Ex-Monsanto Lobbyist Mike Taylor to Join FDA to Approve Food

Published on June 30th, 2009

Special Digest, rumor version: Mike Taylor to Join FDA :: The Ethicurean: Chew the right thing. — Let’s face it, this is all about GMO foods. Has anyone paid any attention to the fact that Obama, despite campaign promises, hires a lot of lobbyists.

Another round for the revolving door: Rumor has it that Mike Taylor, currently a professor at George Washington University but better known for his work as Monsanto’s Vice President for Public Policy, will start on Monday at the FDA in a position coordinating food safety.

Congress is considering a major food safety bill and the scuttlebutt is that Taylor might coordinate the implementation of that bill once it’s passed. It’s not clear whether Taylor will be employed by the agency or will work on contract. Not that it really matters.

If ever there were a poster boy for revolving door, Taylor would be him.

28 users responded in " Ex-Monsanto Lobbyist Mike Taylor to Join FDA to Approve Food "

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# 1 sargasso said, on June 30th, 2009 at 5:35 pm

Just applied for a well paid job with a bioengineering company, so all I can say is – “congratulations Prof. Taylor and I sure am pleased to see a man of your fine stature in the industry is taking a lead in the public sector.”

# 2 McCullough said, on June 30th, 2009 at 5:39 pm

Suck up

# 3 algore said, on June 30th, 2009 at 5:46 pm

It’s physically impossible for Obama to tell a lie. Just more republican garbage.

# 4 Dallas said, on June 30th, 2009 at 5:48 pm

Obama continues to place the best candidates for the job, unencumbered by foolish send guessing by amateurs.

A professor at George Washington University, a vice President of a major corporation and and expert in Public Policy sounds like just the right person for the job.

# 5 sparlkeygoldenunicorn said, on June 30th, 2009 at 5:50 pm

I’m glad that Bush is gone so that business won’t be in the regulatory driver’s seat!

Hope and change!

# 6 Jägermeister said, on June 30th, 2009 at 6:04 pm

Monsanto is the Church of Scientology of corporate America. It needs to spread it’s tentacles.

# 7 GAATTC said, on June 30th, 2009 at 6:14 pm

Oh Dear God,

The USDA regulates GMO’s not the FDA. How is this a conflict of interest?

Once again,the news media gets it wrong and illustrates the scientific illiteracy of the US general populace.

# 8 Mr Diesel said, on June 30th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

Obomba has lied more in the first 5 months than any president in history.

What’s another lobbyist.

# 9 deowll said, on June 30th, 2009 at 6:27 pm

“Obama, despite campaign promises, hires a lot of lobbyists.”

Same old, same old. No change at all.

I will this this for him. He seems to be an honest politician. Once he’s bought he stays bought.

# 10 Jägermeister said, on June 30th, 2009 at 6:36 pm

#7 – Mr Diesel – Obomba has lied more in the first 5 months than any president in history.

The memory of Dubya faded away quickly, eh….

# 11 Bryan P. Carney said, on June 30th, 2009 at 6:46 pm

I’ve grown so tired of this fallacy entertained by people these days that all lobbyist are forever evil. On the other hand, thank you for this blog’s enduring effort to illustrate the need for a sane editorial practice.

The promises made by Obama, during his campaign, to hire no former lobbyist don’t influence the fact that having former lobbyists working for the government, namely the Executive Branch, is good. It seems more perilous for those in the legislative or judicial sectors but I am just guessing.

Our attentions should be on individual competency and not on our assumptions, when evaluating employees and their actions. Not only is it uncivil and rude to injure these former paid employees with continued public scorn and folk wisdom but it is also false. Lobbyists are reasonable people who dared to ask for payment from a private enterprise for their expertise in a certain discipline. In this country, corporate entities must always act in the best interest of their owners. How does this devilish deal make honest men into untrustworthy sycophants?

# 12 downlowfunk said, on June 30th, 2009 at 7:00 pm

Obahhhhma can do no wrong. After all he is not a republican like Bush.

Wtc 1 and 2 collapsed because of kerosene fires, and structural damage.

get on you tube and search “downlowfunk” or click my website link

I do a response to obama’s health care campaign.

# 13 Hugh Ripper said, on June 30th, 2009 at 7:05 pm

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: democracy just doesn’t work”

- Kent Brockman

# 14 Sea Lawyer said, on June 30th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

The interesting thing about regulatory agencies is that the most experienced people to staff them often come from the very industries being regulated. Regulatory capture isn’t an anomaly, and government agents have their own interests to look after just like the rest of us do.

# 15 Mark Derail said, on June 30th, 2009 at 7:30 pm

Bah, no system is perfect.

US foodcrops are turning to corn for ethanol anyways…GM ethanol.

I can’t wait to see the US devising a way to tug icebergs, or harvest Alaskan glaciers, to feed all these GM crops.
http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/water/glacier.htm

Running out of water should be a major concern for the US, w/o the need of sucking it from the Great Lakes.

Let Monsato create GM corn that grows in Nevada conditions with little water, then waste 10 gallons of water for every 1 gallon of ethanol produced.

No, I did not RTFA…just a rant.
Which is just about like every poster here.

# 16 badboy said, on June 30th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

“Johnny is a vegan, Johnny is a vegan”

# 17 GetSmart said, on June 30th, 2009 at 9:40 pm

Treason doesn’t begin to cover this. You have to be a soulless monster from the bottom most pit of hell to even lobby for a threat to humanity like Monsanto, now it’s ( Not a person, it)going to be feeding us corporate approved people chow. Just great.

