Sunday, August 11, 2013

PROGRAM, GET YER PROGRAM

PROGRAM, GET YER PROGRAM: What would a game be without a rundown of the players, the games they're currently playing and what kind of pitch will work on each- and for that matter who not to even bother to pitch to.

Here's the third inning morning line for those betting on passage of Bill 2491 (regarding pesticides and GMOs)... with the prospects for each of the Crudville 7.

Of course Gary Hooser and Tim Bynum are the people's champions. Follow their lead. It's that easy.

Mel Rapozo is with Ross Kagawa and both are in the pockets of the biotexters- don't be fooled by anything either might say or do. The two of them are trying to kill the bill, currently by keeping it in committee where they may have the votes to do so permanently, waiting for a legal opinions that will never come.

Don't let Mel trick you into thinking he is genuinely doing anything but trying to kill the bill. Don't forget- he and Ross both didn't care how much it's going to cost to defend Mel's palsy-walsy Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho and both he and Ross said so just a couple of weeks ago. Mel is a snakey-wakey and may slither into some other corner next week but for now he's coiled to delay the bill in committee forever. Don't misunderestimate Mel. Ross would be helpless without him.

Gary and Tim need to get the bill out of committee to the floor of the full council (where the vote count will be tied at 2) and work amendments and votes there. One big problem in committee is that Gary is the chair and cannot make a motion or a second- including to offer an amendment- so even presuming he has a motion or a second from JoAnn Yukimura, unless Nadine Nakamura goes along with what he wants he cannot even get it considered in committee. (Tim is not on the committee; nor is Council Chair Jay Furfaro).

As far as JoAnn goes, she will most likely support most of the bill especially on the pesticide "right-to-know" section. But she could also allow some not-so-great amendments and may even allow Mel and Ross to bamboozle her with the legally non-existent "preemption" crap in order to find the equally non-existent "win-win."

Nadine is not as much of a "no" as her vote to defer last Monday might make you think- she just wants it all to go away and will probably go with the majority on anything, including amendments. She is known for trying "compromise away" the meat of a measure but probably feels powerless to do that on this one. She apparently only voted to defer because that was going to be the outcome anyway- don't forget, technically Gary voted for the deferral too.

Jay may be genuinely on the fence. He is a lifelong corporate man but likes to see himself as a Hawaiian defender of the environment. In terms of his legacy he sees a lot of it as being his grandchildren and a protector of the `aina... that kind of thing. Don't forget he is retiring and probably understands that no matter what he does this will be his legacy- whether he likes it or not he will be remembered for what he does on this bill. He can be convinced but will not like "doing the work" on the council floor (as opposed to in committee). He can be lobbied hard on a "do what's right for your grandchildren" basis.

JoAnn will probably vote for the bill but what amendments she will ask for is anyone's guess. She may even fall for Mel's and Ross' can't-afford-a-lawsuit drivel. She needs to be reminded who her friends are (in politispeak who her base is) but she is always doing her Steve Covey "win-win/keep the end in mind" stuff so if you speak that language, speak to her.

Don't forget- it essential to get this bill amended and out of committee ASAP to get to the real action. And for all you handicappers worried about what you know they they don't know (as opposed to what they know that you don't) remember- it's not like they don't all know this already.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

CORNFUSED?

CORNFUSED?

(The following quick political appraisal for bill supporters was posted yesterday evening on Facebook)

So what the heck happened at the end (see the 9:58:00 mark) of today's Kaua`i County Council Committee meeting on Bill 2491 related to pesticides and GMOs?

Well for those who didn't get what they saw it was a semi blood bath. JoAnn Yukimura left early so Mel Rapozo and Ross Kagawa were able to get the bill deferred for a full month in order to try to kill it. Nadine Nakamura was no help either.

Essentially Ross and Mel- yes, Mel is definitely not ...a friend of the bill or its purpose (although he may protest he hasn't made up his mind)- are hoping the attorney general will come up with some BS reason why the law is preempted by either the state or feds, either stated or implied even though it's obviously not (which Mel knows damn well but he will play politics to the end) since the Pioneer attorneys couldn't cite any example while the Earth Justice lawyer cited case after case showing no preemption (meaning the county is able to enact the law regulating pesticides and GMOs).

Ross and Mel (and maybe Nadine) are trying to kill the bill through infinite deferral. Gary Hooser (here's his far more staid "first draft of history") tried to fend them off but didn't have even a second vote or anyone to make a motion for a two week deferral because JoAnn left early and Tim Bynum and Jay Furfaro are not on the committee. And as I said Nadine is scared for her political life and you couldn't pry her lips apart with a crow up until she went with the four week deferral vote (i.e. she voted to defer for four weeks).

While a committee cannot kill a bill outright, they can defer it forever. Gary, as chair, said (to paraphrase) "okay then I want everyone to come with all your amendments and be ready to vote on Sept 9." Good luck.

It's really up to Nadine at this point- it's time to lobby the you-know-what out of her.

