The Man Who Gives Corrupt a Whole New Meaning

[ekg]

You seem to have two thesis's about privatization of prisons.  First, that they are inherently corrupt, and secondly, they don't do what they are sold to do: save money. 

wait, you mean I can't have two reasons why I dislike this idea.

huh.. I didn't know that.

I don't know why privatization  of prisons would be any more corrupt than than the privatization of any other service, or any State government purchase.  It seems all of the same circumstances would apply whether the State is shopping for contractors for prisons, or contractor's for janitorial services.  Or, for that matter, purchases, such as fleet vehicles.  What is it about prisons that make their privatization more susceptible to corruption than any other good or service that the state purchases?

answered.. repeatedly already.

As far as saving money, I can easily believe that a state can either make a bad deal, choose a bad contractor, or have poor oversight, and end up spending more money for few services.  I didn't discount your studies,  but that's not the rule with  privatization.  Privatization has been going on at the state level for decades, and while every contract isn't a winner, overall it's performed well and has been a boon to the taxpayers.  So is every contract a bad deal that hurts the taxpayers in your opinion or is this just an ideological thing?

obviously not every contract is a bad deal.. but when it comes to privatizing prisons, the majority of them are... and since it's not just money, but also humans we're talking about.. taking the risk just isn't worth what little, if any, reward.. since in some cases you're talking about a saving of only a few pennies per prisoner.. but with that saving you lost security and prisoner's escaped..

it's just not worth it.. for many reasons..

[Howey]

I can honestly say that in my research of this topic since I learned of Jan Brewer's plans for Arizona's prisons, I've only found one article in support of privatizing prisons.

That was from The Reason Foundation.

Duh.

[lil mike]

I can honestly say that in my research of this topic since I learned of Jan Brewer's plans for Arizona's prisons, I've only found one article in support of privatizing prisons.

That was from The Reason Foundation.

Duh.

Love 'em!

[Howey]

Love 'em!

Duh #2

[lil mike]

What am I dismissing? The facts? The facts are that the farmer broke the law by shipping unpasteurized milk across state lines. The facts are that the farmer ignored repeated cease and desist orders from the FDA. The facts are that the FDA had to take the farmer to civil court, not criminal court, to enforce the law.

The law:

I'm well aware of those FACTS. They are substantiated by court records. What is not substantiated by anything are the claims by Alex Jones, Fox Nation, and others that the FDA did anything wrong other than piss off a bunch of crazy conspiracy theorists by doing their fucking job.

If you, ekg, or lilMike are unhappy with the government's regulation of unsafe food, feel free to contact your congressman and let them know.

Until then, the FDA did nothing wrong.

Case closed.

WINNING!

I understand this a lot better now!

http://www.examiner.com/green-living-in-national/monsanto-lobbyist-uses-power-as-fda-food-czar-to-target-amish

[Howey]

I understand this a lot better now!

http://www.examiner.com/green-living-in-national/monsanto-lobbyist-uses-power-as-fda-food-czar-to-target-amish

Sorry, you don't. As usual.

He was appointed looooong after these Amish kooks broke the law.

I have been thinking about resurrecting this thread, thanks to Gov. Scott's insistence that his cronies within the private prison business rake in more cash...

[lil mike]

Sorry, you don't. As usual.

He was appointed looooong after these Amish kooks broke the law.

I have been thinking about resurrecting this thread, thanks to Gov. Scott's insistence that his cronies within the private prison business rake in more cash...

At least the administration knows who it's enemies are!

Apparently consenting adults have a reason to cry over spilled milk.

[Howey]

At least the administration knows who it's enemies are!

Apparently consenting adults have a reason to cry over spilled milk.

You do know it was under the Bush administration, right?

[lil mike]

You do know it was under the Bush administration, right?

Are we talking about the Monsanto guy?  He returned to the FDA in 2009.

[Howey]

Are we talking about the Monsanto guy?  He returned to the FDA in 2009.

