This should frighten you!

The House of Representatives recently passed a "Food Safety Bill," sounds like a good bill to have, doesn't it? Unfortunately, like many things in government, only the title is pretty. There are some frightening things in this bill. It's expected to go to the Senate soon. I urge you to contact your Senators (click here to find out who they are and how to e-mail them) and I urge you to tell them to vote NO on this ridiculious bill. Please, please contact them today. Take just 5 minutes. Here are some of the insane things they are proposing as law:

CROP REGULATIONHR 2749 would empower FDA to regulate how crops are raised and harvested. It puts the federal government right on the farm, dictating to our farmers.WTO "good farming practices" will include the elimination of organic farming by eliminating manure, mandating GMO animal feed, imposing animal drugs, and ordering applications of petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers, thus, will be locked not only into the industrialization of once normal and organic farms but into the forced purchase of industry's products. They will be slaves on the land, doing the work they are ordered to do - against their own best wisdom - and paying out to industry against their will. There will be no way to be frugal, to grow one’s own grain to feed the animals, to raise healthy animals without GMO grains or drugs, to work with nature at all. Grassfed cattle and poultry and hogs will be finished.
My comment - WHOA! That means that the FDA could *REQUIRE* certain pesticides, chemicals, irradiation or anything they want in our food! Doesn't this freak you out?????

GEOGRAPHIC QUARANTINEHR 2749 would give FDA the power to order a quarantine of a geographic area, including "prohibiting or restricting the movement of food or of any vehicle being used or that has been used to transport or hold such food within the geographic area." Under this provision, farmers markets and local food sources could be shut down, even if they are not the source of the contamination. The agency can halt all movement of all food in a geographic area.
My comment - ya, our local farmers markets generally provide the SAFEST food source, but now could potentially be shut down indefinately!

WARRANTLESS SEARCHES*HR 2749 would empower FDA to make warrantless searches of the business records of small farmers and local food producers, without any evidence whatsoever that there has been a violation. Even farmers selling direct to consumers would have to provide the federal government with records on where they buy supplies, how they raise their crops, and a list of customers.
My comment - I thought we lived in the United States of America, WARRENTLESS SEARCHES? This is a huge slide down a slippery slope! NO ONE in America should have the power to perform a warrantless search! This really angers me!

TRACING SYSTEMHR 2749 charges the Secretary of Health and Human Services with establishing a tracing system for food. Each "person who produces, manufactures, processes, packs, transports, or holds such food" would have to "maintain the full pedigree of the origin and previous distribution history of the food," and "establish and maintain a system for tracing the food that is interoperable with the systems established and maintained by other such persons." The bill does not explain how far the traceback will extend or how it will be done for multi-ingredient foods. With all these ambiguities, it's far from clear how much it will cost either the farmers or the taxpayers.
My comment - Again, our local farm stands and Farmers Markets would have to do this too, how insane, costly and ridiculious!

SEVERE PENALTIESHR 2749 creates severe criminal and civil penalties, including prison terms of up to 10 years and/or fines of up to a total of $100,000 for individuals.
My comment - I can already see the FDA making an example of a struggling local farmer with this one and leaving the huge corporations alone. Why? Well, you see the FDA is lobbyable. Yes, that's right. If you are a large corporation like Monsanto (produces GMO foods and pesticides) you can give loads of money and gifts to FDA members while you lobby them to support bills you favor. After the FDA takes money from these big interests do you really think they are going to then turn on them?

REGISTRATION FEEHR 2749 would impose an annual registration fee of $500 on any "facility" that holds, processes, or manufactures food. Although "farms" are exempt, the agency has defined "farm" narrowly. And people making foods such as lacto-fermented vegetables, cheeses, or breads would be required to register and pay the fee, which could drive beginning and small producers out of business during difficult economic times.
My comment - Once again, going after the small local farmers, the larger corporations don't blink at this amount.

Sources:
http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/docs/hr2749_talkingpoints.html
http://www.infowars.com/hr-2749-totalitarian-control-of-the-food-supply/