Now that
a westside ob/gyn, Dr. Graham Chelius, has come right out and
said, in a letter to the editor in The Garden Island today:
There is
not an increased rate of cardiac defects of any kind on the Westside
of Kauai.
do you
suppose Councilmen Gary Hooser and Tim Bynum, nurse practitioner
Marghee Maupin, mayoral candidate Dustin Barca, Babes Against
Biotech, Hawaii Seed, Vandana Shiva, KKCR disc jockeys, Earthjustice, Center for Food Safety, Moms Against
Monsanto, SHAKA, anti-GMO propagandists and the “red-shirt”
supporters of Bill 2491/Ordinance 960 will finally stop repeating this lie?
It was a
lie from the very start, as proven when I printed the actual concerns
and comments of westside Dr. Jim Raelson in Saturday's post. His entirely reasonable and circumspect words were cravenly and intentionally
twisted by Gary and his supporters into something inflammatory,
heartbreaking and utterly false.
And now,
with the letter from Dr. Chelius, the "westsiders with birth defects 10 times the national average" claim is confirmed as rural myth. Dr. Chelius wrote, emphasis added:
There is
not an increased rate of cardiac defects of any kind on the Westside
of Kauai. In Mr. Hooser’s recent opinion piece he referenced an
unnamed doctor who felt that there was an increased rate. This issue
was evaluated recently and compared to the state birth defect report
(which Mr. Hooser also mentioned) we have not seen more cases than
expected on the Westside. Cardiac defects are common, and Kauai is
expected to have about 14 children born each year with any cardiac
defect and three to four will need surgery within the first year of
life. A portion of these children will be born on the Westside.
Please
encourage your loved ones who are pregnant to get adequate prenatal
care.
Graham
Chelius, M.D.
Kekaha
So now
that we know, how will the damage and fear promulgated by this lie be
rectified?
Will
“Babe” Nomi Carmona, who slandered Mayor Bernard Carvalho with
her ugly Facebook memes depicting him as the “birth defects mayor,”
issue an equally public apology?
Will
KKCR disc jockeys Jimmy Trujillo, Jonathan Jay, Gordon LaBedz,
Felicia Cowden (now a Council candidate) and all the others who hyped
this unsubstantiated crap during the 2491 frenzy take to the airwaves to set their
listeners straight?
Will nurse practitioner Marghee Maupin pen another guest editorial to correct her Sept. 8 guest editorial "Was it worth it?" The one where she made the totally false claim:
Let’s
ask the mother whose child is going on his sixth heart surgery and
will forever be on blood thinners and will not ever be able to be
involved in vigorous play as most boys are (the birth defect he is
plagued with has been calculated by local doctors at 10 times the
national average).
What
about Gary and Tim? Will they finally and publicly admit, “Yeah,
even though we knew it wasn't confirmed, we deliberately hyped it to
the max to frighten people and build support for our Bill 2491?”
Equally important, now that
this key bit of propaganda has been exposed, will Gary, Tim and the others stop telling
the rest of their lies? Like how none of the seed companies ship any
product off island, use 18 tons of pesticides annually and refuse to comply with buffer zones and disclosures — all oft-repeated statements I have
revealed as false.
Will they all finally be discredited in the eyes of a gullible, tragically misled populace?
Will they all finally be discredited in the eyes of a gullible, tragically misled populace?
And now
that we know Gary and Tim will stretch the truth, distort
facts, pander, deliberately foment fear and
anxiety among their constituents and flat out lie, can any thinking
voter possibly still believe these two men are "public servants" who deserve another term in office?
Posts
39 comments:
Thank you.
not to mention the sad limbless baby Nomi has on her blog that blames it on the corn. She doesn't mention the baby doesn't even come from anywhere near Hawaii. Great way to gain sympathy by tearing at peoples hearts. Facts don't seem to matter in this debate.
The response you are suggesting will not come, instead it will be something more like the big corporations paid the doctor off.
"The problem with being a liar is you can never believe anyone else."
-- Chloe Thurlow, The Secret Life of Girls
Thank you Joan for bringing these malicous falsehoods into the light. Now all we need to do is to vote the liars out this November.
I suspect the terrible trio of Hooser, Bynum & Chock won't have the character or guts to admit their falsehoods. These opportunists will continue to cloak their personal ambitions in fake concerns for the community. I have some faith that Yukimura will see the light, but it's limited by her voting record.
Gary and Tim know way more than any Doctor. They have information and knowledge thru their government and social media channels.
But it don't matter whether the Doc is right or Tim and Gary are....Tim and Gary have JoAnn, Jay and Mason under their thumbs. Facts mean nothing to this Council. And what Gary wants, Gary gets. Remember, if Gary does not get re-elected he will continue as President of HAPA, a large mainland funded anti-everything group. It's all about power.
In fact I have been told that virtually every pathology is less, in some cases far less, than either the State or national averages. Yet somehow, there persists the view that West side people are unhealthy. Not so.
Thank you Joan!
