No to Monsanto, Brits Rise Up and Keith Is Back!

1. "Obama Goes Rogue on GMOs - Tell him to say NO to Monsanto"
From Food Democracy Now!
"According to university scientists, the deregulation of GMO Roundup Ready alfalfa could lead to the genetic contamination of all conventional and organic alfalfa within five years."

Over the past 12 days, the Obama administration has unbelievably chosen to approve two biotech crops, Roundup Ready genetically modified (GMO) alfalfa and Roundup Ready genetically modified (GMO) sugar beets. Obama's recent approval of them will allow them to be planted as early as this spring, despite widespread acknowledgement that these crops are certain to contaminate both conventional and organic farmers non-GMO crops. Their approval only benefits one company — Monsanto.

These decisions are a devastating blow to our democracy and the basic rights of farmers to choose how they want to grow food on their land and the rights of consumers who increasingly choose organic and sustainably grown food for its positive health and environmental impacts. Please join us in telling President Obama that it's time to stand up to Monsanto and reject these GMO crops today! Click here.

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Not only has the administration approved Monsanto's Round Up Ready Alfalfa, they also said it did not have to be separated from traditionally grown alfalfa to prevent GM contamination. Read more about the House Committee that favored unregulated GM alfalfa here. The chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, Frank Lucas (R-OK) was a recipient of Monsanto funds for his last election and has received $1,247,844 from the agribusiness industry during his career. The office at the USDA that said the GM alfalfa was safe and posed no risk to conventional crops relied on data supplied by "entities with financial ties to the biotechnology industry."

And sadly, it looks like the White House was the main cheerleader for unregulated GM alfalfa.
"Dangers of GM Foods" Presentation- Tuesday, Feb 22, Elting Library, New Paltz, 7PM.

Photo Credit: Dominic Alves via Flickr

2. People Rise Up!
As we experience crippling budget cuts at home, our nation's wealthiest corporations are hardly paying taxes at all. Brits just rose up targeting tax dodgers and even received support from some on the right. 
View the slide show- Eight Corporations that Owe You Money!

3. "A Terrible Divide" by Bob Herbert
"For a variety of reasons, there are not enough tax revenues being generated to pay for the basic public services that one would expect in an advanced country like the United States. The rich are not shouldering their fair share of the tax burden. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to consume an insane amount of revenue. And there are not enough jobs available at decent enough pay to ease some of the demand for public services while at the same time increasing the amount of taxes paid by ordinary workers.

The U.S. cannot cut its way out of this crisis. Instead of trying to figure out how to keep 4-year-olds out of pre-kindergarten classes, or how to withhold life-saving treatments from Medicaid recipients, or how to cheat the elderly out of their Social Security, the nation’s leaders should be trying seriously to figure out what to do about the future of the American work force." Read all.

4. Power to the People!
I know our hearts are still with the pro-democracy protesters in Egypt (the radical right is siding with Mubarak). The Egyptian people are amazing heroes and we hope they will stay strong until Mubarak is out of office. I read today he may be going to Germany for an extended health check-up, a face-saving way to rid the country of a dictator. Here is a video of our citizens also rising up to confront the shadowy, moneyed elite in our country. (wrote about it here.)



5.Some Good News!

He's baaack. Keith Olbermann will have a nightly, prime time news and commentary show on Current TV!  (Ch 368 on Direct TV)