HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0009.010 2014-2016Leslie, Earlanne
From: mail @alohatherapy. net
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2015 8:28 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Testimony in favor of hiring Earth Justice
Dear Sirs,
I am in favor of hiring Earth 3ustice and Center for Food Safety lawyers in the defense of
GMO crop ordinance 13 -121.
As it is the wish of the majority of people to not introduce anymore GMO on this small
island, we should go ahead and defend our home rights to rule what we want to do
agriculturally or not. It is vitally important to defend against further intrusion of BIG
BIOTECH companies who care little about our organic coffees or Taro crops.
I urge the County Council to approve the best lawyers available here (the above mentioned)
and not give in to influence from M. Bronster.
Thank you for protecting our AINA as it is and was created billions of years ago.
Gabriele Jaitt, Pahoa 96778, PH 965 9785
Next Wednesday February 4th the Hawaii County council meets at 9 am in Hilo to vote on
whether or not to hire Earth Justice and Center for Food Safety in the defense of our GMO
crop Ordinance 13 -121, currently invalidated and awaiting appeal on Judge Kurren's ruling.
Hawaii County Corp Council has asked to hire these law firms (for free, as they have so
graciously offered) to co- council in the case. They are the best law firms in the field, so
it is vitally important that we help make that happen. A
2/3 vote of the council is needed to approve this, and as of the December 17th meeting where
they voted on moving forward with the appeal we saw that we are in need of one more vote to
go to the now needed 6 out of 9 council members. The Plaintiff's attorney, Margery Bronster,
sent every Council member a letter saying why the Council should not hire Earth Justice and
the CFS... something about "it would be unethical to hire outside council " - which is untrue -
it happens all the time. The plaintiff's attorney is especially going after keeping Paul
Achitoff (of Earth Justice) from representing the county.
The point to stress in your testimony is that this case is not just about the cultivation of
GMO crops but is also critical to preserving our home rule rights to address matters relating
to the well -being of our land and people at the county level — versus having our first layer
of government concerning such matters an ocean away in Honolulu. This is about preserving the
balance of power between county and state — versus the position that any general area (such
as agriculture) that the state legislature or a state agency "touches" is preempted. Whereas
that is the kind of state legislation that the biotechs have been trying to pass for years,
unsuccessfully. This ruling would throw into question the county's authority in a broader
sense than just GMO crop farming, and it is for this and many other reasons that it makes
sense to appeal the ruling, and appeal it well. O
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