Gilbert Slams Staples On Food Safety

One of the most hotly contested races on the Texas ballot in 2010 is the race for Agriculture Commissioner. East Texas cattleman Hank Gilbert is trying to unseat the Republican incumbent, Todd Staples. Gilbert believes one of Staples' worst failings as commissioner has been his failure to address food safety in the state -- a responsibility that effects not just farmers and ranchers, but all Texas citizens. Here is what Gilbert has to say:

"Minutes after he put his hand on the Bible and took the oath of office, he said food safety was a top priority for him. I'd like to know, if food safety was a top priority for Todd Staples, how badly his lesser priorities have faired under his reign."

"He said in 2004 that Texas was a soft target for agroterrorists, but to date he's done nothing about it. He said food safety was a top priority but his agency has expended relatively little time, effort, and money to make our food supply more safe."

"His reign as Commissioner has been nothing but a long line of broken promises to the people of Texas. It is, in fact, the only consistent thing about his tenure."

"How is food safety your top priority if less than 20 percent of the grants you award-in a program you tout as being so key to a food safety initiative-have to do with food safety. It simply numbs the mind."

"I don't see any TDA inspectors at the Port of Houston, and I doubt many make it down to the Mexican border to look at commodities coming from Mexico, Central, and South America because they don't even have enough inspectors in the agency to even keep gas pumps properly inspected."

"He's blustered and deceived Texans in a vain attempt to make himself look good for the last four years. Now, all of the sudden, with food recalls in the news and people concerned about the safety of their food, he's nowhere to be found. Texans realize all he's done these last four years is hand out novelty checks and told Texans to go eat out more, because he damned sure hasn't been on the forefront of food safety issues."

"He's just the biggest empty pair of khaki pants in all of state government, and Texans should be scared for the safety for themselves and their families because Todd Staples is the absentee landlord of the Texas Department of Agriculture. He may be showing up at work, but he's not doing anything for Texans."

"No wonder his own employees call him 'Tater Salad.' He's done about as much for food safety in Texas as a bowl of potato salad left out in 100 degree heat surrounded by horse flies at an August picnic in Llano."