Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Musings: Baaad Bills

In their rush to cater to misguided constituents, the Senate is considering another poorly worded measure — SB 1037 — that requires pesticide disclosure by anyone cultivating more than 200 acres in crops.

Nobody wants to see kids, or anyone else, dosed with pesticides. So why does the Lege keep considering bills that don't actually address what is purportedly the underlying issue — public health?

This version — hawked vigorously by Councilman Gary Hooser, who has spent more time lobbying the Lege than serving the Kauai folks who pay his salary — would put the onus on the Department of Health to create a new pesticide disclosure program.

But it gives the financially strapped agency no new funds or expert staff to implement it. So what important DOH programs would be cut to satisfy fear-mongering fanatics like Hooser, or Kauai's own Fern “Anuenue” Rosenstiel, who sat in front of the House agriculture committee last week and flat-out lied:

For two and a half years we've been trying to find out what chemicals are being sprayed.

Really, Fern? Why don't you just navigate off Facebook and over to the very public Good Neighbor website, where that information is clearly spelled out and has been for over a year? But then, the poor misguided wahine also claimed she represents the 4,600 people — yes, that figure is still being wildly inflated —who marched in the streets of Lihue.

Since when did donning a red shirt and walking on Rice Street automatically make Fern your eternal shepherdess? Baaa...

Once again, the bill specifically targets agriculture and lets roadside-spraying government agencies, pest control companies and golf courses — even those right next to homes — completely off the hook. Yet it's presented as a public health measure.

Hooser, in a comment to The Garden Island, expresses the many deliberate distortions of his movement:

Full disclosure is an essential element for regulating restricted use pesticides. The public is not able to avoid the areas being treated and they do not know when to shut their windows.

First, the reporting is made a month after the pesticides are sprayed, so ain't nobody gonna be closing their windows or avoiding areas because of this law. And though the bill is very specific in its reporting requirements only “a summary” would be posted on the DOH website for public perusal. Second, restricted use pesticides are already highly regulated by the feds and state. Third, this bill includes general use pesticides, too.

It absolutely infuriates me to watch Gary boldly lie — and then whine on his blog about “blatant and shameless charades” and politicians “disrespecting community.” Yeah, Gary, we know all about it from watching you. Like how you brought in Mason Chock specifically to override the Bill 2491 veto. And how you continue to improperly use County Council staff and resources to carry out lobbying activities that support positions taken by the HAPA group you head.

Gary's bullshit aside, recent legislative testimony by state Agriculture Director Scott Enright and pesticides branch chief Tom Matsuda made several points very clear:

First, in the past eight years, not one school evacuation/illness incident has been linked to the seed companies — including the oft-cited Waimea Canyon School episodes. Check it out. The culprits primarily have been homeowners using crap they can buy over the counter.

Yet not a peep is said about controlling residential use of pesticides near schools, or even educating folks. Why?

Second, as part of the Good Neighbor disclosure and notification program, Kauai seed companies voluntarily contacted residents adjoining their fields and asked them what notification they might want. Just 10 households requested notification. So who are these scared citizens desiring disclosure that Hooser supposedly represents?

Third, in response to community concerns, the state conducted a number of studies and found no cancer clusters on Kauai — save for melanoma on the North Shore — and indeed, the island's cancer rate is declining. It tested for pesticides in waterways, and found levels way below standards in agricultural areas. Guess where they found the highest pesticide runoff in the state? The decidedly non-ag Manoa Valley on Oahu. A birth defects study is nearly completed, which should provide actual data on claims often made by Hooser and his ilk.

And as Tom noted, pesticide labels, which are the law, “take drift into account. So a good applicator would not allow drift to happen.”

Even Hawaii SEED's own pesticide drift tests found nothing. Yet Hooser and others repeatedly spread the fear that folks are being poisoned by drift from the seed companies.

In short, many claims have been made, but none have borne out. So why spend money to make and implement laws that address non-problems, like Hooser's chimney smoke bill?

In its testimony, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Hawaii (Guam & American Samoa) wrote that it: 

[S]trongly supports the overall intent of bills SB793, SB1037 and SB797 to limit population exposure to toxic environmental agents. However, we are not experts in the fields of farming or the environment, and therefore cannot speak to what would be the best way to accomplish this goal.

Amen. Let's listen to the farm experts, not the fear-driven fanatics who are pushing bills that aren't about public health, common sense, good policy or fiscal responsibility, but political agendas, pure and simple.

43 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Gary's bullshit aside" sounds as disrespectful as "bite me jimmy"

Anonymous said...

