin when there’s a potential risk, however small, to public health,” he said. “Frankly, it’s one of those calls where you know you’re likely to be criticized no matter what. The professionals who report to me all said, ‘Dump the water. Don’t take any chances.’ It’s the conservative but correct call.”
Bipartisan Farm Bill
Congress got something done last week. It passed a bipartisan, 10 year, trillion dollar farm bill.
The farm bill includes insurance against “adverse price movements”. Isn’t that what the credit default swaps were supposed to do for subprime loans before the great recession?
Bipartisanship on Farm Bill
It’s all too much for the editors of National Review who note that:
Many crop prices are near all-time highs, and if they drop as expected, new loss-protection programs could — likely will — cost billions more than the CBO calculates.
In an even rarer case of bipartisanship the Washington Post editorial board agrees:
Supposedly necessary to secure the nation’s food supply at a time of record farm income and epidemic obesity, this federal largess flows almost regardless of how much money its recipients already have.
The Post then calls on President Obama to use his pen to veto the bill.
More Bipartisan Farm Bill Update:
Bloomberg reports the Senate threw out a requirement that members of Congress would have to publicly report if they receive federally subsidized crop insurance.
Trans Fat Fix
Like so much dirty underwear, the Emperor With No Clothes has changed another law. Or, as Mark Steyn says, “On Thursday, he passed a new law at a press conference. George III never did that”.
President Obama proclaimed you can keep your health plan after all. That is if your insurance company can find it, having tossed it out on his orders.
Meanwhile, the House, including 39 Democrats, passed the Upton Bill on Friday which would legally do what the president wants. He promised to veto it.
No Word on Your Trans Fat Fix
Also, last week, the FDA said it will ban trans fat. Even if you like it.
Those Whacky Puritans
While the Mayor and Michelle go Carrie Nation on the sugar industry, the rest of us are bailing it out with price supports. Got the idea for this one from this Steve Chapman column.
