Stier, Free Enterprise pjt

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=GUEST POST WRITTEN BY
Julie Kelly and Jeff Stier
Ms. Kelly is a cooking instructor and food writer. Mr. Stier is a senior fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research.
Don’t let his bespectacled, mild-manner fool you: Mark Bittman is the foodie version of a war-monger.
“There’s a war here,” the New York Times columnist proclaimed at a food conference last year. His battle is America’s next social justice crusade much like civil rights and suffrage. But this time, the oppressors are McDonald’s, Wal-Mart and Monsanto. From soda to sugar to meat, Bittman has declared war on nearly every ingredient in the American food system.
And if the pen is mightier than the sword, Bittman is the literary Napoleon of the progressive food movement. He depicts our food system as enemy territory that must be conquered then ruled by the omnipotent culinary elite in Manhattan and San Francisco with support from taxpayer-funded bureaucrats in Washington, DC.
His latest book, “A Bone to Pick” (Penguin Random House, May 5), is a collection of Bittman’s NYT columns on how to "un-invent this food system" that has been “a major contributor to climate change, spawned the obesity crisis, poisoned countless volumes of land and water, wasted energy and tortured billions of animals.”Like all good social warriors, Bittman is armed with a plan for victory. The introduction of the book is his “Food Manifesto for the Future,” which lists a number of government-controlled remedies from the rational (limit subsidies) to the banal (mandate more labeling) to the outlandish (offer cooking classes for everyone and even give free cookware and cooking assistance to poor people.) Nearly every solution requires the reach of the federal government—which Bittman refers to as the “entity that is supposed to be vigilant regarding our health and welfare”—and the largess of the American taxpayer.
Other entries are somewhat comical, such as his suggestion to convert suburban lawns into vegetable gardens. “If you want to plant a lawn, that’s fine though it’s a waste of water and energy…Lawns are an attempt to dominate and homogenize nature.” Another column fantasizes about his “dream food label” designed as a stoplight for witless American consumers.But few of Bittman’s strategies are revolutionary; in fact, many have been tried with limited or no success. Consider his repeated call to limit consumption of soda, sugar and processed foods by children. He cites California’s ban on sugary drinks and restrictions on unhealthy snacks in public schools over the last several years. The result? By 2010, California’s childhood overweight/obesity rate dropped—by 1%. It’s still an eye-popping 38% among adolescents despite massive statewide efforts to stem the crisis.He often promotes taxing unhealthy food to fund subsidies and access to healthier food, such as his idea to convert “soda machines to vending machines that dispense grapes and carrots.” Pushing fresh produce is a big goal for many urban leaders and is being tried at great expense and unknown results. The CDC’s Putting Prevention to Work fund is one such example: The federal government gave local governments money to reimburse corner stores to buy refrigerators to sell produce.Even when food corporations try to satisfy Mr. Bittman’s agenda, he questions their motives and integrity. McDonald’s is one example; it’s a frequent target in his book. He mocks the company’s efforts to please him, writing that McDonald’s wants foodies like “…me to stop kvetching and instead acknowledge that they’re making great strides in promoting health.” He sniffs that “only the most gullible will buy” McDonald’s attempts to offer healthier menu choices. Bittman has pointed to “the decline of McDonald’s” as a win for the food movement.

ncppr feature video soda tax

<a href="https://youtu.be/-D3PjBTaFi4">https://youtu.be/-D3PjBTaFi4</a>

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About the Free Enterprise Project

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<div>The Free Enterprise Project (FEP) exposes efforts by left-wing interest groups to divert businesses away from best practices and into left-wing advocacy. Through research, media appearances, coalition-buildling, and even face-to-face confrontations at stockholder meetings, the FEP works to guard the American free-enterprise system from what is often its worst enemy: Corporate executives who don't adequately evaluate the impact of their decisions on shareholders, the economy and ultimately, the American  people.</div>

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<div>Jeff Stier, Senior Fellow & Risk Analysis Division Director </div>

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<div> Jeff Stier, Senior Fellow & Risk Analysis Division Director </div>

<div>(bio) Jeff Stier is a Senior Fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C., and heads its Risk Analysis Division. </div>

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<div>Mr. Stier is a frequent guest on CNBC, and has addressed health policy on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, as well as network newscasts. He does over 100 radio shows a year, including on NPR and other nationally syndicated radio shows, as well as top-rated major market shows in cities including Boston, Philadelphia, and Dallas, plus regional broadcasts. </div>

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<div>Jeff's National Center op-eds have been published in top outlets including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, Newsday, Forbes, The Washington Examiner, and National Review Online.</div>

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<div>Stier has testified at FDA scientific meetings, met with members of Congress and their staff about science policy, and has submitted testimony to state government legislative hearings.</div>

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<div>Mr. Stier worked both in the office of the Mayor and in Corporation Counsel's office in the Giuliani administration in New York City. His responsibilities included planning environmental agency programs, legal analysis of proposed legislation, and health policy.</div>

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<div>Mr. Stier is Chairman of the board of the Jewish International Connection, NY. While earning his law degree at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Mr. Stier served two terms as Editor-In-Chief of the Cardozo Law Forum.</div>

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must say industrious: all news covered in blog eg

<h1 class="the-title" style=" margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3em; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Climate Change Activists Meet Food Police: Obama Admin. Plans for New Dietary Guidelines to Include Global Warming</h1>

Calculating your 'carbon footprint' to replace counting calories?!

