> Well here is the official notification of USDA's flanking maneuver.
>
Why are you so sure the USDA has a hidden agenda, or that they are
negotiating in bad faith?
> Now would also be a good time to bring pressure to bear on
> Congressional Representatives and Senators to turn the screws on the
> agency. They should be told that their constituents demand a strong
> standard;
>
That is probably not true of all the constituents.
> they should also be urged to begin an investigation of how USDA could
> have spent so much
> time and money and come up with such an egregiously weak and illegal
> proposal.
>
The government wastes money on all sorts of things, I don't think they
singled out the organic standards issue!
> It is time for the heads to roll at USDA. I see no way that anyone
> involved with this process could still be employed after demonstrating
> such a mighty example of either incompetence or malfeasance.
>
For pete sake, they just wrote a proposal and put it out for comment!
You hard core organic people made your point. Now is a good time to be
gracious. This is an opportunity to have additional input in drafting
an acceptable proposal. Why waste this opportunity just to make
enemies?
> It is also important that those of us with legal experience, or access
> to legal experience, begin exploring ways to sue for redress of
> grievances.
>
That is ludicrous, there is no damage.
>
> Lastly, we should also be working hard on an independent industry
> standard to save the term.
>
It would seem that the political victory by groups in favor of very
restrictive standards has strengthened and clarified the meaning of
"organic." It looks like the system is working okay, and working in
your favor.
> I know that some have begun this process and I hope that we can all
> join in the fun.
>
It looks like you are more interested in rubbing the nose of the USDA
staff in it, than in constructive engagement.
> I think that these are the topics that I would like the listserve to
> focus
> on now that the comment period is closed. What do others think?
>
Why don't you (politely) approach the program staff and try to get them
to run ideas out on the Sanet for comments before incorporating them
into the next draft (Well, maybe I am naive, perhaps this environment is
too politically charged for something that friendly!)
Dale Wilson
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