The Government's Problem with Cheese

A recent New York Times article has uncovered the fact that Dairy Management Inc. - a marketing branch of the United States Department of Agriculture, has partnered with numerous food chains to push the consumption of cheese in the United States.

According to the article, agricultural secretaries of both the Bush and Obama administrations have signed off on clandestine partnerships between this Dairy Management Inc. and several restaurants. The Dairy Management has been working with these suppliers to make their menu items more cheesy - an incentive for the consumer, as well as a benefit for both the restaurants and the dairy market.

These partnerships would not be of particular consequence if it were not for the large campaign backed by the current President and First Lady, and the very same government department, to end obesity. In the Agricultural Department's reports to Congress, the Department blatantly states that Americans are not consuming enough saturated fat, and that they must bring it back to consumer's diets through cheese. The average American now consumes 33 pounds of cheese annually, and according to the same Department's data, "Cheese has become the largest source of saturated fat; an ounce of many cheese contains as much saturated fat as a glass of whole milk."

However, the Agricultural Department is the same organization that funds the 'Got Milk?' campaign and that distributes brochures and flyers about how consumers can reduce the amount of saturated fat in their diets.

How are Americans, who when asked are generally unsatisfied with the way they think the government is run, supposed to gain trust in their leaders? I say we should expect several apologies from the involved administrations in the coming days.

Big Business holds hands with Bleeding Hearts

Today's New York Times Magazine includes an article about an interesting twist in the politics of health care - a surge in the popularity of universal health insurance among not only liberal elements, but also among corporate head honchos.

The movement for universal health care has long been seen as a liberal cause. Current proponents include such lefties as Senator Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon, and Andy Stern, President of the Service Employees International Union. What's curious is the unexpected allies the movement has recently found in leaders of big business.

Steve Burd is one of these new allies. Two years ago, the chairman and CEO of Safeway supermarkets became notorious for his hard line denial of increased medical benefits for California's grocery workers. Yet for the past year, Burd has been collaborating with Wyden on a near weekly basis to formulate the Senator's proposal for universal health insurance. Standing alongside Senator Wyden in a news conference, Burd said the following:

Our nation is facing a crisis that requires immediate attention. Working together, business, labor, government, consumer groups and health-care providers can collectively solve this problem.

Burd's not alone. Lee Scott, CEO of Wal-Mart, The Business Roundtable, one of Washington's most influential business groups, and Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks, have all come out in support of universal health care. Burd is determined to see the plan through and has even formed a non-profit called the Coalition to Advance Health Care Reform, which is comprised of various companies and corporations. The group goes public this spring.

While the marriage of liberal and traditionally conservative elements is unorthodox, the motivations behind it are hardly a mystery. With small profit margins and rising insurance costs, businesses are looking to rub the responsibility for employee health care off onto the government. Who knows? With presidential candidates Edwards, Romney, Clinton, and Obama all presenting platforms with universal coverage, something may actually come of these strange bedfellows in the coming years.