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February 6, 2009
Peanut Supplier Banned From Federal Business By MICHAEL FALCONE NY Times WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Thursday banned the company implicated in the nationwide contamination of peanut products from doing business with the federal government. At least eight people have died and hundreds have been sickened after eating tainted products. The order, which affects the Peanut Corporation of America and a subsidiary, will remain in force for one year. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also stripped the company’s chief executive of his seat on a board that advises the government on peanut quality standards. David Shipman, an acting administrator at the Agriculture Department, said, “The actions of P.C.A. indicate that the company lacks business integrity and business honesty, which seriously and directly hinders its ability to do business with the federal government.” The department’s actions came on a day when senators heard testimony from health experts and a Food and Drug Administration official, who acknowledged that gaps in the food safety system had contributed to delays in catching the outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter and other products that spread to 43 states. The problem has been traced to a peanut processing facility in Blakely, Ga. ***Dr. Stephen Sundlof, the director of food safety programs at the F.D.A., told the Senate Agriculture Committee that the agency’s investigation was hindered in part by the absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities. Dr. Sundlof said food makers were required to tell the agency about safety issues only after shipping products.*** The food and drug agency and the Justice Department are conducting a criminal investigation into whether the Peanut Corporation of America knowingly sold contaminated products. The company has denied it acted illegally, and as recently as Wednesday asserted that inspectors had given the Blakely plant a “superior” rating last year. Federal oficials on Thursday recalled thousands of food kits with peanut butter that had been sent to aid victims of the Kentucky ice storms. At Thursday’s hearing, Gabrielle Meunier of South Burlington, Vt., whose 7-year-old son, Christopher, had to be hospitalized after exposure to salmonella bacteria, likened the country’s approach to food safety to “a game of Russian roulette.” The committee chairman, Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, called on President Obama to put “the weight of his office” behind reforming the federal government’s system for detecting food contamination. This week, Mr. Obama said his administration would thoroughly review the operations of the F.D.A. and complained that the agency had been slow responding to food safety problems. Still, Dr. Sundlof said, “the American food supply continues to be among the safest in the world.” But Mr. Harkin lamented that the recall of products poisoned with salmonella had led to safety questions about “basic items like peanut butter.” Mr. Harkin, who used a peanut butter sandwich and a jar of peanut butter as props during the hearing, added, “If that’s not safe, we have to ask, what is?” - - - "...absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities." Not for long, I bet. |
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Yeah, until they make a huge contribution and get a secret waiver...
Openness you know, right...snerk. I hope Pelosi fails, does that make me a racist? |
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On Feb 5, 11:07*pm, HK wrote:
February 6, 2009 Peanut Supplier Banned From Federal Business By MICHAEL FALCONE NY Times WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Thursday banned the company implicated in the nationwide contamination of peanut products from doing business with the federal government. At least eight people have died and hundreds have been sickened after eating tainted products. The order, which affects the Peanut Corporation of America and a subsidiary, will remain in force for one year. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also stripped the company’s chief executive of his seat on a board that advises the government on peanut quality standards. David Shipman, an acting administrator at the Agriculture Department, said, “The actions of P.C.A. indicate that the company lacks business integrity and business honesty, which seriously and directly hinders its ability to do business with the federal government.” The department’s actions came on a day when senators heard testimony from health experts and a Food and Drug Administration official, who acknowledged that gaps in the food safety system had contributed to delays in catching the outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter and other products that spread to 43 states. The problem has been traced to a peanut processing facility in Blakely, Ga. ***Dr. Stephen Sundlof, the director of food safety programs at the F.D.A., told the Senate Agriculture Committee that the agency’s investigation was hindered in part by the absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities. Dr. Sundlof said food makers were required to tell the agency about safety issues only after shipping products.