COM 0212.412 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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11'lay 20, lyy~ '97 (~flY 20 Ail 7 16 Dear Councilmembers, COUI~ , Are you familiar with this product? It is Wek;h's red grapeju~yl~1~~?I~gi~ this every day, because I read in the paper that it reduces the chance of a heart- attck by 50%. That article impressed me enough to go to the store a few days later and buy a couple of bottles of this juice. So did a bt of other people; often I found empty shelves and had to Dome back another time to try my luck. In the Honolulu Advertiser of Dec. 1997 it read (I quote): "Last year Japanese consumer groups writing as the Food Irradiation Network told the Papaya Administration Committee in Hilo lhat they would ask Japanese consumers to boycot irradiated fruit. (end quote). As a member of Irradiation Free Food Hawaii I found out just recently that Japan already bans the importation of irradiated food. We should ask ourselves, why? Consumers In Japan, consumers on the Mainland, consumers in Europe, they are all the same. They all want good quality, heaRhy foods. Instead of empty shelves in the Mainland stores, we will see shelves filled with unsellable irradiated papayas. Fortunately, they have a kxrg shelf-life we have been told. As a reaction to the Mayor's proposal to build an irradiation plant in Hilo on the Big Island, and as a reaction to the solar favorable response of the County Council and as a result of the public's concern and input during the fast forwarded procedures to get this proposal approved, a large "Coalition Against Irradiation" has been formed. Mainland groups have been invited to join our Coalition. They will help us to inform the consumers about irradiated fruits from Hawaii. The future, members of the Council lies in your hands, right here, right now. Make up your minds which future you want to help create on our Island. I just spoke of one possible future, unsellable fruits from Hawaii. Here is another one, created somewhere else by another body of Govemement: Dutch Government allocated 300 million dollars last year to those farmers who wanted to make a change to growing poison-free products. The Government saw the needs of the consumers and responded appropiately by subsidizing those growers and farmers who wanted to provide the products the consumers walled. These two million could do a lot for those in our community who are already listening to those consumers concerned with their heath and the health of their children. Help them, they need it. Why make a BIG mistake NOW? Why be blinded by a few dollars and a few influential people? FNy ~ CAP lCc,f. To:_ Wres~e iTe~~l.~~~ Ret. Dr+rr hIAY 2 01991