Le Taz Hot
Le Taz Hot's JournalDid you know that DU has a Marketplace?
Just wanted to make sure everyone knows that DU has a Marketplace if you're looking to sell your arts/crafts. The Group's Host, Tansy Gold, and I are looking for ways to grow and promote the group. I even have a thread up for people to offer suggestions. Anyway, here's a direct link if you'd like to take a look:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1120
Offer Your Suggestions on How to Grow DU's Marketplace
I've been speaking with the Group Host in this forum, Tansy Gold, about ways to promote and grow the DU Marketplace. The Marketplace hasn't been very active and we're talking about ways to change that. Additionally, I would venture to say that most DUers don't know it even exists so we need ways to promote The Marketplace. Here are some ideas we've batted around so far:
-Add a promo for the Marketplace in your sig line
-Start a thread in GD advertising the DU Marketplace (I'll do this this coming weekend)
-If you are an artisan/crafter, include in your Subject Line something about "Handmade by DUer" or "Made in the U.S.A. by DUer by ___________"
-If we can get enough traffic, maybe we can warrant a special section on DU's Home Page.
Thanks for your time and consideration,
LTH
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1120
Edit to add link to DU Marketplace. (Thanks, Scuba!) 
Received Offer to Withdraw My Signature from A Petition I Signed.
Our city is having a MAJOR battle right now in that our Mayor is trying to privatize our trash pick up. She's already pulled it for the commercial pick up and is now trying to privatize the residential trash pick up. That will be a loss of over 200 UNION jobs going to a non-union company. This particular mayor has her sights set on higher office and, being a Republican, one of the requirements is to show the Big Boys how bad you can fuck over the little people.
Anyway, I signed a petition to force the Mayor to wait until the people had the chance to decide via referendum on the next ballot. It was a weird situation in that two other guys were standing next to the petitioner wailing about Union Bosses getting rich, yada yada yada. Today, I got in the mail a big flyer from some outfit called "Fresnans for a Responsible Government,", with Her Ladysihip's butt-ugly-assed face on it, telling me I could withdraw my name from the petition and that, since time is running out, I could e-mail their office and someone could come and pick it up and deliver it to the County Clerk's Office. Apparently, they've gotten the names of the people who signed the petition (legal, as is all information from the County Clerk's Ofice) and are mailing out these fliers to try to undermine the petition process. Now, in the 40 years I've been signing petitions, I've got to say, this is a new one.
Important Information on Monsanto's Devestating Impact on Family Farms
I've cut and paste what I thought was important information from an e-mail I received from FoodDemocracyNow (http://fooddemocracynow.org/). There is a lot of really, good, basic information here but I've been particularly interested in the impact GMO's have had on family farms. I took the liberty of highlighting the relevant parts on family farms but the rest of the information is pretty useful as well.
Dear XXXX:
Today we're only yards from the White House and it's a big day for America's farmers. In fact, it's a big day for farmers and eaters everywhere and we realize that people from all over the world are watching. Yesterday more than 30 family farmers, who traveled from across the U.S. and Canada, arrived in Washington DC to stand in federal court to ask for an end to the genetic contamination of their crops by GMO pollen and to protect them from Monsanto’s abusive patent infringement lawsuits.
For the past 16 years, Monsanto’s seed police have run roughshod over America’s farmers, suing more than 144 family farmers for patent infringement and settling out of court with another 700 farmers for undisclosed sums. At the same time, every year Monsanto sneaks onto the fields of more than 500 farmers and steals their plants to see if they contain the biotech giant’s patented genes. This is an outrage, but currently U.S. law allows this and as a result, Monsanto has created an atmosphere of fear in rural America and driven dozens of farmers into bankruptcy.
Last night we had dinner with these brave farmers and we asked them what they wanted.
They said they wanted justice, not only for them, but also for you and for future generations and the planet.
Many of you have asked us what you can do to help these farmers and now we need your help!
Today, after our court hearing we will be gathering less than a hundred yards from the White House to send a message that America’s farmers and our food supply need protection and we need your help right now!
