HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.540 2012-2014 Good morning/afternoon everyone. My name is Jasmine/Gretchen Padamada and
we're strongly against Bill 79.
As young children, we grew up in the mainland where our father worked as a pipe
welder. When it was time for me to start attending school, we moved here because our
parents believed that the Big Island is a safe and stable environment to continue raising us.
At first, it was decided that my mother, my two siblings, and I would stay here in Hawaii
while my father worked on the mainland. Seeing how there were no welding jobs open
here on the Big Island and we were expecting another little brother, continuing his career
as a pipe welder was the only logical option. Just being children at the time, it was very
hard being separated from our father and not seeing him for continuous months at a time.
It was then that my dad decided to come back and settle down with us.
After our youngest brother was born, our dad became a papaya farmer. Our family
has been in the papaya industry for almost ten years and has been engaged pretty heavily
as time went on. He works hard everyday; getting up so early, rain or shine,just to make
enough money for his family. Working in the farm is really hard, but at least we eat dinners
together and my parents are always present with all of our performances and activities. My
dad didn't have much help at the time so, my mom had to start working with him.
Sometimes my parents brought us to the farm. Witnessing how hard it was, farming
encouraged us to study hard.
If you pass Bill 79, you would pretty much kill our chances of getting enough
money for college. Even now, we're not sure if there's an abundant amount of money for
the four of us. I know that it seems as if we're only trying to save ourselves, but the truth
is, there are many families out there just like us. We're just trying to protect our entire
lifestyle. Putting a GMO label on our papaya fruits would scare the consumers to buy it
because they think that it's bad. However, researchers and scientists did a thorough study
and concluded that GMO papaya is safe and good for our health. If we can't sell our fruit,
do you think that farmers would still be able to grow papaya? I think the answer will be
NO. What would happen to us? Our livelihood, our future, our economy here in Hawaii?
Let's not forget, papayas make up one of the largest fruit crops on this state.
If Bill 79 passes or if any of the restrictions will apply, there will be a great
negative impact in the farming community. My parents have an agricultural operating loan
and some of the farmers are probably in the same situation. How will we repay our loan
back?Bill 79 is not benefiting the farmers nor anyone. It would just make our family and
others out there impossible to farm. So, please think of the upcoming consequences. This
is why we are strongly against Bill 79.
Comm. No. 42 V. `5V0
Mahalo for your time and God bless us all. Ref. To: P/PS/Y TG _
Ref. Date JUL 0 2 2013_
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