Nation's largest organic milk marketer "deceiving consumers," legal complaint filed by the Cornucopia Institute
WASHINGTON: One of the nation's most aggressive organic watchdogs filed a formal legal complaint today (8/10/06) against the country's leading organic brand, Horizon, alleging a well-financed campaign to greenwash milk produced at factory farms that fail to meet USDA regulatory standards. The complaint and call for a thorough investigation was filed with the USDA’s Office of Compliance.
The crux of the controversy, which has smoldered within the organic industry for over six years, stems from a small handful of industrial-scale dairies, managing 2000-10,000 cows, that are allegedly producing milk in feedlot conditions without adequately grazing their cattle as required by law.
The crux of the controversy, which has smoldered within the organic industry for over six years, stems from a small handful of industrial-scale dairies, managing 2000-10,000 cows, that are allegedly producing milk in feedlot conditions without adequately grazing their cattle as required by law.
PFAW's Neas praises advance of Voting Rights Act, Calls on Bush Administration to start enforcing the law
While vocally supporting passage of the Act, President Bush and his administration have refused to effectively enforce it
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“The passage of the Voting Rights Act reauthorization today is good news for all Americans who care about the integrity of our democracy. More than 60,000 People For the American Way members, supporters and activists had signed petitions urging the Act’s passage and opposing right-wing efforts to undermine its effectiveness. Their activism has helped preserve one of the most important accomplishments of the civil rights movement.
“President Bush’s decision to support the legislation was the right one. But the law has little real meaning if it is not enforced. And the sad truth is that the Bush administration has abandoned its responsibility to enforce the law.
“In fact, the Bush Justice Department has brought important Voting Rights Act litigation to a grinding halt. Repeatedly the recommendations of career civil rights attorneys have been overturned by political appointees who seem committed to a ‘see no evil’ approach when minority voters are being left behind.
“The passage of the Voting Rights Act reauthorization today is good news for all Americans who care about the integrity of our democracy. More than 60,000 People For the American Way members, supporters and activists had signed petitions urging the Act’s passage and opposing right-wing efforts to undermine its effectiveness. Their activism has helped preserve one of the most important accomplishments of the civil rights movement.
“President Bush’s decision to support the legislation was the right one. But the law has little real meaning if it is not enforced. And the sad truth is that the Bush administration has abandoned its responsibility to enforce the law.
“In fact, the Bush Justice Department has brought important Voting Rights Act litigation to a grinding halt. Repeatedly the recommendations of career civil rights attorneys have been overturned by political appointees who seem committed to a ‘see no evil’ approach when minority voters are being left behind.
How the last presidential election awoke me from an unsound sleep
Or ... One average citizen's account of her unsettling experience video-taping on Election Day 2004, attending the public hearings afterward and then serving as an Official Witness for the Ohio Vote Recount.
In 2004, like most of my friends, I was asleep at the wheel, even with questions still lingering following the 2000 election. As an active mother, advocate and writer, I felt entitled to this lethargy. It's all too much was my hidden mantra. If I hadn't been asked to take my outdated family video camera to the polls on Election Day, I might still be able relieve myself of the burden of being awake and aware. But from that day forward, things changed. In late 2004, I added Voter's Rights activism to my list of duties. Nobody in my life saw it coming, least of all me.
In 2004, like most of my friends, I was asleep at the wheel, even with questions still lingering following the 2000 election. As an active mother, advocate and writer, I felt entitled to this lethargy. It's all too much was my hidden mantra. If I hadn't been asked to take my outdated family video camera to the polls on Election Day, I might still be able relieve myself of the burden of being awake and aware. But from that day forward, things changed. In late 2004, I added Voter's Rights activism to my list of duties. Nobody in my life saw it coming, least of all me.
