We have to look on the bright side... Compare this appointment with the
last 8 years of White House Control or the 12 years of Republican Congressional
control... Vilsack would be sooooo much better to work with than those in power
for the last decade.. Thank your workers, thank your leaders for the Democratic
control.. go recommend and work for Assistant Secretaries of Ag who favor
your view on all the issues you fault Vilsack on.. Progress is being made...
think of how Vilsack will be different and worlds apart on the National Forest
Service...
Vilsack's appointment is a great step forward in the evolution of Ag and
Forest policy.. up from the bottom.
Ken Larson
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 11:12
AM
Subject: Re: Vilsack chosen for US Ag
Sec.
I am not really in favor of Tom's appontment due to his support
of GM
initiatives and his close ties to big Indust Afr but it
could be
worse. Maybe Barracks committment to organics will
influence him
Daryl
On Dec 17, 2008, at 10:13 AM, Bill Witt
wrote:
> I suspect that the TV appointment comes first as a favor to
Tom
> Harkin, who'll want a well-placed ally to help him put a
more
> midwestern ag* slant to the next Farm Bill, and second as
another
> mutation in the ongoing morphing of "Hope" into "Clinton
III."
>
> In 2002, TV did deserve Sierra Club's scorn for his
behind the scenes
> gaming of the Water Quality Initiative and then the
CAFO bill, in both
> cases to feather his political nest at the expense
of independent
> farmers and the environment. Would Jim Nussle
have done worse as
> Governor? Of course. I suppose in that
context, Vilsack's promise to
> serve only two terms offered some
justification.
>
> Bill Witt
>
>
> * CRP, Sod
Buster, and maybe a bit more support for sustainable ag
> are
things we can realistically hope/lobby for, but the Big Agro
>
guys (FB, DuPont, Ciba, Monsanto, et al.) will cozy up, and TV will
> help get the goodies they want. TV is going to the trading
floor
> of the most enduring commodity of all--the Political
Favors Board
> of Trade.
>
>
>
>
>
Quoting Thomas Mathews <[log in to unmask]>:
>
>>
I sent this, below, to the Sierra Club national Genetic
>> Engineering Action
>> Team, of which I am a
corresponding member, having been a
>> voting
member of the
>> predecessor to it, the Genetic Engineering
Committee, for many
>> years.
>>
>> Let it
be noted that it is to the enduring shame of the Sierra
>>
Club Iowa
>> Chapter that we endorsed Vilsack for Iowa governor, not
once,
>> but twice, in 1998
>> and 2002.
(I opposed the 2002 endorsement.)
>> Tom
>>
=====================================================================
>> =========
>> =
>>
>> We need to watch
what Vilsack says and does as Secretary of
>>
Agriculture.
>>
>> If he lies about genetic engineering, we
need to speak out at once
>> and state
>> what
the truth is.
>>
>> If he repeatedly lies about genetic
engineering, we need to demand
>> that the
>>
President replace him with someone who will tell the
truth.
>>
>> If he proves to be a shill for agribusiness and
an opponent of
>> sustainable
>> and organic farming,
we need to demand that the President replace
>> him
with
>> someone who cares about the environment and the future;
someone
>> who can give us
>> hope;
someone who supports a locally produced, sustainable food
>>
system.
>>
>> Maybe Vilsack will surprise us in a good way.
But be prepared if
>> he does
not.
>>
>> Tom
>> **************Make your life
easier with all your friends, email, and
>> favorite sites in one
place. Try it now.
>> (http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-
>>
dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000010)
>>
>>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> To
unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:
>> http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp
>>
>>
Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship
>> e-newsletter.
Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's
>> latest news and
activities. Subscribe and view recent
>> editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> To
unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:
> http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp
-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To
unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]
Check
out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: