Florida - Three Busted in License Scams

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by dedwards

"A wise and frugal Government shall leave it's people to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvements"

Thomas Jefferson

I'm quite sure that our founding fathers would be appalled at the level of goverment intrusion we the people have allowed into our affairs.

[ebadofsky]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Right now, there is rat crap being processed into your lunch meat because a minimum basic government standard allows it. USDA approval allows so many parts per million of rodent fecal matter. Delicious, huh?...

With all due respect, James, I have to disagree with the premise you're using. You seem to imply that USDA regulations are the reason there is rat feces in lunch meat - a very shaky postulation at best.

The USDA "allows" a small PPM amount of feces in processed meat because - like crummy home inspectors - there is no way to eliminate it altogether. Wherever you have industrial meat processing, you will have rats. And those rats will defecate. And, unavoidably, some of that feces will end up in the meat. The value the USDA brings to the table (no pun intended) is that they regulate that feces level to ensure a relative level of safety for the consumer (lest the meat processors be left on their own to decide how much feces is "acceptable.").

Let me put it another way: Without USDA regulations on rat feces content, do you believe that there would be any less of it in lunch meat, or more? Do you believe that the good folks at Hormel, Perdue, ConAgra, Tyson, Smithfield and the rest would proactively and effectively take steps to eliminate rat feces from their products because the USDA no longer "allows" any to be in their products? What's more, do you think that American consumers (at large) would even be as aware of rat feces in lunch meat if it were not for the published USDA guidelines?

Fat chance. In fact, I think the result of "feces deregulation" would mean more feces in your salami sandwich. Why? Because if the processors did take additional steps to eliminate feces from their meat, it would cost them more money. And my guess is that they - like so many other industries with inherent safety hazards - wouldn't lift a finger to address the problem until their customers fall ill (or worse) on a large scale.

Using this rat feces example as an allegory for our profession, how many Florida consumers will it take to "fall ill" (i.e. get burned by unqualified, unscrupulous and unskilled "home inspectors") before some semblance of state oversight is initiated? Honest, professional and qualified inspectors in the Sunshine State have, IMHO, nothing to fear by reasonable regulation. And here's the bonus: As a result of such regulation, the "feces" - while never being completely eliminated - will at the very least be forced to pass through a filter.

Originally Posted by jbushart

Government control does not solve problems. It creates them. A free market is the best way to ensure quality and quantity of services.

A nice, idealistic sounding slogan, to be sure. Unfortunately, it seldom if ever shakes out to be true.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm no proponent of draconian, big government regulation, but I sure as Sam Hill don't buy the old "eliminate regulation and the free market will take care of itself!" argument, either. It's a philosophy that's far too enticing (i.e. cheap and easy) to be abused.

I do agree with Will that licensing has its pros and cons, and I believe that anything in excess is a bad thing. But I also believe that we can, indeed, run our businesses as we see fit, while at the same time doing so under a fair and balanced structure of government regulation. It's up to all of us (and proactive, influential and fact-backed organizations like NACHI) to make sure that we're actively involved in the way those regulations are formulated and enforced.

Reasonable law and regulation is not socialism. It's civilization.

Now if you'll excuse me... I suddenly have a taste for pastrami on rye!

[James H. Bushart]

Originally Posted by ebadofsky

Without USDA regulations on rat feces content, do you believe that there would be any less of it in lunch meat, or more?

First, how many citizens know there is rat ***** in their pastrami?

Do this. Advertise for a year to everyone in your state that their pastrami has rat ***** in it. Then, for the next year, market "rat ***** free" pastrami against those who sell the "licensed" crap. Soon, the market - not the law - will put the sellers of rat ***** out of business.

[jferry]

Originally Posted by mlarson

I'm quite sure that our founding fathers would be appalled at the level of goverment intrusion we the people have allowed into our affairs.

I'm appalled that it goes to far in one direction, for example, gun control and not far enough in another direction, for example, keeping Muslims out of airports and airplanes.

[Brian E. Kelly]

Originally Posted by jbushart

First, how many citizens know there is rat ***** in their pastrami?

Do this. Advertise for a year to everyone in your state that their pastrami has rat ***** in it. Then, for the next year, market "rat ***** free" pastrami against those who sell the "licensed" crap. Soon, the market - not the law - will put the sellers of rat ***** out of business.

Perhaps a reading of "The Jungle by Upton Sinclair" is in order James.

[jferry]

Who eats pastrami?

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by jferry

Who eats pastrami?

Hey, I lika pastrami and I'm scandinavian.

[ebadofsky]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Do this. Advertise for a year to everyone in your state that their pastrami has rat ***** in it. Then, for the next year, market "rat ***** free" pastrami against those who sell the "licensed" crap. Soon, the market - not the law - will put the sellers of rat ***** out of business.

This theory of yours is already in practice in the organic food industry (e.g. free range cattle, poultry, eggs, etc.), yet I don't see too many commercial meat processors folding their tents because of it. The fact is, the presence of rat droppings and other crap* in meat is no secret. Yet people buy and consume millions of pounds of it every day anyway. Every time you bite into a hot dog or slice of bacon, surely you know what you're eating, don't you?

Look, I already agreed that licensing has its pros and cons, and further stated that I'm no cheerleader for bloated government bureaucracy. My questions to you are:

A) Why would any honest, well-trained HI have any objection to abiding by reasonable, well-legislated state licensing laws and standards?

B) Don't you think that licensing raises the bar - even if just a little - for our profession as a whole, helping to weed out at least some of the bad guys?

No disrespect intended at all, believe me James, but I just can't see the boogey man hiding in the bushes on this issue.

*- Rat feces is the last thing you need to worry about in your meat... shame on the "free market" and the USDA alike:

Antibiotics:
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/r...1_pollan.shtml

Hormones:
http://www.preventcancer.com/consume...mones_meat.htm

Additives:
http://labs.ansci.uiuc.edu/meatscien.../additives.htm

Meat "By-Products":
http://www.pk.org/pottedmeat.html