Click here to join America’s family farmers in calling President Obama to halt the approval of new GMO crops and to stop GMO salmon.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/749?t=9&akid=721.504514.diYxtf
We know people don't like to make phone calls, but now it's more important than ever to pick up that phone and make a call. The future of our food supply depends on it!
Right now 13 new genetically engineered crops are awaiting approval at the USDA, including GMO crops that are resistant to more toxic pesticides, such as 2,4-D (half the chemical component of Agent Orange) and dicamba, along with a non-browning GMO apple.
At the same time, the FDA recently cleared a final hurdle for the approval of AqauBounty’s GMO salmon when the agency ruled that the fast growing genetically engineered fish does not pose a threat to the environment. Already bureaucrats at the FDA have ruled that GMO salmon is safe for human consumption, despite no independent scientific research and only tiny sample sizes from the corporation that stand to benefit from its approval.
Despite the biotech industry’s assurances that GMOs are safe, new science is emerging that calls into question what they really know about the safety of their own genetically engineered products and also what they reveal to regulatory agencies when they apply for approval.
Already the first generation of biotech crops has failed in farmer’s fields and failed badly, creating more than 21 million acres of superweeds and a new breed of superbugs resistant to their genetically engineered toxins. What’s next?
Join Food Democracy Now! and America’s family farmers in calling President Obama to halt the approval of new GMO crops and stop GMO salmon until proper long-term safety tests are conducted.
Leaked documents reveal that even government scientists are dubious about the FDA’s own assessment. In fact, the FDA’s own assessment of AquaBounty’s studies to determine whether GMO salmon are safe for human consumption states that the studies contain “technical flaws” and provide “insufficient data”.
While a scientist at the U.S. Department of Interior’s Fish & Wildlife Service goes so far as to say: “Maybe [the FDA] should watch Jurassic Park”!
For the past 20 years, the biotech industry has gotten away with rigging science and our regulatory system, while systematically abusing America’s family farmers, the very people who work so hard to feed us.
This time, they’ve had enough and they want you to lend your voice to stand with America’s family farmers. More than anything, the farmers said they wanted a return to fairness in our laws governing our food supply and integrity in our regulatory system, which giant corporations like Monsanto have been allowed to corrupt.
Join America’s family farmers today, call President Obama immediately to stand up for farmers and eaters everywhere to stop GMO salmon.
http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/go/749?t=13&akid=721.504514.diYxtf
GMO Labeling Efforts Expand to 34 states.
(Note: I posted this a week or so ago and it kind of sank, which was OK, but the topic of GMO's seems to be gaining more attention as of late, so I'm going to go ahead and post it again. Thanks for your indulgence.)
Most of you know that California's Prop. 37 failed (label GMO's). They just flat out outspent us $50 million to about $6 million. Our Volunteer Leaders continue to meet, organize and continue their activities. I just received an e-mail from our local leader and I wanted to copy a portion of it that I thought was highly encouraging:
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First please know, that the message that came through over and over is that we were very successful with our efforts. The US has awakened and 34 states have now come together to form a coalition to move labeling forward. Washington state is now gathering signatures for a 2013 ballot. They have a very good chance of being successful because farmers there want it, as does the salmon fishing industry. We are sharing with them what we learned to help them be successful with their efforts. Watch for info regarding their efforts on the web and support them in any way that you are able.
Europe is also excited about what we accomplished. And doors to communicating have opened. They have been waiting for the US to "wake up" to GMOs. There has been an industry effort to stymie communication between the US and Europe. We are joining hands across the sea.
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So, the fight isn't over and could very well be coming to your state. If you're at all interested in the subject or maybe taking up the fight yourself you can visit this website: http://gmoinside.org/
LATER ADDITION:
Genetically Modified Food Labeling Measure to Qualify for Washington State Ballot
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014357388
LTH
List of California Congressional "No" votes on Sandy Relief
Tom McKlintock, No
Gary Miller, Did not vote
Ed Royce, No
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/113-2013/h7
Anyone know the chances of unseating any of these guys in 2014?
Edited for gooder grammar.
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Gender: FemaleHometown: CA
Member since: 2001
Number of posts: 22,271