'For the first time in the history of the guidelines, 'sustainability' is part of the agenda. Actual items on their Dietary Guidelines working group agenda include 'immigration,' 'global climate change' and 'agriculture/aquaculture sustainability.' -'By favoring foods which activists think have a smaller carbon footprint, the new guidelines will increase the prices you pay for your food.'

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<div style=" text-align: left;">By: <a href="http://www.climatedepot.com/author/marcmorano/" title="Posts by Marc Morano" rel="author" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Marc </a><a href="http://www.climatedepot.com/author/marcmorano/" title="Posts by Marc Morano" rel="author" style=" text-decoration: none; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; vertical-align: baseline;">Morano</a> - <a href="http://www.climatedepot.com/" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Climate Depot</a></div>

<span class="date-meta" style=" text-align: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; float: right; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">March 13, 2014 4:07 PM

<p style=" margin: 0px; text-align: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; padding: 0.4em 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Special to Climate Depot

<strong style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Climate Change Activists to Meet Food Police at Closed-Door Meeting March 14

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<p style=" margin: 0px; text-align: left; padding: 0.4em 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style=" font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">New York, NY / Washington DC <span style=" margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style=" font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">- At a closed-door meeting to take place March 14, the Obama Administration’s Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services plan to update the nation’s “dietary guidelines” — a document with significant repercussions for food stamps, military and school meals programs — to include anti-global warming activism.

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<p style=" margin: 0px; text-align: left; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.5em; padding: 0.4em 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In an article, “<a id="144ac91db9e39138_144ac2cef4f87c9a_Obama administration pollutes guidelines for" href="http://trk.cp20.com/Tracking/t.c?6epyh-c9idc-53p87d7&v=2" target="blank" name="144ac91db9e39138_144ac2cef4f87c9a_Obama administration pollutes guidelines for" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Obama administration pollutes guidelines for healthy eating with unhealthy ideologies</a>,” published Sunday by the Washington Examiner, National Center Senior Fellow and Risk Analysis Division Director Jeff Stier says environmental activists within the U.S. government plan to change the nation’s dietary guidelines to promote foods that they believe have “a smaller carbon footprint.”

In the past, says Stier, the federal government’s dietary guidelines were intended exclusively to “promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.”

No more, says Stier: “For the first time in the history of the guidelines, ‘sustainability’ is part of the agenda. Actual items on their Dietary Guidelines working group agenda include ‘immigration,’ ‘global climate change’ and ‘agriculture/aquaculture sustainability.’”

What’s more, says Stier, these new guidelines will cost the public money: “By favoring foods which activists think have a smaller carbon footprint, the new guidelines will increase the prices you pay for your food. It will also increase the cost to all taxpayers, since the Dietary Guidelines are used to set policy forfood stamps (SNAP) and military diets,” he says.

“The food guidelines, by law, are supposed to be based on a ‘preponderance of scientific and medical knowledge,’” said Amy Ridenour, chairman of the National Center for Public Policy Research, who has studied climate change polices for over a quarter century. “Science can say with authority that eating green vegetables is good for you. It can’t say that humans are causing catastrophic global warming with any more certainty than it can explain why the planet hasn’t warmed since the Clinton Administration. Moms and Dads across America deserve — and, as taxpayers, have paid for — dietary guidelines they can use to help them feed their families wisely. No one benefits from causing people to wonder if the nutritional advice they are getting from their government isn’t focused on nutrition at all, but has been polluted by environmental activists.”

The full Washington Examiner article can be read <a id="144ac91db9e39138_144ac2cef4f87c9a_here" href="http://trk.cp20.com/Tracking/t.c?6epyh-c9idd-53p87d8&v=2" target="blank" name="144ac91db9e39138_144ac2cef4f87c9a_here" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>.

New York City-based Jeff Stier is a Senior Fellow at the National Center for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C., and heads its Risk Analysis Division. Stier is a frequent guest on CNBC, and has addressed health policy on CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, as well as network newscasts. Stier’s National Center op-eds have been published in top outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, Newsday, Forbes, the Washington Examiner and National Review Online. He also frequently discusses risk issues on Twitter at @JeffaStier.

Washington-based Amy Ridenour, founding CEO of the National Center and currently co-CEO with her husband, David Ridenour, has been interviewed on television or radio thousands of times, and had her op-ed published in newspapers thousands of times, on nearly every major public policy issue since the National Center’s 1982 founding. Newspapers running her op-eds within the year include the Denver Post, Providence Journal, Las Vegas Sun, Arizona Daily Star, Boston Herald, Deseret News, Duluth News Tribune, Orange County Register, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Omaha World-Herald and many others. She discusses issues on Twitter at @AmyRidenour.

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Contact: Judy Kent at <a href="tel:%28703%29%20759-7476" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(703) 759-7476</a> or <a href="mailto:jkent@nationalcenter.org" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">jkent@nationalcenter.org</a> or David Almasi at<a href="tel:%28202%29%20543-4110%20x11" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(202) 543-4110 x11</a> or <a href="tel:%28703%29%20568-4727" target="blank" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(703) 568-4727</a> (text-enabled cell) or <a href="mailto:dalmasi@nationalcenter.org" target="_blank" style=" text-decoration: none; font-weight: inherit; color: rgb(74, 98, 19); outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dalmasi@nationalcenter.org</a>

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