Joy SanBuenaventura running for House

[csgray]

I was really surprised when a friend of mine posted a racist rant about Joy on her facebook page. She went off about GMOs and Filipino farmers and how she would rather have a "radical Hawaiian" in office than a "Philipino lawyer." She based her rant on Joy saying she didn't think that county level GMO bans were fair to small farmers because the crops would just be imported from other islands. My friend claimed that statement meant that Joy would undermine efforts to control GMOs as soon as she got into office and implied that she was on the take from Monsanto.

It totally shocked me and made me realize that we shouldn't make assumptions about how people will vote and who is going to align themselves with who.

Carol

[Frankie Stapleton]

Interesting comment, Carol. Please tell your friend: Sorry, but Joy San Buenaventura's campaign has been on a grassroots level from the beginning, with a variety of volunteers donating their talents, time and services. Even the band donated their time at her March fundraiser in Kea'au. Most donors to her campaign are Hawaii residents who have contributed $100 or less or are family or friends. She has not received one penny from Monsanto and has not solicited such contributions either.

Anyone who has ever read her brochure or heard her speak knows that she is upfront about her position on GMO: She is for labeling of all GMO products so that consumers are fully informed. As to GMO crops, her research tells her that federal regulation is required to ensure uniformity and that farmers are equally regulated.

There is an increased demand worldwide for non-GMO products. The counties of Hawai’i and Kaua’i have passed laws banning GMOs. But it is only the farmers on the Big Island and Kaua’i who are subject to these bans. Off-island GMO products continue to be sold here despite the GMO bans.

Reelecting the incumbent merely ensures that the status quo remains and that Puna's representative will continue to represent those who agree with her views rather than be a representative for all of Puna's people.

Coming at this from another direction, Joy is vocal in her support of an alternate makai road (transportation issues being her top priority) which Shipman has strongly and vehemently opposed at every level. By reelecting the incumbent, that makai route will continue to be a non-issue and we will continue to have our traffic problems.

[Mendo]

I would like to believe what Frankie wrote but...
Her brochure uses the standard pro-GMO slogans and adds a couple new ones.

[PauHana]

Frankie Stapleton wrote:
"Reelecting the incumbent merely ensures that the status quo remains and that Puna's representative will continue to represent those who agree with her views rather than be a representative for all of Puna's people. "

No matter who is elected they cannot agree with " all of Puna's people" ever, if that's how one defines represent. Part of what makes Puna; Puna, is that the diversity is exceptional, and multifaceted. The Gmo issue may be black and white to some, but it has all the colors of the rainbow for the nuances in-between for many. The most you can hope for is someone who listens to your point of view, considers it honestly before they must make a decision, and then votes their conscience. It doesn't get better than that, if they agree with you they will anger someone else, and if they agree with someone else they will anger you.
I don't believe we have that openness of mind now from our State Rep. I am anxious to see if Joy offers that quality of character. I certainly hope so.

[PauHana]

YIKES!

Punaperson Posted - 04/30/2014 : 08:27:26
" Hanohano has stated that libraries, by preserving the written word, undermine the Hawaiian oral culture, and that she would not introduce or support any bill for a new library in Puna".

[csgray]

If Hanohano truly said that it really shows her ignorance about Hawaiian history.

Within one generation of getting access to written Hawaiian language, Hawaii became the single most literate nation on the planet. The only people who could not read and write were the blind, and those too young to learn. Everyone learned how to read and write, there were flourishing newspapers on all the islands, and Hawaii rapidly developed an amazing body of written literature, especially poetry and history. The Hawaiian people absorbed the written language into their culture and made it their own.

The missionaries may have brought the written word to promote their religion, but the Hawaiians used it for their own purposes. There are literally thousands and thousands of pages of mele, herbal healing recipes, accounts of ceremonies and rituals, and family histories in the Bishop Museum archives awaiting translation. these were collected from their families by the educated sons and daughters of ali'i who did not want the collective knowledge of the Hawaiian people to be lost when so many of their people were dying. In this case the written word has preserved aspects of an oral culture that otherwise would have been lost forever.

Carol

[Frankie Stapleton]

How many people in House Dist. 4 are one-issue voters? Geothermal used to be the one issue; now it seems to be GMO. Yes, no?

If you are a one-issue voter, what is your issue?

[rainyjim]

I don't like the "ethnicity" box on the government forms (voting included)

I find it racist an inappropriate - I always write "human" next to the "other" box.

Can that be my one issue?

[Mendo]

Frankie asked a good question. I am not a one-issue voter but there are a few deal-breakers for me. Siding with the chemical companies instead of the people on the GMO/pesticide issue is one of them. Thus I cannot support GMO-Joy.

[Frankie Stapleton]

Aloha, Mendo.....Thnx for your response. On the issue of GMO, Joy SB is pushing for a FEDERAL mandate to label all food products as either contains no GMO product or contains GMO product (s). Labeling requirements can be met much quicker and easier than and it needs to be on a national level, not just local.

As for the Hawaii and Kauai counties bans on GMO crops, that is a fact of life already. However, the ban only relates to local farmers. None of the food products coming to Hawaii, or even from the other neighbor islands are banned, so our ban just creates a problem for local food producers.

Neither the county nor the state have kept up with proper monitoring of pesticide use or preventing invasive species (both of which are STATE responsibilities) .... what makes everyone think they'll do any better w/GMO food labeling or monitoring GMO crops? It would take megabucks to do so, tax dollars neither the county nor state have.

IMHO, We really need good, scientific research to answer many questions about GMO as I think both sides are too polarized at this point. And that too needs to be done on a federal level; the feds are the only ones with the $$$$ to conduct untainted (by Monsanto/Bayer, etc $$$) research.

So, all those who keep saying Joy is pro-GMO, you are misrepresenting her position. Part of being a good legislator is knowing which level of gov't deals w/which responsibilities and Joy's position is that the GMO issue needs to be tackled on a national level! Do you really think Safeway or KTA are going to be accountable for labeling? Get real....

Those who want to know more specifics about Joy's take on issues, please go to: http://joy4puna.com/issues

Thnx for listening [:I]