Kauai Mayor vetoes GMO Bill 2491

SUBHEAD: Bernard Carvalho a corporate flunky, proves incapable of representing the interests of Kauai.

By Rosemarie Bernardo on 31 October 2013 for the Star Adertiser  -
(http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/20131031_Kauai_mayor_vetoes_antiGMO_bill.html)


Image above: Why is Bernard sweating? Kauai Mayor Carvalho and Big Island Mayor Billy Kanoi meet with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on 1/24/11 to discuss strategy for GMO agriculture. Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto. From (http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/2011/01/page/2/).

Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. vetoed a bill today that would require large agribusinesses to disclose the type of pesticides they spray on fields and implement buffer zones around schools, dwellings and medical facilities.

Bill 2491 would have required agribusinesses that purchase or use more than five pounds or 15 gallons of restricted use pesticides annually to disclose all types of pesticides they spray on their fields and to implement buffer zones near schools, dwellings, medical facilities, public roadways, shorelines and waterways.

"I have always said I agree with the intent of this bill to provide for pesticide use disclosure, create meaningful buffer zones and conduct a study on the health and environmental issues relating to pesticide use on Kaua'i," Carvalho said in a news release. "However, I believe strongly that this bill is legally flawed. That being the case, I had no choice but to veto."

Under the bill, agricultural companies would have been required to provide annual reports of genetically modified crops grown on fields to the Office of Economic Development and state Department of Agriculture. The information would have been posted on the county website.

Agribusinesses also would have been required to disclose where the genetically modified crops were being grown and dates of when each crop was initially planted.

Companies affected by the bill would have included Syngeta Hawaii, DuPont Pioneer, Dow AgroSciences and BASF as well as Kauai Coffee, the largest coffee grower in the state.

The Kauai County Council voted 6-1 to approve Bill 2491 in the early-morning hours of Oct. 16 after a marathon public hearing.

Before the Council's vote, Carvalho requested a one-month deferral to hold discussions with the state on the enforcement of the bill's disclosure and buffer zones. Council Chairman Jay Furfaro said he would not support a deferral, saying there was no logical reason to do so.

The final draft of the bill sent to the mayor's office for approval focused on regulating pesticide use by agribusinesses.

Councilmen Gary Hooser and Tim Bynum co-introduced the bill in June in response to ongoing community concerns of pesticide exposure.

Biotech companies favor Hawaii's year-round warm climate, enabling them to grow three crops per year compared to one in Illinois. Company officials say they are already regulated by the state and federal level and the county lacks the resources to enforce the ordinance. Biotech representatives who testified at meetings also said the ordinance would signicantly hamper the farming industry. Bill supporters say the ordinance is necessary to protect public health and the island's environment.


Video above: Halloween Cheer. Carvalho tries to explain his veto to some unhappy Kauai residents. Note Grim Raper at Bernard's elbow. Carvalho was born and raised here but lets the corporations rule his decision instead of his island people. Sold out! Link sent to us by Brad Parsons (mauibrad@hotmail.com)
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3 comments :

Gelfling said...

I would like to suggest that all campaigning be banned from now on. Instead, everybody should just vote for somebody they know that they think would do a good job at it. Not a politician, just a person they know. If anybody starts campaigning or saying "vote for me!" they become automatically disqualified. It wouldn't cost any money and sure, we would get fewer votes for each candidate. But i think we would end up with a person that would do a good job and not be bought out so easily.

Unknown said...

Sue the mayor PERSONALLY in the People's Common Law Grand Jury. Do this for every corrupt bureaucrat and we will be rid of them. Guaranteed.

http://nationallibertyalliance.org/judicial/common/law.html

Juan Wilson said...

I don't think politics will have much to do with solving the problems related with GMOs (or much else for that matter).

The people working for Dow, and Suyngenta and Dupont will be the ones to leave the flock... once they admit what they know already... They are human scarecrows and they and their families are being sacrificed for a dollar.

The truth will be a rude awakening.

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