Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
Thomas Edison
Food Safety Bill Passes in Senate Unanimously: Thumbs Up
This bill had passed the Senate late last month by a healthy margin; why were we revisiting the issue during the lame duck session? In essence, there was a procedural error with the first bill: revenue-generating bills must originate in the House by the Constitution. (For a fuller description of the basic reforms in this bill, see here.)
Conservatives are supportive of public safety concerns; whether I buy eggs, cookie dough, hamburger or a jar of peanut butter, I trust and expect that the vendor has exercised prudent safety safeguards. Otherwise, the true costs of the product is not the few dollars for the product, but additionally the costs associated with medical care, lost wages, etc. We need to have enough transparency to the transaction to make an informed decision.
Why would conservatives object to a measure like this? Several reasons. For example, when industry heavyweights start cooperating with the government in regulatory markets, we smell a whiff of crony capitalism--e.g., corporate farms, which have deep pockets to absorb the costs of regulation, have a competitive advantage over smaller farms/businesses. Second, there's a cost/benefit component to federal regulation, and regulatory empire building can be obtrusive to business operations. Third, there's a question of drawing the line between federal and state regulation--for example, if a small farmer sells most of his goods within a state (e.g., local farmers markets, etc.). Fourth, the structures may not really address certain existing problems; for example, inspectors certifying classifications of meat or produce may become incidentally aware of unacceptable sanitation issues at a farm, but there is no defined communication path. Finally, there's the administrative costs of the program itself (although OMB claims it will not add to the deficit). (I do not mean to imply this is an exhaustive list of conservative issues, but it does provide relevant example issues.)
Overall, the focus on proactive, preventive measures, improved tracking of possible contaminated food sources, updated changes based on improved, more up-to-date knowledge and practices, and a more comprehensive (versus fragmentary) approach make this bill a step in the right direction.
If You Missed It...
Earlier today I posted my 2010 Jackass of the Year selection.
Josh Barro and E.J. McMahon, "Public vs. Private Retirements": Thumbs UP!
This is an excellent op-ed on the state/local public pension bubble, pointing out that many public sector plans pay far more generously than the private sector (either corporate or union payout): the average is roughly $13K. The AVERAGE public sector employee (including part-timers or more limited tenure) is more than twice that. Just to put that in perspective, this is fairly close to the MAXIMUM payment for social security. In fact, the authors use some New York State examples of teachers starting right out of college and, say, retiring at 59--able to get almost 70% of an annual salary approaching (or actually in) the six-figures. (Teachers making near $90K a year? Can we hear about the "underpaid" teacher again?) And apparently police and firefighters do better and can retire earlier... Nobody is suggesting that public employee retirees should live in shelters and eat cat food, and we really can't blame public unions for getting such a sweet deal from their Democratic legislator/patrons (made even sweeter by being exempt from state and local taxes, never mind the amount being more than the median household income).
The fact is that the day of reckoning is approaching quickly. Let's not forget that the baby boomer generation, which is beginning to phase into retirement, is being followed by a smaller (in numbers) generation. Pension liabilities are going to go through the roof with cumulative retirements, crowding out necessary services, and taxpayers are going to go ballistic over tax hikes needed to pay for a retirement better than the one they can look forward to.
Bonus Video: SNL Presents Dems' Xmas List...
Political Humor
A few originals:
- Private Bradley Manning. a suspect in the leak of large volumes of classified material to WikiLeaks, initially claimed that he could intercept the playbook of "big brother" Peyton Manning, pro football Indianapolis Colts quarterback...
- President Obama didn't appreciate the sentiment behind the lumps of coal Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) left in his Christmas stocking.
Musical Interlude: Holiday Tunes
The Impressions, "Amen"