The activists should be glad there are no birth defects even if it goes against there cause.
The problem with being a liar is that when you are proven wrong you just continue to lie and lie and lie, trying to justify your lie with another lie. , , ,
Joan on saturday you posted Dr Raelston's concerns and now today a letter to the editor from a doctor with no additional information changes the science for you? How does that work?
Heard on the radio this morning that the council will repeal the Federal Judge's ruling on Ordinance 960. As "it wont cost more than $13,000 and will likely stay in the Court of Appeals for at least a year."
We need to get these council members who keep pushing for this poorly thought out lie of a bill out.
8:56. It works like this: they evaluated those claims against the registry and found the rate of birth defects was no higher than would be expected.
Joan - The registry from 2005? Shouldn't we get an update? It doesn't include any patients who would seek specialists elsewhere? This wasn't a study it was one doctor's opinion. As you said where is the study?
Of course we should get an update of the registry and one is reportedly under way. But that does't mean they can 't use existing data to project birth defect rates. Do you have any basis for your claim that is one doctor's opinion, and why were you willing to accept one nurse's opinion but not this?
Joan, Could you please provide us some history for Scott McFarland, the CEO for Kaua'i Hawaii Health Systems? What are his medical qualifications for such a position? What kind of relationship does he have with chemical/pesticide/herbicide companies? And finally, is it true that he refuses to release medical statistics which are needed to determine if any disease clusters exist on Kaua'i?
Joan the answer to your question at 9:32 is simple. Because thats the opinion the best fits the rhetoric. People cling to opinions even when proven wrong.
"Like how none of the seed companies ship any product off island, use 18 tons of pesticides annually and refuse to comply with buffer zones and disclosures — all oft-repeated statements I have revealed as false.
You have only proven that your impression of what was said may be picked apart and portions proven false.
What was said: The seed companies do not sell a product to a consumer.
Joan heard: "none of the seed companies ship any product off island"
What was said: Seed companies purchase an average 18 tons of pesticides annually, from 2010-2012 (One would need to understand that pesticides are sold in concentrated forms that are diluted for application. 18 tons is the purchased concentrated form. When converted to active ingredient it is about 10 tons)
Joan heard: use 18 tons of pesticides annually (One could assume that they use what they buy?)
What is actually happening: The seed companies sued the County of Kauai to prevent a law that provides for 500 foot buffer zones around schools and neighborhoods and disclosure of the chemicals they are using.
Joan heard: refuse to comply with buffer zones and disclosures
* This one Joan heard but it is certainly not a lie!
10:49 (aka Katie Horgan) This is a classic whack-a-mole tactic, but deception nonetheless.
In Gary's Hooser's July 21, 2013 guest editorial he wrote: "The GMO companies apply approximately 18 tons of over 22 different types of highly restricted chemicals every year to their fields all over our island."
So what you're saying about what was really said is pure bullshit. Plus why would you use an inflated figure of 18 tons when you're now claiming it's 10 tons of active ingredient? Unless you were deliberately trying to mislead.
And as I reported, the actual figure of active ingredients is about 1,620 pounds per year -- not even one ton.
We have all heard, from Gary, Tim and others, "the seed companies destroy everything they grow; they produce nothing of value, they ship nothing off this island, it's all experimental."
As I pointed out, Pioneer at least does ship out substantial quantities of seed.
As for what is "actually happening," yes, they are suing Kauai -- over pre-emption, discrimination and the improper appointment of Mason Chock to the Council. Not over buffer zones around schools and disclosure, which they are already doing voluntary.
Here's another truth for you: You guys have been caught in your lies and you have ZERO credibility with rational people.
Joan, If the reason you are not publishing my recent comment is because it is directed at you, I will redirect it to the readership instead in the following comment. Mahalo, I did not mean to put you on the spot.
I am waiting to publish it until I have a response from the person it concerns.
For a movement or politician to be halfway successful on Kauai they only have to secure a constituency of 5,000-6,000 votes. In the case of the Hooser/Barca camp, a good portion of the 5000/6000 votes are made up of people who are anti establishment/counter culture,conspiracy believers......
Chem-Trail, 9/11 Denial (afraid to know how many of them feel about Jews), Anti-Vaccination, Smart Meter etc. Mix this in with Anti US Govt. Kanaka Maoli nationalism, to form a heady mix for a political movement of the alienated that reject society as many of us know it, and certainly do not accept facts or rationality as accepted by the more mainstream segment of the population.
I
To 9:46 am/12:21 pm. Here is the answer to your question:
Scott McFarland has many years of experience as a hospital administrator, working previously at Cleveland Clinic, Simply Well and Healthways. He was selected as interim CEO for the Hawaii Health Systems Kauai Region by a board comprising community members.
Scott worked as community outreach manager for DOW Agrosciences from May 2011 to October 2013. His role was to work with the community and stakeholders on the practices and processes of DOW Agrosciences. He said he is “no longer connected in any way whatsoever” with any chemical/pesticide/herbicide companies.