*** The food and drug agency and the Justice Department are conducting a criminal investigation into whether the Peanut Corporation of America knowingly sold contaminated products. The company has denied it acted illegally, and as recently as Wednesday asserted that inspectors had given the Blakely plant a “superior” rating last year. Federal oficials on Thursday recalled thousands of food kits with peanut butter that had been sent to aid victims of the Kentucky ice storms. At Thursday’s hearing, Gabrielle Meunier of South Burlington, Vt., whose 7-year-old son, Christopher, had to be hospitalized after exposure to salmonella bacteria, likened the country’s approach to food safety to “a game of Russian roulette.” The committee chairman, Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, called on President Obama to put “the weight of his office” behind reforming the federal government’s system for detecting food contamination. This week, Mr. Obama said his administration would thoroughly review the operations of the F.D.A. and complained that the agency had been slow responding to food safety problems. Still, Dr. Sundlof said, “the American food supply continues to be among the safest in the world.” But Mr. Harkin lamented that the recall of products poisoned with salmonella had led to safety questions about “basic items like peanut butter.” Mr. Harkin, who used a peanut butter sandwich and a jar of peanut butter as props during the hearing, added, “If that’s not safe, we have to ask, what is?” - - - "...absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities." Not for long, I bet. Too bad the Dwarf Army never got any........ |
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On Feb 5, 11:07*pm, HK wrote:
The order, which affects the Peanut Corporation of America and a subsidiary, will remain in force for one year. Obama amounts to peanuts. It figures. |
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HK wrote:
February 6, 2009 Peanut Supplier Banned From Federal Business By MICHAEL FALCONE NY Times WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Thursday banned the company implicated in the nationwide contamination of peanut products from doing business with the federal government. At least eight people have died and hundreds have been sickened after eating tainted products. The order, which affects the Peanut Corporation of America and a subsidiary, will remain in force for one year. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also stripped the company’s chief executive of his seat on a board that advises the government on peanut quality standards. David Shipman, an acting administrator at the Agriculture Department, said, “The actions of P.C.A. indicate that the company lacks business integrity and business honesty, which seriously and directly hinders its ability to do business with the federal government.” The department’s actions came on a day when senators heard testimony from health experts and a Food and Drug Administration official, who acknowledged that gaps in the food safety system had contributed to delays in catching the outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter and other products that spread to 43 states. The problem has been traced to a peanut processing facility in Blakely, Ga. ***Dr. Stephen Sundlof, the director of food safety programs at the F.D.A., told the Senate Agriculture Committee that the agency’s investigation was hindered in part by the absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities. Dr. Sundlof said food makers were required to tell the agency about safety issues only after shipping products.*** The food and drug agency and the Justice Department are conducting a criminal investigation into whether the Peanut Corporation of America knowingly sold contaminated products. The company has denied it acted illegally, and as recently as Wednesday asserted that inspectors had given the Blakely plant a “superior” rating last year. Federal oficials on Thursday recalled thousands of food kits with peanut butter that had been sent to aid victims of the Kentucky ice storms. At Thursday’s hearing, Gabrielle Meunier of South Burlington, Vt., whose 7-year-old son, Christopher, had to be hospitalized after exposure to salmonella bacteria, likened the country’s approach to food safety to “a game of Russian roulette.” The committee chairman, Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, called on President Obama to put “the weight of his office” behind reforming the federal government’s system for detecting food contamination. This week, Mr. Obama said his administration would thoroughly review the operations of the F.D.A. and complained that the agency had been slow responding to food safety problems. Still, Dr. Sundlof said, “the American food supply continues to be among the safest in the world.” But Mr. Harkin lamented that the recall of products poisoned with salmonella had led to safety questions about “basic items like peanut butter.” Mr. Harkin, who used a peanut butter sandwich and a jar of peanut butter as props during the hearing, added, “If that’s not safe, we have to ask, what is?” - - - "...absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities." Not for long, I bet. Here here! Let's have Citizen protections again. |
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On Feb 5, 11:17*pm, wrote:
Yeah, until they make a huge contribution and get a secret waiver... Openness you know, right...snerk. I hope Pelosi fails, does that make me a racist? Old news. What Harry can't grasp because he only knows what he googles, is that government interaction failed and failed miserably. This place was regularly inspected by federal and Georgia entities. They found minor things, and that's all. IF they had bothered to look at the company's records, they would have found where they'd been shipping out tainted product several times. |
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On Feb 5, 11:18*pm, wrote:
On Feb 5, 11:07*pm, HK wrote: February 6, 2009 Peanut Supplier Banned From Federal Business By MICHAEL FALCONE NY Times WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Thursday banned the company implicated in the nationwide contamination of peanut products from doing business with the federal government. At least eight people have died and hundreds have been sickened after eating tainted products. The order, which affects the Peanut Corporation of America and a subsidiary, will remain in force for one year. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also stripped the company’s chief executive of his seat on a board that advises the government on peanut quality standards. David Shipman, an acting administrator at the Agriculture Department, said, “The actions of P.C.A. indicate that the company lacks business integrity and business honesty, which seriously and directly hinders its ability to do business with the federal government.” The department’s actions came on a day when senators heard testimony from health experts and a Food and Drug Administration official, who acknowledged that gaps in the food safety system had contributed to delays in catching the outbreak of salmonella in peanut butter and other products that spread to 43 states. The problem has been traced to a peanut processing facility in Blakely, Ga. ***Dr. Stephen Sundlof, the director of food safety programs at the F.D.A., told the Senate Agriculture Committee that the agency’s investigation was hindered in part by the absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities. Dr. Sundlof said food makers were required to tell the agency about safety issues only after shipping products.*** The food and drug agency and the Justice Department are conducting a criminal investigation into whether the Peanut Corporation of America knowingly sold contaminated products. The company has denied it acted illegally, and as recently as Wednesday asserted that inspectors had given the Blakely plant a “superior” rating last year. Federal oficials on Thursday recalled thousands of food kits with peanut butter that had been sent to aid victims of the Kentucky ice storms. At Thursday’s hearing, Gabrielle Meunier of South Burlington, Vt., whose 7-year-old son, Christopher, had to be hospitalized after exposure to salmonella bacteria, likened the country’s approach to food safety to “a game of Russian roulette.” The committee chairman, Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, called on President Obama to put “the weight of his office” behind reforming the federal government’s system for detecting food contamination. This week, Mr. Obama said his administration would thoroughly review the operations of the F.D.A. and complained that the agency had been slow responding to food safety problems. Still, Dr. Sundlof said, “the American food supply continues to be among the safest in the world.” But Mr. Harkin lamented that the recall of products poisoned with salmonella had led to safety questions about “basic items like peanut butter.” Mr. Harkin, who used a peanut butter sandwich and a jar of peanut butter as props during the hearing, added, “If that’s not safe, we have to ask, what is?” - - - "...absence of laws requiring companies to report contamination at processing facilities." Not for long, I bet. Too bad the Dwarf Army never got any........- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Awe, look, it's Harry's personal peter puffer! |
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On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:07:34 -0500, HK wrote:
February 6, 2009 Peanut Supplier Banned From Federal Business By MICHAEL FALCONE NY Times WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Thursday banned the company implicated in the nationwide contamination of peanut products from doing business with the federal government. At least eight people have died and hundreds have been sickened after eating tainted products. During the Great Reagan Era of Joblessness (we're hitting his benchmarks now) I ended up running packaging machines at Cloud Packaging in Skokie, Illinois. This was 1983. Main reason I could score that job was that I had previously been a packaging machine mechanic, and Cloud had landed the Nutrasweet contract from Searle, so they needed to gear up pretty quick. Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. But work is work, and moths must be fed. You might recall that saccharin had become a no-no, and Searle developed Nutrasweet. This is the place where the QC inspector was a Reagan-fired ATC/Patco guy. I'll take a second here to mention what a petty low down **** Reagan was in never letting these guys go back to work in the trade they knew and were trained for. Retribution against defeated men, and kicking them when they're down is as good a measure of a man's moral core as I know, and that's how I measure Reagan. Anyway, I packaged a lot of different items at Cloud, one being a beef broth dry mix for the military. Nitrogen was used to eliminate oxygen during packaging. There was *always* an FDA inspector overlooking that packaging. Was he needed? I always felt it was a waste of fed money, but that's just how it was. Seemed I was nearly always a step ahead of him in correcting something that was off. But maybe that's because he was there. Still not sure, but when there's a fed inspector watching, you are probably more careful. This peanut thing is different, since even plant cleanliness comes into play, and there is business/gov collusion involved. I mentioned my wife is a corporate cook, and even though she is naturally a clean freak, company and county officials do frequent workplace inspections. Part of the stimulus money should go to hire Fed FDA staff to ensure food safety. We also need more IRS auditors, who shortly pay for themselves. Those auditors would have saved Obama some embarrassment. --Vic |
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"Vic Smith" wrote in message ... During the Great Reagan Era of Joblessness (we're hitting his benchmarks now) I ended up running packaging machines at Cloud Packaging in Skokie, Illinois. This was 1983. Main reason I could score that job was that I had previously been a packaging machine mechanic, and Cloud had landed the Nutrasweet contract from Searle, so they needed to gear up pretty quick. Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. But work is work, and moths must be fed. You feed moths? Must be the entomologist in you. Eisboch |
