11-14-2008, 04:40 AM
That's right, the Council over rode the Mayor's veto.
At yesterday's special Council meeting to consider the over ride, there were throngs of people from the community -- young, old, all kine and colors from all over the island -- to testify supporting the ban and requesting the Council over ride the veto. Coffee farmers, organic proponents, theologians with concern regarding ethics, taro growers, kanaka maoli with cultural objections, and professional agriculturalists (myself among them) with concerns for local control of food production, and more.
Opposing the ban were: a few UH Manoa researchers with vested interest in protecting their own research agendas, the Hilo Chamber of Commerce, the state level Farm Bureau, and a couple of other folks.
An 'advisory group' is in the offing to look at the issue of GMO on the island. This is to be watched with an eye to ensuring openness and to avoid a sham front to push any single perspective.
My take on the UH Manoa researchers, state Farm Bureau, and Chamber was that they came across very arrogant and condescending, with the paternalistic attitude: "farmers and the community are too ignorant to know what is best for them ... "
Which I find appalling!!!
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
At yesterday's special Council meeting to consider the over ride, there were throngs of people from the community -- young, old, all kine and colors from all over the island -- to testify supporting the ban and requesting the Council over ride the veto. Coffee farmers, organic proponents, theologians with concern regarding ethics, taro growers, kanaka maoli with cultural objections, and professional agriculturalists (myself among them) with concerns for local control of food production, and more.
Opposing the ban were: a few UH Manoa researchers with vested interest in protecting their own research agendas, the Hilo Chamber of Commerce, the state level Farm Bureau, and a couple of other folks.
An 'advisory group' is in the offing to look at the issue of GMO on the island. This is to be watched with an eye to ensuring openness and to avoid a sham front to push any single perspective.
My take on the UH Manoa researchers, state Farm Bureau, and Chamber was that they came across very arrogant and condescending, with the paternalistic attitude: "farmers and the community are too ignorant to know what is best for them ... "
Which I find appalling!!!
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park