Reuters reported "Senators ask Bush for greater food safety funding." The “U.S. senators sent President George W. Bush a letter on Thursday demanding greater funding for food safety after dangerous spinach, beef and other food tarnished consumers’ confidence in the U.S. food supply.” Of course, there was not a mention of the 76,000,000 American’s sickened, 325,000 hospitalized and 5,000 deaths by food that account for the “tarnished consumer confidence.” I wonder how safe the food is in the Senate Dining Room?
Here is the kicker about how serious the letter and the press conference really was:
“Lawmakers in both houses have floated a series of bills, but even advocates of change say that major reform is unlikely to be passed into law in the near future.”
So, the Senators write a letter to a lame duck President and have a press conference in front of the Capitol and what happens – Nothing! I am somewhat amazed – every politician (R and D) beats up on “trial lawyers” like me for suing these “poor” food companies for poisoning their own customers, but these same politicians do nothing to correct fundamental flaws in our “food safety net,” except write a letter a letter and hold a press conference. No wonder we have more work in my firm this year than in any year in the past 15. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had run for the Senate in 2000. See link to the article on April 30, 1999 (six days after my daughter Sydney was born) by Joel Connelly below and an excerpt or two:
Marler testing the water for Senate race
As a precocious Washington State University student in the late 1970s, Bill Marler was elected to the Pullman City Council and peppered U.S. Senate candidate Slade Gorton with critical questions.
Marler, now 41, is heading for the Tri-Cities today to begin an exploratory campaign to see whether Democrats will back him in a challenge to Gorton. The 71-year-old Republican plans to seek a fourth Senate term next year.
Marler has made his name as a successful trial lawyer and advocate for injured children.
He is best known for recovering nearly $40 million in settlements for children sickened with E. coli after eating undercooked Jack-in-the-Box hamburgers. He also represented families of five victims in a lawsuit against Odwalla, Inc., after an E. coli outbreak among people who drank unpasteurized apple juice.