You do know the stuff with the Amish has been going on since 2006, right? Raids, everything.

Damn socialist Bush!

[lil mike]

You do know the stuff with the Amish has been going on since 2006, right? Raids, everything.

Damn socialist Bush!

Ah now I understand!

Bush was wrong on this.  I'm not like you guys where I have to fall in line with whatever dear leader says, whether it's assassinating US citizens or detaining them indefinity.  Those are contradictions that you guys have to work out.  I don't have that problem.

I think it's stupid to prosecute Amish for selling unpasteurized milk.  It doesn't matter to me if Bush or Obama is the President.  Of course for you guys, whose President is all that matters.

[Howey]

Ah now I understand!

Bush was wrong on this.  I'm not like you guys where I have to fall in line with whatever dear leader says, whether it's assassinating US citizens or detaining them indefinity.  Those are contradictions that you guys have to work out.  I don't have that problem.

I think it's stupid to prosecute Amish for selling unpasteurized milk.  It doesn't matter to me if Bush or Obama is the President.  Of course for you guys, whose President is all that matters.

They weren't prosecuted for selling unpasteurized milk. You know that, don't you?

[Howey]

Ah now I understand!

Bush was wrong on this.  I'm not like you guys where I have to fall in line with whatever dear leader says, whether it's assassinating US citizens or detaining them indefinity.  Those are contradictions that you guys have to work out.  I don't have that problem.

I think it's stupid to prosecute Amish for selling unpasteurized milk.  It doesn't matter to me if Bush or Obama is the President.  Of course for you guys, whose President is all that matters.

I've often voiced displeasure with some of Obama's actions. And with this one.

In 2009, President Obama appointed Michael Taylor as a senior adviser for the FDA. Consumer groups protested the appointment because Taylor had formerly served as a vice president for Monsanto, the controversial agricultural multinational at the forefront of genetically modified food.

In recent days, a petition calling for the former Monsanto VP’s ouster is gaining steam.

“President Obama, I oppose your appointment of Michael Taylor,” the petition on Signon.org reads. “Taylor is the same person who was Food Safety Czar at the FDA when genetically modified organisms were allowed into the U.S. food supply without undergoing a single test to determine their safety or risks. This is a travesty.”

Taylor, who may or may not be behind the original Amish raids, certainly is behind the latest.

Obama food safety chief and former Monsanto lawyer Michael R. Taylor today defended the FDA’s sting operations and armed raids against raw milk producers, including Pennsylvania Amish farmer Dan Allgyer, who is facing an injunction for selling milk across state lines. None of Allgyer’s milk was contaminated. The agency’s actions are likely to put him out of business.

“We believe we’re doing our job,” Taylor said at a presentation at the Ogilvy Washington public affairs group. He promised to “keep doing our public health job,” and described his agency’s campaign against raw milk producers as based on a “public health duty” and “statutory directive.”

Taylor said he had a “quibble” with the notion that the agency is spending too much of its resources targeting boutique raw milk producers even as huge contamination outbreaks have occurred among large Iowa egg farms and elsewhere.

The FDA is in the midst of writing the critical regulations that will implement the Food Safety Modernization Act Congress passed last year with applause all around from the Obama administration, Democrats and Republicans despite ferocious opposition from small-farm advocates. The sweeping new law gives the agency extraordinary powers to detain foods on farms. It also denies farmers recourse to federal courts.

But is this the result of so-called "cronyism"? I don't think so. It is the result of another bureaucrat/lobbyist sneaking his way into government.

[lil mike]

I've often voiced displeasure with some of Obama's actions. And with this one.

Taylor, who may or may not be behind the original Amish raids, certainly is behind the latest.
But is this the result of so-called "cronyism"? I don't think so. It is the result of another bureaucrat/lobbyist sneaking his way into government.

I don't think he "sneaked" in.

[Howey]

I don't think he "sneaked" in.

Maybe his friend Clarence Thomas helped?