In response to your question, “is it true that he refuses to release medical statistics which are needed to determine if any disease clusters exist on Kaua'i?” Scott replied, “That, of course, is absolutely false.”
For starters, HHS is governed, like all medical establishments and practitioners, by federal HIPA laws that dictate how health information can be shared. Beyond that, “our clinicians have reporting requirements to the state...and we are definitely honoring those reporting obligations,” Scott said
In February 2013, prior to Scott working for HHS, Department of Health officials seeking information were told to wait while their credentials were verified to determine if they were eligible to collect that data. Once they were verified, the information was released. Scott thinks that may be where the rumor started that statistics were being withheld.
However, there is no truth to the rumor.
@ 10:49AM Gary Hooser wrote. "The GMO companies apply approximately 18 tons of over 22 different types of highly restricted chemicals every year to their fields all over our island." What he meant was 18 tons of diluted chemicals were sprayed.
Please get your facts straight before you start on a fact based quest. Just Because Gary or Tim said it doesn't make it a fact. Comical.
Joan STFU You had your say now listen
Thank you Joan! I only wish it hadn't taken more than a year to clear up this rumor on birth defects. It's great to see all these comments in support of you, but you know you're making an impact if the other side is bothering to comment. Keep up the good work, we're all following what you write (including Bynum)!
Someone on the west side finally got tired of hearing
insidious obfuscations from the Ban Ag on Kauai group comprised of Hooser, Bynum, Chock, Cowden and nurse practitioner Maupin.... etc.
Thank you Dr. Chelius
The only defects here are the minds of Bynum and Hoosier. How do they come up with these wiild and false statements over and over again. What's really scary is they believe it. I suggest a mental evaluation or an EIS of their actions. I think you will conclude that they need to be committed.
Again Joan mahalo nui for all your hard work ,you have been great for helping expose all the shibai.Why has everyone including yourself not made any mention or follow up on the bee hive test reports that helped convince antis on there cause. Maybe J truillio can supply this report as he mentioned it on his show this week.
Quite alarming to say the least ,upon my own research I discovered most knowledgeable scientists in these fields universally acknowledge the proven fact of toxicity of pesticides is many times best measured in the bee hive as it is at the lowest common denominator. Many claim this the precursor of terrible things to come as the bee populations are devastated.
One must never ever forget the importance of these insects for our survival.
I am a big fan of bees too. I was not aware that any hive testing had been done on Kauai since the pollen tests a while back that showed no contamination. When I was a member of Kbee I repeatedly urged Jimmy to set up hives on the westside to check for pesticides but he resisted it. I do know the beekeeper in the Kauai Coffee fields had said they were his best hives, despite all the pesticides used there. If anyone does have local hive tests I'd like to see them.
Most of you would be concerned if it happened to you/your family! A Waimea High School teacher just gave birth and had to move to the mainland to get her baby the medical help (heart specialists) that isn't available here.
There are more of these stories---if it happened to you, you would look at all possible causes, etc. Better safe than sorry. Dr. Chelius may be correct, but he should, for the betterment of the people here, be on the safe side. Dr. Chatkup and Raelson have experienced first hand the tragedies families face. I am sure their memories of the pain, sadness, hardships are fresh and unforgettable. People, lets have empathy for all who suffer and in the meantime, let's look at all the possibilities for these tragedies. It really is time to stop the name calling, and assumptions!
Who is Dr. Chelius? What does he do?
Read the post. Ob/gyn on westside.
@2pm. Dr Cheius said nothing about pesticides or cause. He was reporting on the number of birth defects. ONLY.
Blogger Joan Conrow said...
I am a big fan of bees too. I was not aware that any hive testing had been done on Kauai since the pollen tests a while back that showed no contamination. When I was a member of Kbee I repeatedly urged Jimmy to set up hives on the westside to check for pesticides but he resisted it. I do know the beekeeper in the Kauai Coffee fields had said they were his best hives, despite all the pesticides used there. If anyone does have local hive tests I'd like to see them.
joanie grrl, if you'd listen to KKCR more often you'd have heard about the hive tests. the labedz have taken the initiative, w/the assistance of local beekeepers, to have samples taken from various apiaries on the westside. they sent the samples to a lab on the mainland; the bluegrass boys have been talking about this for a while. kauai earth connection broke this story a while back. contact surfrider for more details.
The problem with KKCR is you have to sift through tons of chaff to find one kernel, and even then, it's more apt than not to be rancid -- especially if it's on the bluegrass or earth connection shows.
It's disappointing this effort is being led by the Ladedzes as they lack any credibility and Surfrider has joined the lawsuit. I still recall hearing Gordon LaBedz boast that he had collected samples in Waimea River and presented them as coming from the nearshore waters.
I've turned off the talk radio shows for sometime now, they all love to hear the sound of their own voices too much and are really boring to listen to. Gordon collecting the samples is no better than the GMO companies collecting the samples. Get independent testing for credibility.
the initial Surfrider results showed absolutely nothing.
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