[937] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
Stop government subsidy of beef industry (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (mhlerner@HULAW1.HARVARD.EDU)
Wed May 1 17:33:49 1996
Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 17:27:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: mhlerner@HULAW1.HARVARD.EDU
To: vsg@MIT.EDU, seta@MIT.EDU
Here is a quick e-mail that I wrote re: the message sent around
on the vsg listserve. I thought I would forward it to you all to
make it easier for you to jot off a quick note. I wrote it rather
qucikly, so you may want to edit it. Michelle Lerner
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 01 May 1996 17:17:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: mhlerner@HULAW1.HARVARD.EDU
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Cc: mhlerner <mhlerner@HULAW1.HARVARD.EDU>
Subject: Stop government subsidy of beef industry
Dear President Clinton,
I am writing to express my concern over recent news that you
ordered the federal government to buy up to $50 million of beef in order
to bolster the cattle and beef industry in the face of declining business.
The cattle and beef industry is one of the most destructive industries in
the country-- it is one of the leading sources of environmental
degradation, its products are known to cause cancer, it is intensely cruel
to the animals involved, and it has sporadically caused health crises such
as the spread of e coli. If the American public has decided that it is
loosing faith in the beef and cattle industry and no longer wishes to
support it to the extent that it has in the past, then the cattle and beef
industry should be allowed to feel this decline in demand and respond to
it in accordance with market principles. It is appalling that you have
decided to provide more corporate welfare to an already subsidized
industry that endangers the public health, especially in the midst of the
current budget cuts to public benefits programs such as welfare and social
security.
I urge you to withdraw your support from federal subsididization of the
meat industry, and to withdraw this most recent subsidy order immediately.
Sincerely,
Michelle Lerner
39 Calvin St.
Somerville, MA 02143