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Vic Smith wrote:
On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:07:34 -0500, HK wrote: February 6, 2009 Peanut Supplier Banned From Federal Business By MICHAEL FALCONE NY Times WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Thursday banned the company implicated in the nationwide contamination of peanut products from doing business with the federal government. At least eight people have died and hundreds have been sickened after eating tainted products. During the Great Reagan Era of Joblessness (we're hitting his benchmarks now) I ended up running packaging machines at Cloud Packaging in Skokie, Illinois. This was 1983. Main reason I could score that job was that I had previously been a packaging machine mechanic, and Cloud had landed the Nutrasweet contract from Searle, so they needed to gear up pretty quick. Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. But work is work, and moths must be fed. You might recall that saccharin had become a no-no, and Searle developed Nutrasweet. This is the place where the QC inspector was a Reagan-fired ATC/Patco guy. I'll take a second here to mention what a petty low down **** Reagan was in never letting these guys go back to work in the trade they knew and were trained for. Retribution against defeated men, and kicking them when they're down is as good a measure of a man's moral core as I know, and that's how I measure Reagan. Anyway, I packaged a lot of different items at Cloud, one being a beef broth dry mix for the military. Nitrogen was used to eliminate oxygen during packaging. There was *always* an FDA inspector overlooking that packaging. Was he needed? I always felt it was a waste of fed money, but that's just how it was. Seemed I was nearly always a step ahead of him in correcting something that was off. But maybe that's because he was there. Still not sure, but when there's a fed inspector watching, you are probably more careful. This peanut thing is different, since even plant cleanliness comes into play, and there is business/gov collusion involved. I mentioned my wife is a corporate cook, and even though she is naturally a clean freak, company and county officials do frequent workplace inspections. Part of the stimulus money should go to hire Fed FDA staff to ensure food safety. We also need more IRS auditors, who shortly pay for themselves. Those auditors would have saved Obama some embarrassment. --Vic From what I read, Georgia, like some other states, has a severe shortaqe of inspectors and has had for some time. I wouldn't doubt the collusion, especially in the south. The Bush mis-administration never took federal food and drug inspections seriously and in fact worked overtime to roll back standards and numbers of inspectors. True also for OSHA in terms of inspectors and unannounced inspections. Hope this changes, but since the country is broke now...who knows. |
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On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:45:04 -0600, Vic Smith
wrote: Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. In 69 I was making two bucks an hour. Casady |
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Richard Casady wrote:
On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:45:04 -0600, Vic Smith wrote: Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. In 69 I was making two bucks an hour. Casady Crikey, I was making more than that in 1964 as a summertime towmotor operator, welder, truck loader. |
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On Feb 6, 11:36*am, HK wrote:
Richard Casady wrote: On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:45:04 -0600, Vic Smith wrote: Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. In 69 I was making two bucks an hour. Casady Crikey, I was making more than that in 1964 as a summertime towmotor operator, welder, truck loader. Yeah right.. You do understand that nobody but Slammer, Salty, and Donnie believe you right??? |
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|
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On Feb 6, 12:02*pm, Jim7495632085 wrote:
wrote: On Feb 6, 11:36 am, HK wrote: Richard Casady wrote: On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:45:04 -0600, Vic Smith wrote: Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. In 69 I was making two bucks an hour. Casady Crikey, Yeah right.. You do understand that nobody but Slammer, Salty, and Donnie believe you right??? That's a new one. Has anyone kept track of the numerous summer jobs Hacky Krause has claimed to have had? About a thousand, I'm guessing? Here's something about his problem. Note the part about being defensive to the point of intolerance. There are many people that just can't stop lying. In order to avoid the truth this path is chosen. A lie that is said for someone's benefit is to cheat another. However there are some people that always lie, meaning that they are looked upon as liars for everything and anything that they might say. Anyone who has the habit of lying continuously is called as compulsive liar. It is a condition where a person is just unable to speak the truth, even if he tries to put it in a simple and truthful way there happens to be a point at which he will be unable to continue with the harsh truths and in order to avoid this he will start it all again with lying. Compulsive lying is also like an addiction just like sex, drugs, smoking and so on. Just as a person requires help under all these conditions, the situation is the same even with compulsive lying. Any person can be a compulsive liar; your daughters, sons, husbands, wife's, girlfriends, boyfriends etc. Instead of avoiding your compulsive liar (friend or spouse) you can help them deal with this disease just like you would do in case of a more evident addiction. For this you don't have to directly approach them and tell them that they are lying as this could hurt their feelings or make them defensive. Instead opt for a way that would help them. Try showing them that you know about the lies, but try and take it easy by telling them that you knew it was meant as a joke. Let the victim realize that there is a problem and help them. You can take the victim to psychiatrist and expect a change in him/her. |
