HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.309 2012-2014 Page 1 of 2
COUNTY CLERK
Murashige, Pr HAWAII
urashige, Laura
From: larry gering [dktrgl @hotmail.com] 2013 MAY 29I 8 !7L
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2013 4:41 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us; larry gering
Attachments: drg16.JPG
Mahalo Hawaii County Council.
regarding bill 79 - GMO Prohibition presented by Margaret Wille.
Many testified concerning the "dangers" of consuming GMOs, none having
any scientific evidence or, more importantly, physical evidence that GMOs
are harmful to eat. No 3 fingered hands, 3 toed feet, 2 left arms, no
stomach ulcers, no excessive pimples, etc., in other words, their alarmist
rhetoric is just that, ALARMIST RHETORIC....
I have many newspaper articles concerning the popularity, salvation of
family farms that were stricken with sever drought this last growing season
that had successful profitable businesses who used GMO corn and they
would have not been successful without the GMOs that can resist drought.
Many of you,during the campaign, talked about the need for sustainability
and self-sufficiency for food products on the BI. Many of the county council
at the time yapped about the same issues. GMOs can sustain and help
with self-sufficiency. Non-GMOs will wither and die in a drought and are
very suceptible to diseases and thus should not even be part of any
sustainable discussion because they are not SUSTAINABLE for the
council to adopt the ban in 2008 is indeed a disgrace because the issue
is far greater than 9 people should /can decide for the island as a whole.
None of you on this council are ag experts or even have very much
experience with farming so for you to decide an issue that would have
financial / potential business failure / serious abuse of family farm values
to name some of the consequences, far outweigh the "possible", not
proven health issues of GMOs, is indeed disengenuous speed limits,
parking concerns, zoning, etc. are good issues to you to decide but not
something that has island-wide consequences as you pander to a few....
Many people in the business have testified concerning the safety of GMOs:
Jason Moniz - Hamakua Farm Bureau rep. and farmer;
Susan Miyasaka - UH Argronomist - eats GMOs and is healthy;
Dennis Gonsalves - helped develop the Rainbow papaya
Hawaiian Papaya Industry Assoc. - petition with 38 farmers on board
against the bill, calling it flawed;
James Ha - Pauillo conversationist and farmer, calls the bill flawed.
Many other scientists / educators / large acreage farmers are on board
saying that the bill has more deficiencies than pluses.
Another approach would be for the products to be labeled and then we
have a choice of non-GMO or GMO purchase / consumption . 3a(,�
Comm. No
Ref. G
4ef. To:,.�___
5/29/2013 Ref. Date_JUL 0 2 203'
Page 2 of 2
The organic store owners protesting GMOs are more concerned about
their bottom line in their stores, which are over-priced and over-valued.
I have many newspaper articles attesting to the value of GMOs that were
used on the mainland during the last severe drought and the GMOs saved
businesses, farms, livliehoods, marriages. GMOs survive droughts and
pestilences, non-GMOs do not survive anything harmful,non-
GMOs do not survive much of anything.
I have been eating GMOs all of my life and at 70 yrs. old am as healthy as
any person on this island, with or without the age issue....good health is
more about good DNA and eating as healthy as possible and excercise,
no scientific facts needed about good health if ya do not want GMOs,
DO NOT BUY THEM...duh, but do not thwart the attempts of farmers to
be successful.
I could get on board and help Ms. Wille add an item to the 2014 ballot
concerning gaming and will do a lot of the legwork pursuing signatures
as I already know several who will help with the initiative. I'm really sick
and tired of the deadwood cmte. chairs in Honolulu who do not even let
the bills out of the cmte. - who do they think they are????
I.
thanks for your time
larry gering
5/29/2013