The Watchdog is Sleeping

I repeat that the government can’t watch every business and provide public safety.

Sara Gilbert said there are 84,000 chemicals on the market and only 1% has been tested for safety. On The View it was pointed out that over 70% of the apple juice consumed in the US uses apples that come from China which uses an arsenic based pesticide according to Food and Water Watch and that less than 2% of the food imported was checked by the FDA. Per ABC, the FDA is reviewing the safety of antibacterial soaps and creams as several studies shows they could be harmful to your health or contribute to drug resistant bacteria. A consumer group says that they have altered the hormones in rats. The FDA is also looking at a link between tattoo ink and cancer.

One million Americans have hip or knee implant surgery a year. Ten thousand Americans already have implants (hip, heart, and knee); many have never been tested in humans prior to their widespread use. After talking with a representative from the National Research Center for Women and Families, GMA suggests that you find out if your doctor is getting paid to use the device he/she is suggesting, check the safety record of the manufacturer (FDA has a web site), and ask your doctor why a newer one is better than a time tested one. Apparently it’s legal for doctors to use untested devices.

I also hear that kids addicted to pain killers move on to illegal and more lethal drugs. Perhaps instead of giving kids Oxycodone they should get medical marijuana or something less dangerous.  

Per the Associated Press there are 104 nuclear plants in the US with 120 million people living within 50 miles of them and radioactive tritium has leaked from ¾ of the sites (supposedly below EPA levels). The number and severity of the leaks is increasing and the licenses have been extended by federal regulators. I realize that we don’t want the power shut down for repairs but I would think that it would be better to fix the leaks before they get out of hand; especially since the earthquakes on the east coast caused some scares. And, evacuation plans have gone unchanged in 30 years even though population has increased. The current plans require evacuation within a 10 mile radius and not the 50 miles the US recommended for Japan. Greg Jaczko, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, says we have a very good system right now to protect public health and safety. I wonder if our trust is misplaced. If it is, it’ll be too late for those affected. And, remember (in Blog #1) I mentioned the gas explosions in California that were said to be from Pacific Gas & Electric repeatedly ignoring safety concerns.

The Financial Reform Act aimed at curbing bank fees on credit cards led to banks charge fees for debit cards. (Congress didn’t have foresight to consider banking industry’s workarounds. This is a common thing in our legislators not considering the ‘what if’ scenarios.) And, the banks acting like they had no part in the mortgage crash continue to foreclose on homes; foreclosures rose 14% in third quarter of 2011 per Reality Trac. Another example of banks getting your money or property is the Bank of America (BoA) who is approving mortgage modifications to lower payments. The problem is after months/years of paying the modified amount BofA threatens foreclosure. Bruce Boguslav of HIS Trust-HomeSavers is trying to help the 6 million people going into foreclosure. He said that the bank representatives and collection agencies are using the words mortgage modification when it’s actually an allowance for temporary partial payments. Bruce has been able to work with BoA to get people real modified mortgage plans and end foreclosures.

Koch Industries Inc. based out of Wichita, Kansas earns $100 billion a year via oil and energy. Bloomberg Markets reported that one Koch subsidiary was trading (key components of a state owned petro-chemical plant in Germany and Italy) with Iran while another in France was paying bribes to get business in 6 other countries. In a court document they admit their actions were violations of criminal law. However, it’s said those responsible for the bribes were fired back in 2008.

The corporate deceit is all over the board. But some deregulation could make life worse.