County Department of Agriculture?

[james weatherford]

As someone who has worked in a paid professional role for decades in agriculture and rural development in a wide range of positions and in 4 different countries (and who lived and worked on a farm from childhood, and who now is farming on this island), the argument for a "Hawaii County Department of Agriculture" has not been made and I do not (yet) see a justification for it. Where are the details of the problem(s) to be solved and the nature of solutions to be offered?

Also, as someone who prefers accuracy, the proposal, as presented, is for "a nine-member commission to oversee it [the Department]" and is not for 9 county employees. County "commissions" of this sort are made up of volunteers. Of course, there is already a County Agriculture Commission made up of volunteers from around the island.

[wax]

Amen to what James has to say. Another bureaucracy with no to ill defined goals that overlaps with other State and National organizations (and no doubt County ones as well) will add County costs with little to no benefit to the County. It would provide yet another opportunity for additional regulation in an already heavily regulated industry.