This means we will not be able to keep getting and giving factual testimony and keep the ball rolling as it was this afternoon when the real science became apparent during the science and medical questioning of Dr Evslin and Dr Valenzuela of UH (sp?) as well as Kyle Smith (the attorney for the Waimea lawsuit) who is an expert on these restricted use pesticides) and others.

And because they lost the legal round in the morning so badly they are hoping they can get through to the AG to provide a trump card- he will no doubt try his damnedest to make sure the governor doesn't blow his contributions from Monsanto et. al. in '14.

And who knows what the county attorney will do- any honest appraisal will find no preemption either stated or implied either state or federal. And will find SCOTUS on our side (something even Pioneer's lawyers couldn't counter that).

But if they can't get to the county attorney (CA), Mel will try to say it's too expensive for Kaua`i to pay to defend ourselves against Big Biotech. In other words we can't pass laws when deep pockets threaten to sue us back to the stone age over them... something he has said the opposite about when it comes to money to keep defending his pal disgraced former Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri Carvalho... as did Ross, even more vehemently...

So we have to wait until September 9 and keep the momentum going while they spend another bazillion dollars on cable ads calling themselves poor seed farmers and continuing to extort and provide lying talking points to their poor employees who are caught in the middle.

Well, at least I hope they get hefty raises after testifying....

Don't forget- the only ones who are saying "the community is being torn apart" are those opposed to the bill. And the only ones against the bill are employees or their relatives or paid the shills like that UC Riverside guy today who managed to slither out of a question about funding, about which he said (under his breath) he "only" got a few private research projects a year (presumably industry funded) although his department doesn't take biotech money.

The rest of us are unified like never before by the lies and threats from the chemical companies.

Imua

Saturday, August 3, 2013

DIALOGUE? I GOTCHA DIALOGUE RIGHT HEA

We've been posting a lot of shorter "blubs" on Facebook ("Friend" us or follow on Facebook for more). Here are a few from this week...

DIALOGUE? I GOTCHA DIALOGUE RIGHT HEA...

Us- Why are you against disclosing where, when and what pesticides you are spraying?
Them- We have always disclosed them.
Us- No you haven't. We've tried for years and the only things we've gotten is recently in federal court due to our law suit. You've refused tell us. Dozens of people have asked and gotten nothing.
Them- Are you going to believe us or your lyin' eyes?

Us- Why are you against t...he bill? It's just asking for disclosure.
Them- The bill is unenforceable.
Us- So you mean even if we pass a law saying you have to tell us you're telling us you're not going to do so?
Them: Feed the world, bwak. Feed the world, bwak.

Them- There's no need for a Kaua`i law because there are already federal laws
Us- Yes but you refuse to follow them- we have proof.
Them- The label is the law- we follow the label.
Us- No you don't. There's RUPs in the schools right next to where you're spraying them. Our children are getting sick when you spray. We have doctors and nurses who have treated them. The label says you can't use them where children are likely to be.
Them- You can't prove anything.
Us- Yet.
Them- Science, bwak. Feed the world, bwak.


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A WORD ABOUT WHAT WE HEARD FROM BIOTECH EMPLOYEES AND THEIR ASSOCIATES AT THE 7/31 PUBLIC HEARING ON BILL 2941.

Just because you have a degree in an area of science- chemistry, biology etc.- it does not make you a scientist- i.e. one that is familiar with the scientific process and has scientific integrity. It makes you a technical engineer.

Nor does it magically confer ethical standards on you or to your work.

Real scientists do not take money from an industry and then conduct studies and give their scientific conclusions in that area... at least not without people laughing at them. Nor do they attest to the safety of their work or work product without eliciting self-same guffaws.

When the Biotech industry funds your research your conclusions in the area of Biotechnology are suspect at best and invalid according to real scientists with integrity.

And finally, something you don't need to be a scientist to understand- the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. When what "everybody agrees" to is voluntarily conducted research approved by federal agency boards stacked with former industry employees for the express purpose of declaring said safety (and so making more money), you don't have proof- you've got bullsh*t.

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ARE YOU GOING TO BELIEVE US OR YOUR LYIN' EYES?

Apparently with all the lies and obfuscations in the local TV and radio ads- such as "we use LESS pesticide" and "we're just simple farmers" and "all studies show safety"- the Biotrixters on Kaua`i are just going to ignore Monsanto's national PR strategy of "we didn't do it and we're not going to do it again." Here's how the NY Times described the campaign this week

This hilarious attempt to reverse years of lies and obfuscation by the now self-labeled "GMO companies" (seems they weren't having any luck using softer monikers) is obviously the last gasp of the befuddled industry's high priced PR machine.

Imagine- one web site with all the misinformation, half-truths, bought-and-paid-for government safety statements and industry-prepared studies... all in one place.

Our favorite line?

“We have been accused of purposely hiding information,” Ms. Enright said. “We haven’t done that but now we will open the doors and provide information.”