We need some new Council members.
Gary clearly is walking the line on Council abuse, BUT F*CKIN' AGAIN....it is up to Mel and others to make sure the Council members are operating within their due bounds. Gary be awrittin' on Council Stationary in his pleas to the Senate and Leg. Gag me with Tim Bynum's crybaby towel...this is wrong.
Mel is a smart and strong guy...WTF happened?...Jay was a smart and strong guy, WTF happened? Gary wins every time.
Something stinks in Ye Olde Council Chambers and it ain't no lonely chimney. As civilization descends into "Bite Mes", lies, deception, hyperbole and elitist exclusions.

Anonymous said...

"BUT F*CKIN' AGAIN"....lmfao

Anonymous said...

7:57 am - My take is that Mel doesn't want to bash the Mayor directly so he's giving Gary lots of rope to do it for him. Why would you want to slap your lapdog? Mel wins all the way around.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joan, Can you tell me hwere you got this information: "Just 10 households requested notification."
Thanks.

Anonymous said...

@7:55 AM, except with Hooser it is warranted.

Joan, why are you trying to confuse us with facts and reason? Sarcasm aside, keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Okay...lets call it "Gary's horse puckey...". A stink, by any other name...

Why the council does not ask Gary questions regarding his lobbying activities, and request a "disclosure" of his expenditures. Let's have a monthly report on that activity. It's been proven that Gary's activities make more people sick than pesticides. So,let's see some accountability!

Joan Conrow said...

8:43 It was in testimony provided by Tom Matsuda to House AG committee. If you follow the link under "Fern flat out lied" it will take you to a video of the hearing.

Anonymous said...

Mason made no commitments regarding 2491 before he was voted onto the Council.  It was Kipukai who emailed Council members supporting 2491, promising that if brought onto the Council he would back their veto over-ride.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the link to "fern flat out lied" it's so hard to watch all these women giving Kauais young mothers a bad name. We are not all so egotistical, angry and histrionic. And we don't all parade our children around at hearings to get shirty bills passed and desperately latch on to any explanation for our children's misfortune. as a mother I do sympothise with these fearful, angry mothers but I feel sad that they are being taking advantage of. They belive the fear and the lies that they are perpetuating. They have become victims of things that aren't even happening. Blaming pesticides for thier sons "autism" when there is no proof. It's not a productive way to move forward and support herself or her child.

Same thing happened with 2491. Young morhers and fathers getting all caught up in the drama and passionately testifying and crying in the stage holding thier kids. Yes it's terrible your child has health problems. But has there been any answers or solutions since passing 2491? No! is there any evidence that pesticides caused the problems? No! Is there really proof that there have been more birth defects? No! Why do we keep perpetuating the same lies and narrative and fear if it's not getting the desired outcome or solution? IS it because people like fern and these angry moms have personal problems and it's easier to blame and be a victim than face the real issue and look in the mirror? Is it because politicians are totally brainwashing and taking advantage of people who are weak or suffering already? They are prime subjects to groom for this movement. Sad!

Anonymous said...

Joan, wait til you see the new version of SB 1037! Most notably, the mandatory disclosure requirements for all persons or entities that cultivate crops on "two hundred or more acres." The new version will require ALL FARMERS to disclose.

Anonymous said...

We need to call a spade a spade so let's be honest, the underlying reason for all of these pesticide bills is to make the regulatory climate in Hawaii so onerous that the seed companies decide to leave. Plain and simple they are the target. The problem is a lot of small farmers are going to be caught in this net and they will be the ones hurt more than the seed companies. The majority of these small farmers are producing food for us. Once they get taken out by these anti-seed company pieces of legislation we will be importing even more of the food that we consume and, in the process, we will have made a very sad comment on how we, as a people, resolve our issues.

Anonymous said...

Good one Joan..
Lots of very instering information!
Keep up the great work!!

Anonymous said...

@11:34. Excellent points.

Anonymous said...

Mason didn't have to make commitments. Everyone knew he was for it. His sister is an anti.

Anonymous said...

Oops...
Interesting Information!! Ha Ha

Anonymous said...

These seed companies are better at fighting regulation than Republicans are at fighting Obamacare.

Anonymous said...

Hi Joan,

How many cases has there been with people who live near these fields who claim they became ill?

Has there been any proof that their illness was due to herbicides?

Thank You

Anonymous said...

