THEY’LL EAT ANYTHING

THEY’LL EAT ANYTHING: The outrage that is genetically modified organism (GMO) foods is surpassed only by added insults to the injuries perpetrated by Monsanto and other GMO purveyors.

And Kaua`i is the center of the “end of food” universe where the dastardly seeds of the bastardly owned and operated Pioneer and Sygenta are grown

The lack of scientifically verified safety by “federal regulators”- a term that’s all but a joke after 8 years of dismantling- is undebatable. There is none.

Rather they ask others to prove GMO’s are harmful- while rejecting the scientific evidence and ecology-based science that shows the harm- in a direct and absurd assault on the scientific precautionary principle that guides real scientists- as opposed to the pseudo-scientist shills hired by the GMO companies before they go one to work for the US Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture

We’re not just fed foods that have not been proven safe but are forbidden as consumers from finding out we’re eating the stuff by alowing GMO labling.

Even the premise of the industry is horrendous- the destruction of genetic diversity within a crop species alone is reason enough to forbid the ubiquitous spread of a single genetic strains.

But perhaps worse than the potential and real scientifically-based horrors of Frankenfood is the way Monsanto has invaded organic and even just non-GMO-crop-growing farms by not just intentionally destroying the genetic sanctity of their crops but then suing the farmers and taking away their farms after they have invaded them by spewing pollen from neighbors growing GMO crops.

Anyone who has read the papers, magazines and seen the TV reports and documentaries has been outraged by Monsanto’s actions in harassing farmers who want to use the traditional method of saving seeds from their harvest for the next year’s planting.

Monsanto’s agents have been shown stealing some of the crop, analyzing its DNA and claiming the farmers are growing Monsanto’s product after Monsanto conspired to spew their poisonous product on the sustainable, traditional-methodology farms.

When combined with the fact that Monsanto will not allow their GMO products to be replanted, causing farmers to have to buy all their seeds every year, this provides not just a recipe for disaster when the introduction of genetic diversity is eliminated, but insures that, if humans are to “feed the world” as GMO industry giants laughably claim is their goal, they will make money off every bite of food eaten by not just people but the domesticated animals we eat too.

Here on Kaua`i it’s almost impossible to grow corn on the Westside. We spoke to some people yesterday at the stop-GMO booth at the Kaua`i Farm Fair and found out for instance that Grove Farm will not lease ag land to anyone growing non-GMO corn, with a specific ban being part of every lease. Same goes for state controlled land and other ag land owners, especially on he Westside where the GMO seed corn is grown.

But a ray of hope is on the horizon.

The California legislature has passed a model bill that, if signed by the governor, will insure that Monsanto’s attempt to control our food future will, if not end, at least be controlled.

Bill number: AB 541, according to its Legislative Counsel's Digest says

Existing law provides that everyone is generally responsible, not only for the result of his or her willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon himself or herself.

This bill would provide a protocol for obtaining and testing a crop sample to determine whether a contract has been breached or a patent on a genetically engineered plant has been infringed by a farmer who is planting, managing, or harvesting a crop, as specified. The bill would provide for agreed or court-ordered sampling, with provisions relating to notice to the parties of sampling and results, protective orders against intentional destruction or damage to crops, and fees for sampling by or under agreement with the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. The bill would provide that a farmer is not liable based on the presence or possession of a patented genetically engineered plant when the farmer did not knowingly buy or otherwise knowingly acquire the genetically engineered plant, acted in good faith and without knowledge of the genetically engineered nature of the plant, and when the genetically engineered plant is detected at a de minimis level, as specified. This bill would limit the applicability of its liability provision, as specified.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature, as specified, in enacting this act.

That the Hawai`i state legislature could legally pass this bill is certain. It also appears that there is no state law forbidding the institution of this on a county level.

But just ask the local candidates what they would think about a ban on all GMO crops on Kaua`i and you’ll have to search long and hard to find anyone willing to even limit them.

The drumbeat of jobs jobs jobs jobs jobs for the Westside has never been a discriminating one.

The Navy’s missile range that makes us a nuclear target is the biggest Westside employer. The GMO corn seed growing operations- done here only because it would, by GMO proponents own claims, be too ecologically dangerous to do it near major population or farming communities on the mainland- makes sustainable agriculture a joke for the island,.especially on the unproductive-ag-land-rich Westside..

Yet those employed there think that because it puts a roof over their families’ heads and food on their families’ tables it doesn’t matter how horrendous their products are

We’ve asked before how bad it has to be for people to wake up. We’ve asked- not as facetiously as some may assume- whether if these people lived in Germany in the 1940’s they would cling to the jobs at the concentration camps because the economic benefit was too great.

But passing this law here on Kaua`i it isn’t going to happen if we keep electing people whose campaigns are funded by the seed companies and their supporters whose voodoo economic models are way too kow-towing to the wider business community.

Ask this year’s candidates about this bill and the Eco-Roundtable’s proposed ban on all growing of GMO products on the island. Their answers will certainly be indicative of whether they put the public interest over the special and private interests.