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On Feb 6, 11:46*am, wrote:
On Feb 6, 11:36*am, HK wrote: Richard Casady wrote: On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:45:04 -0600, Vic Smith wrote: Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. In 69 I was making two bucks an hour. Casady Crikey, I was making more than that in 1964 as a summertime towmotor operator, welder, truck loader. Yeah right.. You do understand that nobody but Slammer, Salty, and Donnie believe you right??? welder....Harry? BWAAAAHAAAAA!!!!! This from the guy that stated he was too afraid to even take the "hood" off of his outboard motor because of the new technology!!!!! |
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On Feb 6, 9:05*am, HK wrote:
Vic Smith wrote: On Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:07:34 -0500, HK wrote: February 6, 2009 Peanut Supplier Banned From Federal Business By MICHAEL FALCONE NY Times WASHINGTON — The Agriculture Department on Thursday banned the company implicated in the nationwide contamination of peanut products from doing business with the federal government. At least eight people have died and hundreds have been sickened after eating tainted products. During the Great Reagan Era of Joblessness (we're hitting his benchmarks now) I ended up running packaging machines at Cloud Packaging in Skokie, Illinois. *This was 1983. Main reason I could score that job was that I had previously been a packaging machine mechanic, and Cloud had landed the Nutrasweet contract from Searle, so they needed to gear up pretty quick. Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. But work is work, and moths must be fed. You might recall that saccharin had become a no-no, and Searle developed Nutrasweet. *This is the place where the QC inspector was a Reagan-fired ATC/Patco guy. I'll take a second here to mention what a petty low down **** Reagan was in never letting these guys go back to work in the trade they knew and were trained for. Retribution against defeated men, and kicking them when they're down is as good a measure of a man's moral core as I know, and that's how I measure Reagan. Anyway, I packaged a lot of different items at Cloud, one being a beef broth dry mix for the military. *Nitrogen was used to eliminate oxygen during packaging. There was *always* an FDA inspector overlooking that packaging. Was he needed? * I always felt it was a waste of fed money, but that's just how it was. Seemed I was nearly always a step ahead of him in correcting something that was off. But maybe that's because he was there. *Still not sure, but when there's a fed inspector watching, you are probably more careful. This peanut thing is different, since even plant cleanliness comes into play, and there is business/gov collusion involved. I mentioned my wife is a corporate cook, and even though she is naturally a clean freak, company and county officials do frequent workplace inspections. Part of the stimulus money should go to hire Fed FDA staff to ensure food safety. We also need more IRS auditors, who shortly pay for themselves. Those auditors would have saved Obama some embarrassment. --Vic *From what I read, Georgia, like some other states, has a severe shortaqe of inspectors and has had for some time. I wouldn't doubt the collusion, especially in the south. The Bush mis-administration never took federal food and drug inspections seriously and in fact worked overtime to roll back standards and numbers of inspectors. True also for OSHA in terms of inspectors and unannounced inspections. Hope this changes, but since the country is broke now...who knows.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Well then you read wrong. What really happened was that the place had been regularly inspected by both the federal and state agencies. The trouble is they are government lazy workers. They'd go in, find a couple of minor violations, and leave. IF they had bothered to take the time and look at the company's own books, they'd have seen where they were sending out product tainted with salmonella and other things. The company got away with it not because of lack of manpower, but plain old not giving a ****. If it were a private company doing the monitoring, and they were told that if this crap were to happen that they'd be liable, I'll bet it would have been found. The government and it's workers had NO incentive to do their job. |
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On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:36:20 -0500, HK wrote:
Richard Casady wrote: On Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:45:04 -0600, Vic Smith wrote: Six bucks an hour, so I was back to my 1968 wages. In 69 I was making two bucks an hour. Casady Crikey, I was making more than that in 1964 as a summertime towmotor operator, welder, truck loader. I was a phone dunner for a magazine subscription company. They salesmen would go into the ghetto and sell welfare moms far more than they could afford. When they didn't pay for the third month we cut off their mags. We would call them and try to talk them into sending in some dough. Lasted three months. I felt sorry for the deadbeats, with good reason. Casady |
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