2:05- Your logic is infallible. If my sister loves skydiving, then I too must also love it. If my sister is pregnant, then I too must be. And if my sister is an auntie, then I must be one, too, even though I am a man and my siblings do not have children. We need people like you to teach logic to our children. Only then will we be educated enough to
fight back with real wisdom against these antis who are so selfishly worried about poisons in our environment.

Joan Conrow said...

Dear 4:09 --
I'm not sure anyone has a count of all the people who claimed illness due to the fields. It seemed like quite a few during the 2491 hearings. Curiously, none were farm workers, who would seem to have the most direct exposure.

However, I have yet to hear of even one claim that was proven. And while an Anonymous did assert in comments a while back that a person or persons had tested positive for pesticides in their blood or urine, to my knowledge no one has yet stepped forward with any proof of ag pesticide exposure, much less poisoning or illness.

Anonymous said...

Mason, Joanne, and Gary need to go. Talking to Masons supporters, it is clear he lied. As for the other two, they are out there. Totalitarian lunatics.

Anonymous said...

@ 4:22 She was telling everyone Mason would override the veto if he got on the council.

Anonymous said...

Joan, Why must we wait for proof of poisoning. Isnʻt the best policy to move towards the removal of all poisons from our environment? And we are not just speaking of the poisoning of people- what about the poisoning of the soil, the air, the water, the animals and insects? What about the poisoning of our mental environment with stress due to the fear of illness due to poison? And why should the companies that claim safety who control the agencies responsible for safety be trusted? What is their track record with safety around the world? Why not balance your information with examples of poisoning of the land, water, air, people and animals with products created by these companies? Argentina is a good place to start. And West Virginia where Monsanto has recently lost a multi-million dollar suit over agent orange related pollution of the local environment and peopleʻs health. Claims of safety will never ever be believed when these companies have such a terrible history of creating distress and havoc around the world. And with more and more science coming in showing the possible dangers of all these poisons on our fragile environment. What will we tell our grandchildren if they look back and see we supported and believed untrustworthy giant multinational corporations with their claims of safety- and then realized later that the claims were false and that the poisons produced by these companies were responsible for much sickness including soil, air, water, animals, plants, insects and humans? This is were the precautionary principle becomes so important. If this principle were honored, we would be moving much slower in the production and use of poisons on our planet. Claims of safety are useless if the claimant cannot be trusted. Joan, can you provide the public with information which will increase our trust of these companies so that we will begin to feel safe? Show us how poisons help create a healthier environment for the earth and all living creatures? If you can do that, then you will help to eliminate the distrust that millions or billions of people around the world hold for the companies which create, distribute and promote these poisons.

Anonymous said...

Prediction-
Gary will continue to dominate the Council with his baloney. Remember JoAnn is his Anti-Everything Doppelganger and Mason (poor ting, he no can tink too gud) is Gary's lapdog.
Three out of seven. Gary and JoAnn have Moocho Huevoh Grande....and they will continue to rule the roost.
Even The Garden Island Paper wears knee-pads as they do Da Hoos reporting...we are doomed.

Joan Conrow said...

Dear 5;40 --So you want to remove all poisons from the environment. Are you willing to give up your cell phone, car, computer, treated water, electricity, air travel and imported food? Not to mention all the other household goods and products that use chemicals or create some hazardous waste in their production.

I am not an advocate of pesticides, though I can see their value in certain applications. And I do not dispute that pesticides have caused problems elsewhere. But when it comes to Hawaii, it just seems to me that if the poisoning is as widespread as you and some others claim, we'd see some evidence of it -- I'm not even talking about proof, but evidence -- and there hasn't been anything.

As for the poisoned mental states due to fear, you've got to take responsibility for that yourself, though some blame certainly could be spread around to Hooser, Hawaii SEED, Babes, Center for Food Safety, etc. Fear and stress are very real toxins, so you might want to work on reducing your exposure to both by getting a grip on reality. We live in a toxic cocktail in this modern industrial life. You can't escape it, and you can't blame the seed companies for it. Everybody who uses modern stuff is part of the problem. And that includes you, much as you might like to believe otherwise.

Anonymous said...

