Schwarzenegger Vetoes Raw Milk Bill
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“This bill weakens food safety standards in California, something I cannot support,” Mr. Schwarzenegger says in his veto message.
From what I understand, it’s just the opposite. SB 201 actually strengthened the safety of raw milk by making the testing much more rigorous.
Ironically, it was just a few months ago that Governor Schwarzenegger declared June 2008 “Real California Milk Month”.
Read what it says:
California is the largest milk producer in the United States, accounting for almost one-fourth of the nation’s supply. In 2007, California produced more than 40 billion pounds of milk, an all-time high. These record-breaking numbers are a testament to the amazing efforts of our farmers and the California Milk Advisory Board, which keep our state’s milk industry healthy and strong.
Many of our dairy farms are family-owned and operated, and the farmers are working hard to provide us with delicious items like cheese, ice cream, yogurt and butter. Dairy products, rich in calcium, are an important part of a healthy diet, and California is proud of its important role in making nutritious foods that feed the world.
The milk industry also contributes tremendously to our state’s economy, as it generates billions of dollars in annual sales and creates a large number of jobs. It is also the leading agriculture commodity in California. By purchasing California milk, we are pumping that money right back into our own economy and bringing our state prosperity.
This month, I encourage all Californians to buy milk and other dairy products that come from our Golden State. We produce some of the best food in the world, and we can all be proud to purchase California milk.
Wait, what? Governor Schwarzenegger wants us to support California dairies and buy milk from California — but he vetoed a bill that would have supported and protected two family farms, Organic Pastures and Claravale Farm? A bill that would have saved them from going out of business?
Why?
Perhaps Governor Schwarzenegger doesn’t know what real milk is.
Real milk is milk that comes from cows grazing on pasture. Real milk is raw milk that has NOT been heated and denatured, inactivating the enzymes and vitamins and probiotics.
Real milk is NOT milk that comes from cows standing shoulder to shoulder in factories, eating troughs full of genetically-modified pesticide-laden corn and soybeans. Real milk is NOT milk from cows who are shot full of antibiotics and growth hormones.
Is it possible that Governor Schwarzenegger could have been influenced by corporate lobbyists? Lobbyists who are paid to put up websites like this one, Milk is Milk.com?
The Center for Global Food Issues runs the Milk is Milk website. And who runs the Center for Global Food Issues? The Hudson Institute.
And who funds the Hudson Institute? Why Monsanto, of course (among others, including Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill).
Monsanto, incidentally, manufactures the bovine growth hormone, Posilac. A coincidence?
Gee, you think the multinational corporation, Monsanto would have any interest in keeping real raw milk off the shelves in California? California, which produces 1/4 of the milk for the entire country?
Seeing how raw milk dairies don’t (and won’t) use their products?
What about Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland? Makers of soybean- and corn-based animal feed? Raw milk dairies don’t buy their products either. The cows at Organic Pastures and Claravale eat grass and hay. Which, oh by the way, is what they are meant to eat.
You think companies like these would have any interest in funding a website like Milk is Milk.com which posts propaganda about how all milk is the same and organic milk is not better than regular milk?
Do you think that Governor Schwarzenegger could have been influenced by these lobbyists who are being paid by these big multinational corporations?
Gee.. you think?
Did you see that movie “Thank You For Smoking”? If not, Netflix it.
Not sure what happens next… I will keep you all posted.
Meanwhile, you can read the inside story here on The Complete Patient blog.
Source: Central Valley Business Times
Photo credit: All Breeds Blog
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01/10/2008 at 6:57 pm Permalink
I cannot believe he vetoed it! I am soooooo mad! And Monsanto is the most evil corporation…..they are #1 on my Most Evil Corporation List (they bumped McDonald’s)
01/10/2008 at 7:47 pm Permalink
Its to bad that politicians have “people” who “protect” them from hearing the truth.
01/10/2008 at 8:08 pm Permalink
He also just vetoed a voter information act that would have required that a notice be sent to “declined to state” voters telling them of their voting options in primary elections. He said he was too busy with the budget and there were more important things to do. More important than the participation of the people in the democratic process? And what about all the people that lobbied for the raw milk bill for months and months to get it to his desk? I guess we’re not important either.
01/10/2008 at 10:24 pm Permalink
Come to Ohio?
Seriously, though, I am angry right alongside you!
02/10/2008 at 10:02 am Permalink
AM, sorry for my ignorance, but what does vetoe mean? Does that mean that raw milk will now be illegal in California? This really does not look good. Our own Michael Schmidt here in Ontario has just finished his trial in Sept. and is still waiting for the verdict.
02/10/2008 at 10:55 am Permalink
Hi, Christine, it’s OK! It’s a lot to learn about and take in.
We were supporting Senate Bill 201. It was a plan for much stricter testing at raw milk dairies.
This all started with Assembly Bill 1735. It was very quietly slipped into the Farm Bill last year (a tiny bit of fine print in a massive document).
AB 1735 proposed a raw milk standard that did not improve safety and was completely impossible for raw milk dairies to comply with — it would eliminate raw milk sales in California.
This is why SB 201 was introduced. It was a solution to prevent AB 1735 from going into effect — and save the raw milk dairies from being shut down
I am not sure about this — but I think that right now the dairies could technically be shut down at any time.
However, acc to Gumpert:
“…the suit filed last spring by the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund is still pending, and will likely be pushed to the forefront. That suit, by OPDC and Claravale, had led to a state judge imposing a temporary restraining order on enforcement of the ten-coliform standard last spring, but the order was eventually lifted by the state judge.”
18/04/2009 at 3:53 am Permalink
That milkismilk.com site makes me so angry.
Greedy fucking unethical corporations.
18/04/2009 at 5:24 am Permalink
Nina, I agree!
03/09/2010 at 3:26 am Permalink
Change will not happen within a corrupt framework. I bit of research into UCC and Admiralty Law will open your eyes.