# 18 pedro said, on July 1st, 2009 at 1:11 am

#9 What? No change you say? I say yes, there’s change! They’re hiring MORE lobbyists.

# 19 smartalix said, on July 1st, 2009 at 4:40 am

I just hate the fact that this guy worked for Monsanto. A bunch of souless profit-chasing anonymously evil (they do evil not for evil’s sake, but just to make a profit) people run that company. Anyone who can think up and commercialize terminator seed technology should rot in hell.

# 20 Dallas said, on July 1st, 2009 at 6:12 am

I still see too much rhetoric in here, nothing of substance from the party of no.

Here are the facts:
- Professor at George Washington University
- vice President of a major corporation
- An expert in Public Policy

Sounds like just the right person for the job.

# 21 amodedoma said, on July 1st, 2009 at 6:50 am

OK once again it seems most of you guys are missing the point. I’m tired of posting links for titheads so go ahead and look up Monsanto, PCB, and Genetically Modified. This company’s been making a profit by hiding the toxic facts behind their products for a long time – with lethal consequences for thousands. Spanish farmers have already made the mistake of using their GM corn. Unfortunately if the farmers that don’t use the same seed get exposed to the pollen from the GM they’re harvest is screwed. I won’t go into the possible hazards of GM foods. But after the way Monsanto covered up what they knew about the toxic impact of PCB’s, I certainly wouldn’t want this guy in a position coordinating food safety.
What it does prove eloquently is what I’ve always said, Politics is a show to keep the kiddies drooling, Money is the REAL power.

# 22 LibertyLover said, on July 1st, 2009 at 7:05 am

#21, Every time I hear “Monsanto” I think “Umbrella Corporation.”

# 23 GetSmart said, on July 1st, 2009 at 7:57 am

#22, Every time I even think Monsanto, I think “Crimes against Humanity”.

# 24 Mr. Fusion said, on July 1st, 2009 at 8:14 am

I’m with Dallas on this one.

The man is obviously talented, check out his resume.

Just because he once worked for Monsanto does not mean he hold all Monsanto’s beliefs. Many times people change carreer paths. What about the cop who attends night school to become a criminal defense lawyer? Or prosecutors that end up as defense lawyers and defense lawyers that become prosecutors? Or what about anyone in the private sector that joins the public sector?

Monsanto is an evil corporation. This man though does not come from Monsanto. He quit to become a teacher.

# 25 LibertyLover said, on July 1st, 2009 at 9:06 am

# 17 LibertyLover said, on July 1st, 2009 at 9:06 am

This guy wrote the “regulations” that “conveniently discourages” companies from voluntarily labeling their products saying they were made without rBGH. rBGH, by the way, is outlawed in every country but the US (this is one area I think we should listen to the rest of the world on). If you voluntarily label your milk as hormone-free, you are going to court.

He also implemented a plan to sue small farmers if there was any trace of Monsanto contamination on their fields (like seeds being carried by the wind or bird crap). Numerous American and Canadian farmers have been sued because the Monsanto “gene” has ended up in their fields through no fault of their own.

In 2005, Monsanto admitted to bribing an Indonesian official to sidestep an environmental assessment by the government of its genetically modified cotton.

http://tinyurl.com/njtzwl

In 2007, Monsanto was sued by France for false advertising related to its flagship herbicide Roundup. Monsanto was found guilty for misleading consumers by claiming that Roundup was biodegradable and left soil clean after its usage. In fact, Roundup has been shown to be dangerous to the environment and toxic to aquatic life.

http://tinyurl.com/kkdd75

This man may not have worked there the last few years, but his ties with them still exist. Look up how much stock he still has in the company.

# 26 EvilPoliticians said, on July 1st, 2009 at 5:23 pm

The USDA regulates GMO’s not the FDA. How is this a conflict of interest?

You are correct. But explain the difference between a politician and a lobbyist. Birds of the same feather.

And GM? Genetic manipulation has been going on since man wandered out of the cave. Biology 101. The question is do we understand our newly increased powers?

# 27 Johan said, on July 2nd, 2009 at 2:16 am

Even though Monsanto is the devil, GMO crops are not. Without genetic manipulation of plants we can not solve the hunger crisis poor countries around the world.

I recommend watching the episode of Bullshit! that covers this.

# 28 ECA said, on July 2nd, 2009 at 3:24 am

for those that dont understand a SIMPLE relationship…
we are an adaptive species.
the BEST way to gene mod, is to LOOK for what nature has done.
MAN has done this for 1000’s of years.
FIND the plants that GROW well in an area, sorting out the die-offs, and RAISe what grows the best. There are TONS of grasses that we eat and use, and many that have NEVER been used.
NEVER because MAN thinks he can do better.
FINd the grasses that DO well in BAD areas, DONT think that MAN is the best to decide..Nature has been doing this for YEARS. USE nature to OUR benefit. ADAPT to what is in the environment.

The USA After WWII, went into the pacific islands and discovered something interesting. PEOPLE that were self sufficent, and fished and eat off the land, HAD NO MONEY..so they decided to put MOST of these people on ASSISTANCE and give the money and foods.
AFTER 1 generation, MOST were forgetting HOW to live off the land and sea. In 2 generations, they are still being FED and given money. And dont remember HOW to even fish properly.

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