The Government Is "The Onion"
Government so often seems like a parody, and then you realize that, no, it's real, and yes, it's costing eleventy gazillion tax dollars for their latest stupidity.
In this case, it's regulations for onion farmers that will cost $200 million -- but have ZERO benefit.
From NCPA, "FDA Onion Regulation Has No Safety Benefits":
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed a regulation to limit the amount of E. coli in irrigation water for foods that a person might consume raw. That might sound good, writes Jared Meyer of Economics21, except that most onion farmers would be considered out of compliance with the rule, despite the fact that onions are at no risk of being contaminated by E. coli from irrigation.Clinton Shock, a professor at Oregon State University, conducted an assessment of onions and E. coli, determining that E. coli posed no risk to onions, no matter how much E. coli bacteria was found in irrigation water.
...The FDA has also proposed forcing onion farmers to use plastic, instead of wooden, crates, despite research also indicating that wooden crates do not pose an E. coli risk. Replacing 1 million wooden crates with plastic crates, writes Meyer, would cost $200 million. Despite being three times as expensive as a wooden crate, a plastic crate holds only half the weight of a wooden crate. On top of these costs, Meyer notes that transitioning to plastic crates would require remodeling of the buildings where onions are stored, because the crates need more air circulation.
Meyer suggests an "outcome-based" oversight approach, rather than imposing regulation on the front end, by holding farmers accountable for contaminated foods that sicken consumers. Companies understand that producing contaminated food is not a desirable business model. Instead, the FDA is proposing regulations that will only raise the costs of onion production, hurting farmers and consumers.
Original source: Wash Ex's Jared Meyer, "Manhattan Moment: A new layer of regulation would boost cost of onions but not safety."
via @AdamKissel
When I see these stories, I think:
)Is this an industry supported reg, with established producers using it to keep out newcomers; or one segment "punishing", or gettint a leg up on, another?
)Will this reg be enforced, or is it just another feel good measure put out by busy bodies in an office with no field support?
doombuggy at August 20, 2014 6:03 AM
And the same types are now heavily involved in your health insurance. Eventually, they'll be heavily involved in your health care.
Lovely.
I R A Darth Aggie at August 20, 2014 7:58 AM
Everyone has e coli, its in your gut. Its when it gets into your blood or stomach your dick/vag that its a problem.
The reason raw crops get contaminated is field hands shitting in the field.
The reason factory packed foods/resturants get contaminated is workers not washing their hands after taking a shit.
Wouldnt it be better to make people wash their hands rather than come up with ways to enable people to NOT wash the shit off their hands?
lujlp at August 20, 2014 9:54 AM
You're under the mistaken impression that government regulations are supposed to have a benefit to the public.
They're promulgated to increase the control, budget, staff, and reach of the government overseer.
Conan the Grammarian at August 20, 2014 10:32 AM
Another department that isn't in the Constitution and should be gotten rid of.
Jim P. at August 20, 2014 7:52 PM
"Onion" is an apt analogy in another way: There's layer upon layer upon layer. And as you unpeel each one and see what's underneath it, it makes you cry. I sat in a meeting for two hours today, with 20+ highly paid people including program directors and chief engineers, as we all listened to one civil service person try to justify their existence by nitpicking word choices in a requirements document. The whole time I was calculating the per-minute burn rate and trying to figure what my share of it as a taxpayer was.
Cousin Dave at August 20, 2014 9:00 PM
Been there CD. And made much the same calculation in my boredom.
Ltw at August 21, 2014 12:31 AM
"or stomach your dick/vag that its a problem."
Well Ive always practiced safe sex by putting condoms on my onions.
I don't know about you people.
Ppen at August 21, 2014 12:42 AM
Luj is right. The problem with this sort of stuff is that it eliminates individual responsibility and replaces it with rules. Who cares whether they lead to a better outcome, as long as we're not trusting judgement. Follow the rules and you're cool, no matter what impact it has.
A classic case is sandwich servers wearing gloves. The health risk from someone preparing/serving your food who regularly and properly washes their hands (and doesn't have open sores) is minimal to non-existent. But people like seeing gloves, cos, hygiene. And happily hand over their money to the gloved hand. And don't think that the employees reckon, "I'm wearing gloves, I don't have to worry about washing my hands". Ewww.
I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people don't go to the trouble of peeling off gloves to go for a piss and replacing them. "The course said wear gloves - I'm fine aren't I?"
Ltw at August 21, 2014 12:51 AM
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