Resolution of no confidence in current U.S. elections
Whereas an election is the legal process by which We, the People,
transfer power to our governmental representatives; and
Whereas, current electronic voting technologies have been shown to be unreliable, insecure and unverifiable; and
Whereas, electronic voting technologies which do not include a permanent paper ballot of record provide no means to verify results reported by elections officials, through recounts or other legal means; and
Whereas, citizens are denied oversight of the software used in electronic voting and counting machines; and
Whereas, the use of proprietary (secret) software in our elections amounts to a secret vote count; and
Whereas, publicly-funded testing and certification of software and hardware of electronic voting systems is shrouded from public oversight; and
Whereas, current election procedures violate "chain of custody" laws thru the use of removable and/or remotely accessible memory cards, which now constitute the official ballot box; and,
Therefore, Be It Resolved that there is no basis for confidence in any election held under these conditions; and
Whereas, current electronic voting technologies have been shown to be unreliable, insecure and unverifiable; and
Whereas, electronic voting technologies which do not include a permanent paper ballot of record provide no means to verify results reported by elections officials, through recounts or other legal means; and
Whereas, citizens are denied oversight of the software used in electronic voting and counting machines; and
Whereas, the use of proprietary (secret) software in our elections amounts to a secret vote count; and
Whereas, publicly-funded testing and certification of software and hardware of electronic voting systems is shrouded from public oversight; and
Whereas, current election procedures violate "chain of custody" laws thru the use of removable and/or remotely accessible memory cards, which now constitute the official ballot box; and,
Therefore, Be It Resolved that there is no basis for confidence in any election held under these conditions; and
The stolen election of 2004
The 2004 presidential contest between Democratic challenger Senator John
Kerry and the Republican incumbent, President Bush Jr., amounted to another
stolen election. This has been well documented by such investigators as Rep.
John Conyers, Mark Crispin Miller, Bob Fitrakis, Harvey Wasserman, Bev
Harris, and others. Here is an overview of what they have reported, along
with observations of my own.
Some 105 million citizens voted in 2000, but in 2004 the turnout climbed to at least 122 million. Pre-election surveys indicated that among the record 16.8 million new voters Kerry was a heavy favorite, a fact that went largely unreported by the press. In addition, there were about two million progressives who had voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 who switched to Kerry in 2004.
Yet the official 2004 tallies showed Bush with 62 million votes, about 11.6 million more than he got in 2000. Meanwhile Kerry showed only eight million more votes than Gore received in 2000. To have achieved his remarkable 2004 tally, Bush would needed to have kept all his 50.4 million from 2000, plus a majority of the new voters, plus a large share of the very liberal Nader defectors.
Some 105 million citizens voted in 2000, but in 2004 the turnout climbed to at least 122 million. Pre-election surveys indicated that among the record 16.8 million new voters Kerry was a heavy favorite, a fact that went largely unreported by the press. In addition, there were about two million progressives who had voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 who switched to Kerry in 2004.
Yet the official 2004 tallies showed Bush with 62 million votes, about 11.6 million more than he got in 2000. Meanwhile Kerry showed only eight million more votes than Gore received in 2000. To have achieved his remarkable 2004 tally, Bush would needed to have kept all his 50.4 million from 2000, plus a majority of the new voters, plus a large share of the very liberal Nader defectors.
Project Vote, voting rights organizations, file to overturn restrictive voter registration rules
A group of civic organizations filed a lawsuit today seeking to overturn restrictions on voter registration in the state of Ohio. The requirements laid out by the state drastically limit the ability of civic groups to register new voters and threaten individual registration workers with felony charges for minor mistakes handling forms. The rules will limit voter registration, unnecessarily exclude eligible voters from the election process, and suppress the vote in Ohio.
The complaint filed today in United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, raises several concerns with House Bill 3 and the rules and procedures set forth by the Secretary of State, including:
• In the past, citizens working to register voters were able to turn in the completed forms to a civic group or church that would review the forms for accuracy, turn them into the registrar, and follow up later to make sure the voter was actually registered. Now, workers collecting voter registration forms would be forbidden from doing that and would be subject to felony charges if the forms were to be handed in late or not directly to registrars' offices.
The complaint filed today in United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, raises several concerns with House Bill 3 and the rules and procedures set forth by the Secretary of State, including:
• In the past, citizens working to register voters were able to turn in the completed forms to a civic group or church that would review the forms for accuracy, turn them into the registrar, and follow up later to make sure the voter was actually registered. Now, workers collecting voter registration forms would be forbidden from doing that and would be subject to felony charges if the forms were to be handed in late or not directly to registrars' offices.
Alameda County supervisors embrace election fraud
"True power lies not with those who cast the votes, but rather with those who count the vote." -- Joseph Stalin
Bob Fitrakis for Governor -- he is now on the ballot
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Columbus,Ohio-The secretary of state’s office notified Green Party candidates Bob Fitrakis and Anita Rios that they have successfully been certified to appear on the November 2006 statewide general election ballot in the race for Governor/Lt Governor. The Fitrakis/Rios team will appear as Independent candidates on the November ballot.
