Articles in this document:

· Food Safety Shutdown: The End of FARAD

…a critical food safety resource is permanently shutting down.

· Tax breaks in bailout bill

Offers rum producers in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands a rebate on excise taxes worth $192 million over two years…

Food Safety Shutdown: The End of FARAD

ThePigSite News Desk

Monday, October 06, 2008

US - Despite extensive efforts by America's veterinarians to convince the US Congress, the US Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration to provide long-term funding, a critical food safety resource is permanently shutting down.

The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) - used by veterinarians, livestock producers, and state and federal regulatory and extension specialists to ensure that drug, environmental and pesticide contaminants do not end up in meat, milk, and eggs - began shutting down yesterday. The program needed an immediate cash infusion to stay open, and, ultimately, long-term funding of $2.5 million per year.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has been leading efforts to fund FARAD, which is administered by the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service and operates out of North Carolina State University, the University of Florida and the University of California-Davis.

Through lobbying and grassroots efforts, the AVMA worked with Congress to have language authorizing FARAD at $2.5 million inserted in this year's Farm Bill. The USDA, however, never incorporated the funding in its budget, and Congress has provided neither emergency funding nor appropriations.

"It's disheartening - even tragic - that a program that costs so little yet does so much to keep our food supply safe is not being funded," said Dr Mark Lutschaunig, director of the AVMA's Government Relations Division. "We're talking about a cost of less than a penny per American to help keep meat, eggs and dairy products free of drugs and pesticides."

Dr Lutschaunig said the last-ditch hope of keeping FARAD from completely closing is for the USDA or stakeholders to fund the program. The AVMA is planning an emergency stakeholder meeting to discuss the future of FARAD.

In the interim, Dr Lutschaunig urges all Americans to call the USDA at 1-202-720-1542 and tell them to immediately provide $2.5 million in emergency funding for FARAD.

thepigsite.com

Tax breaks in bailout bill

Source: Taxpayers for Common Sense

via San Francisco Chronicle 10/3/2008

The financial rescue measure passed by the Senate on Wednesday included a series of tax incentives benefiting specific industries or states.

Wooden arrows: This tax break, backed by Oregon's two senators, would benefit an Oregon manufacturer of wooden arrows for children by $2 million over 10 years.

Racetracks: Earmark would allow auto racetrack owners to depreciate their facilities over seven years, saving the industry $100 million over two years.

Rum: Offers rum producers in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands a rebate on excise taxes worth $192 million over two years.

Wool: Reduces tariffs for U.S. makers of wool fabric that use imported yarn, worth $148 million over five years. The measure was pushed by Reps. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., and Melissa Bean, D-Ill.

Exxon Valdez: Plaintiffs in the suit over the 1989 oil spill could spread their tax payments on punitive damages over three years, cutting their tax bill by $49 million. The measure was backed by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska.

American Samoa: Allows certain corporations to reduce their tax liability on income earned in American Samoa, at a cost of $33 million over two years.

Hollywood: Extends a tax break for film and TV companies that keep their production in the United States, worth $478 million over 10 years. The provision was originally pushed by Rep. Diane Watson, D-Los Angeles.

Source: Taxpayers for Common Sense

San Francisco Chronicle:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/03/MNR813AHDN.DTL