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<br /> 65/06/1997 10:14 808-929-9974 BEHRMQNN & CASTAING PAGE 01 <br /> May 6, 1997 <br /> Zb:County CUUncil Memebers <br /> RE: Bill ~ 62 $2 million for a post harvest Treatment FaC},l,~ty. <br /> Meeting; May 7, 1997 f <br /> From: Helen Behrmann & Marcus Castaing "~7 ('~iiY 6 10 27 <br /> PO Box 483 Na'alehu, Hawaii 96772 CC " <br /> COU;~~~~ ~ ;,r HFVJAII <br /> Dear Wunty ~uncil I+le~nbezs: <br /> We A[?AMANIZ,Y OpPpSE the use of our taxes to build an irradiator on this <br /> island. We troth run sucessful small business's in rural I~au and have only <br /> survived by our own initiative without the support of taxpayers' money. <br /> why a large outside rorporation should be supported in this manner, when <br /> the people who live in rural areas, such as xau R Harriakua are struggling <br /> to survive, is beyond all justification. We are told that this will help <br /> the economics of this isle, especially farmers. The people who need <br /> support do not need an irradiator. They are not in a portion to take <br /> advantage of this plant. The persons who will benefit from this are the <br /> big growers on this island who already have what they need. Growing food <br /> that will be exported is not the solution to the problems of this island. <br /> Growing food that will be bought and eaten on this isle is. ~r can be <br /> exported after "value added" processing, which creates more jobs. The <br /> oou„ty should help small farniers set up processing facilities for cooking <br /> or drying. Which would expand small farm opportunities. We import over 709 <br /> of our food. That is a crime. The reason more food is not grown to sustain <br /> the island is because there is not the infrastructure to support it. The <br /> $2 million spent on this foolish venture would better spent on creating <br /> this kind of support. If you truly care about rural agriculture you can <br /> only vote against this irradiation plant. Lets focus our attention on the <br /> real needs of small farmers. <br /> Coma. D1a211211•LI--~._ <br /> Ma%~ ing S Helen Behr[r~nn(/`^~~ J ~ /lL ire. RN~1 ~~t~~ <br /> C'~~~~ ' <br /> Ret. T'at~,W1y <br /> <br />