The Ohio Green Party voted to endorse Bob Fitrakis and Anita Rios for Governor/Lt. Governor during their convention last February. Bob Fitrakis is an attorney, an award winning journalist and a professor of political science. He earned his law degree at the Ohio State University Moritz School of Law and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Anita Rios is a longtime union activist and community organizer with a background in mental health. Anita is the former chair of the Green Party National Committee. She grew up one of eight children to parents who were Mexican American migrant farm workers.
Columbus,Ohio-The secretary of state’s office notified Green Party candidates Bob Fitrakis and Anita Rios that they have successfully been certified to appear on the November 2006 statewide general election ballot in the race for Governor/Lt Governor. The Fitrakis/Rios team will appear as Independent candidates on the November ballot.
The Ohio Green Party voted to endorse Bob Fitrakis and Anita Rios for Governor/Lt. Governor during their convention last February. Bob Fitrakis is an attorney, an award winning journalist and a professor of political science. He earned his law degree at the Ohio State University Moritz School of Law and his Ph.D. in Political Science from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Anita Rios is a longtime union activist and community organizer with a background in mental health. Anita is the former chair of the Green Party National Committee. She grew up one of eight children to parents who were Mexican American migrant farm workers.
Exceptional Americans manifest their destiny: and to hell with the consequences...
["Democracy has never existed in the United States....Those believing
otherwise are in deep denial."]
Contrary to the "catapulted propaganda", Enron, Haditha, and Abu Ghraib were not isolated incidents or the work of a "few bad apples". American savagery and oppressive behavior pervades our society and predates our nation's birth. Building its patriarchal wealth on the backs of Black slaves and cheap labor while acquiring its territory through Native American genocide, predatory exploitation of non-Anglos, the poor, women, and the working class emerged as a pillar of America's socioeconomic "success" before we even declared our independence.
With the advent of the Industrial Age, transcontinental railroads, and the rapid proliferation of Capitalism, an increasingly empowered young nation with an insatiable lust for more land, resources, and profits began to seek prey beyond its borders. At the close of the Nineteenth Century, the American Eagle spread its wings as it began mimicking the rapacious behavior of its Western European ancestors.
Contrary to the "catapulted propaganda", Enron, Haditha, and Abu Ghraib were not isolated incidents or the work of a "few bad apples". American savagery and oppressive behavior pervades our society and predates our nation's birth. Building its patriarchal wealth on the backs of Black slaves and cheap labor while acquiring its territory through Native American genocide, predatory exploitation of non-Anglos, the poor, women, and the working class emerged as a pillar of America's socioeconomic "success" before we even declared our independence.
With the advent of the Industrial Age, transcontinental railroads, and the rapid proliferation of Capitalism, an increasingly empowered young nation with an insatiable lust for more land, resources, and profits began to seek prey beyond its borders. At the close of the Nineteenth Century, the American Eagle spread its wings as it began mimicking the rapacious behavior of its Western European ancestors.
San Diego’s run-off election aggregate results are plausible
In a previous posts (see: www.baiman.blogspot.com ), I’ve claimed that the official returns for third party and independent candidates in the Run-Off Election and Primary for the 50th Congressional District in San Diego conducted on June 6 – the Busby / Bilbray race, are implausible.
Since these posts, readers with more detailed and accurate knowledge of California voting behavior and San Diego politics have raised a serious of explanations that I believe could serve as plausible explanations for the San Diego official returns.
These are as follows:
a) Independents in California don’t vote in Primaries.
Since writing the above, I've been informed by several people that poll workers in California, in violation of the law, often do not inform voters of the "decline to state" Primary voting option and that many (or most?) Independents don't request Primary ballots. This could, at least partially, explain the discrepancy in total vote count between the Run-Off and the Primary.
b) Republican and AIP Social Conservatives Voted for Griffith in the Run-Off.
Since these posts, readers with more detailed and accurate knowledge of California voting behavior and San Diego politics have raised a serious of explanations that I believe could serve as plausible explanations for the San Diego official returns.
These are as follows:
a) Independents in California don’t vote in Primaries.
Since writing the above, I've been informed by several people that poll workers in California, in violation of the law, often do not inform voters of the "decline to state" Primary voting option and that many (or most?) Independents don't request Primary ballots. This could, at least partially, explain the discrepancy in total vote count between the Run-Off and the Primary.
b) Republican and AIP Social Conservatives Voted for Griffith in the Run-Off.