Swine 'Flu Action Alert (non-satirical)

by Dollars and Sense

We received this action alert related to swine 'flu (we're not going to save the pork industry by calling it "H1N1") in our inbox:

It is now well-documented that the swine flu likely arose at a huge pig farm operated by a subsidiary of the Smithfield Farms in Veracruz Mexico. The farm's waste pools appear to have created a situation in which the virus was spread to humans.

The House Agriculture Committee's subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry will meet this Tuesday, May 5. You can bet that the pork industry will be there in force trying to rein in their lost sales. What ought to be front and center both in this committee’s agenda and that of all Members of Congress who will consider trade legislation later this year—including so-called "free trade" agreement with Colombia—is that it is agreements like NAFTA that permitted the unsanitary conditions that now appear to be threatening people around the world with swine flu.

The members of this subcommittee are:

David Scott (D, GA), Chair, Jim Costa (D, CA) Leonard L. Boswell (D, IA), Joe Baca (D, CA), Dennis A. Cardoza (D, CA), K. Michael Conaway (R), TX, Bob Goodlatte (R, VA) Tim Holden (D, PA), Steve Kagen (D, WI), Steve King (R, IA), Frank Kratovil, Jr. (D, MD), Betsy Markey (D, CO), Walt Minnick (D, ID), Randy Neugebauer (R, TX) (Ranking Minority Member ), David P. Roe (R, TN), Mike Rogers (R, AL), Adrian Smith (R, NE)

I hope the members of this committee, the rest of Congress, and legislators in Canada also considering a "free trade" deal with Colombia, hear from folks concerned about these natural consequences to corporate control that is not held in check by democratic processes trumped in free trade agreements like that proposed between the U.S. and Colombia.

Labels: H1N1, House Agriculture Committee, Smithfield, Swine Flu

 

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5/04/2009 01:06:00 PM