PEDIGREE PERVERSION

PEDIGREE PERVERSION: We hear the Eco-Roundtable forum was a humdinger.

But buried in the local paper’s coverage was the most “duh” moment of the campaign so far.

“Chang, Hoff and Kawakami by a show of hands were the only candidates who would not support a county ban on plastic shopping bags as is under consideration in Maui and law in San Francisco.”

Would the Big Save Market heir vote for banning plastic bags? Is the bear Catholic?

And that’s apparently just for starters for Mr. Big Save Jr.... the young... the popular... the skein...the heir: Derrick Kawakami.

What happens when recycling involves the places where people got the goods? We have a farm to bet that Derrick isn’t in favor of forcing big grocery stores to take back deposit- bottles and cans.. if not accept other recyclable as they do across the country and world.

Here it’s done the way the Kawakami’s have always done it. If nothing else it’s pretty obvious his parents left him a legacy of serving the public interest by serving themselves first.

And State House Reps Richard and Bertha’s boy seems to be pretty predictable in fighting against things like banning aquatic-animal-death-traps in these islands.

Why it was just a happy coincidence when recently Derrick led the fight- and put some of that Big Save money into ads- to fight against Wal-Mart putting in a grocery store.

His parents’ never met a tourism development they didn’t like. Is Darryl just taking up the family business’?

The Kawakamis have always served the public by taking the biggest serving for themselves and their business associates. They set up and enacted many of the teeth- gnashing legislative “loopholes” that gave us things like ag condos and the vacation rentals next door.

So what does all that have to do with now?

Well for instance if Kawakami is elected does this mean the Lihu`e Town Core plan which “we” paid all that money for is going down in flames?.

As the council has heard, Big Save has not been negotiating very cooperatively regarding changes since their location is right smack dab in the middle of the Town Civic Center and proposed “park”.

No one will be surprised when Derrick wants to “talk about” the other upcoming town development plans too- some of which are already funded. Especially Hanalei,. Kapa`a, Kolo`a, `Ele`ele and Waimea where the other Big Save markets have been the main geographic and economic town hubs for many years?

And guess what. The article says “Derek Kawakami said he would implement amendments to force the county to adhere more to the 2000 General Plan”
.
What amendments might they be?. We’ve got a pretty good idea.

IN THE GATES

IN THE GATES: A fourth Mayoral candidate filed papers to run yesterday but we’ll be damned if anyone knows who he is.

Rolf H Bieber of Malie Rd in Kapa`a pulled and submitted his papers yesterday to run in the special election to fill the shoes of the late Mayor Bryan Baptiste but despite a cursory search and a few phone calls we’ve come up blank on anything about him other than that there is a Rolf and a son Rolf II and they have a long mainland genealogy.

But the surprise is that sometime between Saturday afternoon and Monday Darryl Kaneshiro changed his mind about running for council... maybe.

He took out his papers Monday but didn’t file them, leaving us to ponder for a few more hours what his presence in the race would do to the chances of others.

And it’s now official- Scott Mijares of Kilauea is in the council race after filing him papers on Monday.

And saving the best news for last, community activist and advocate Linda Saloka-Pasadava also of Kilauea is thinking of throwing her hat into the ring.

As President of the Kilauea Neighborhood Association Pasadava, as she goes by, was an instrumental party to the suit that brought a multi million dollar judgment against alleged murderer Jimmy Pflueger (come on- sue us Jimmy... pretty please?) in the Ka Loko dam break and is active in other public interest matters such as fighting to insure and secure public access during expansion plans for Kilauea Point Wildlife refuge.

She also ran for a seat on the KIUC Board in 2006 but didn’t finish in the money.

Based on nothing but speculation, one wonders whether the DLNR’s recent imposition of fees for ministers performing beach weddings has spurred Pasadava to seek office since it appears she “is a state licensed non denominational minister who has been uniting couples for over 12 years (and) she offers non-denominational and Christian ceremonies” at beaches around the island according to her web site “Just a Minister on Kaua`i”, http://www.justaministeronkauai.com/ which for some reason has a block on being able to copy information.

Hopefully that doesn’t signal a willingness to keep information from public view if she takes office.

Linda is just the kind of candidate Kaua`i needs- someone who has been active in the community and knows the issues and works for the public interest.

Her experience as KNA President shows that she’s the kind of person not just dedicated to community well-being and interests but someone who can bring people together- and get elected to arguably the most active and successful neighborhood association on Kaua`i.

We certainly hope she gets their papers in today, adding another name to the apparent good public interest governance slate.

Same goes for Darryl Kaneshiro whom we have supported in the past due to his penchant for honest and open discussion of the issues and his rare ability – in a politician at least- to be “convincible” when the facts warrant it.

And Mel Rapozo still hasn’t filed for mayor.

Today at 4:30 is the filing deadline but we’re not sure how quickly the final filings will be reported. If it’s not timely we’ll surely have a wrap on the beginning of what promises to be one of the most lively campaign seasons on Kaua`i in a long time.