Way to go Joan. Avoid the issue of trust that 5:40 brought up. Shift the blame to Gary, Hawaii Seed, Babes, etc. Refuse to acknowledge that many of us are intelligent enough to do our own research and come to our own conclusions. Conclusions that agree that we are all part of the problem and that the problem must be addressed. And their are millions of us. We do not need Gary to think for us. And Joan, much needed evidence for poisoning takes time and is not easy to do. Accumulative effects and effects of unknown combinations of poisons cannot be done with 90 day studies. And as for proof of poisoning of the soil in Hawaii, ask any farmer about the fertility of soils that were previously sugar cane and pineapple fields. Ask those special people who are super-sensitive to various chemicals what happens when they drive down the road with open windows where roundup has been recently sprayed. You are right in that we are all guilty using modern technology. But that does not mean we should not change to technologies and methods that result in the least amount of poisons being introduced into the environment. Hopefully someday you will come to address the real issues that 5:40 brought up- creating a healthier environment for all and building trust. So far most of your recent blogs concerning pesticides, smoke and poisons avoid these real issues by focusing on personalities instead of issues. This does nothing at all to build trust in our community. Yes, we are all to blame. Now Joan, what are the next steps to take to reduce physical, mental and spiritual toxicity on our precious island. Tell us what your vision for our grandchildrenʻs world is. I would like to hear that.

Anonymous said...

One answer is to reduce pesticide use where possible, use mechanical means or less toxic pesticides where possible , but getting rid of the seed companies does not get rid of pesticides on this island, it just frees up the land for development, which uses more pesticides.
My vision is to Reduce ALL pesticide use, then we do right by the keiki,stop focusing on just one user group.

Anonymous said...

Now Joan, what are the next steps to take to reduce physical, mental and spiritual toxicity on our precious island.
Wow do they think you are Superwoman?

Dawson said...


Only two months into 2015, and already 5:40PM and 6:59PM are tied for first place in the annual Ray Bolger Strawman of the Year Contest.

(If they only had a brain!)

Anonymous said...

One user group of pesticide users has been singled out because they refused for more than 10 years to address the problems they were causing their neighbors. They were also singled out because of the problems they are creating around the world and how they attempt to manipulate and control using money. The issue is poisons and health. All issues must be dealt with as they arise. Poisons must be regulated much more strictly in all areas in the future. These companies are not being singled out. They have just failed to gain the trust of the public through their own actions and this is the result. All pesticide use must be examined and reduced. Golf courses and roadside spraying are next. And we do not need to be Superman or Superwoman to solve the problem of poisoning our world with toxic chemicals. Go any any school and you will find intelligent students who are very capable of working on solutions to these important problems. I wish this blog would share some of these solutions with us.

Anonymous said...

http://southpark.cc.com/full-episodes/s16e11-going-native

@ 6:59pm, are u in this episode?

Anonymous said...

9:16, Roadside spraying, do you have any idea HOW MUCH REDUCTION in roadside spraying there has been?

Anonymous said...

The solutions are easy, live your own life as pesticide free and clean as you can, work to educate others if you are concerned, volunteer to help and be happy!

Anonymous said...

If the goal is to reduce pesticides, why only ag??? Are the anti's really so delusional that they choose to attack one segment of pesticide users while simultaneously ignoring the fact that pesticides are used all over the islands, and not just in agriculture. I'm certainly not pro-pesticide, however if legislation is going to be passed under the guise of "protecting the keiki" then it's silly to ignore the fact that golf courses, hotels, the county, and on and on ALL use pesticides. If we want to "protect the keiki" then lets be real with the fact that agriculture is by no means the only segment that uses pesticides.

Anonymous said...

The FEAR....
Ban everything!!

I bet 90% of the anti chemical movement never worked in ag or used chemicals before.

We need these chemicals!! The main issue here is to ensure EVERYONE is properly applying them.

Iv'e always used Roundup in my residential yard. If it's windy, dont spray!! Common sense!!

Anonymous said...

Are you accusing our political leaders of supporting legislation that they haven't actually read? No way. Not in America and certainly not in Hawaii.

Anonymous said...

So there is no evidence(only claims)linking the seed companies use of chemicals to illness..

There must be something else lurking behind this and they are using the chemical poisioning to instill fear into the public and force the closure of these companies!

Thanks Joan!
March 3, 2015 at 4:09 PM

Anonymous said...

8:18 AM
Yep, only in America we pass bills without reading them first!

Our founding fathers must be rolling in their graves...

Anonymous said...

God in Heaven. Imagine the Constitution of the United States as drafted by Mr. Hooser and amended by Ms. Yukimura. The Articles of Confederation would have persisted into the early 20th Century. But fireplaces would have been dealt with most severely to everyone's great joy.

Anonymous said...

3:35 literacy is optional!

Anonymous said...

@ 4:58
I would rather move to Mongolia than live under Loosers Constitution!!

Anonymous said...

5:42 so is common sense!

Anonymous said...

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