I’m starting to realize that people really are reading my thoughts on this blog.  Ever since I started writing it and speaking out, I’ve noticed things changing.  I did a blog commenting on how our politicians don’t even show up at our meetings and lo and behold, at the next meeting, a certain one attends.  I’m amazed that it word is traveling about it because I hope that someone is indeed listening to what I have to say, even though I am only one person and not a protest of a few hundred.

It turned out to be Representative Jessica Wooley.  Many of the board members didn’t recognize her at all and mistook her for another presenter which shows how much they have seen her there.  She came up and did her Hawaiian greetings and asked if we had any questions.  I had to ask her the questions about her plan to help ag in Hawaii. One of the statements she made within her answer was that, “GMOs are not regulated.”  She went on about how she would not support a law to ban GMOs and that there is a place for it in our current food options.  She also stated that restrictions are needed on it and that she supports labeling.  She mentioned that papayas are being labeled to Japan and it shouldn’t be a problem to do it here.

I know for a fact that her statement to the board that GMOs are not regulated is patently false.  I didn’t say anything but held back.  It defies logic that she could make that statement.  If what she said was true, why does it cost so much and take so long to get it into the market if it was unregulated?  I decided to wait until the next meeting that I’d bring the issue to light.

So at the meeting on that Thursday, she came in and didn’t present anything and did the same thing by asking the board if we had any questions.  I asked her about she’s going to make food affordable and keep farmers farming amidst the rising costs.  She had a nice lengthy answer for that about what programs her committee is focusing on.  She did not mention of her desire to label.

After that, I decided to add yet another question regarding her statement at the earlier meeting.  I stated to her that she claimed that GMOs are not regulated and yet I found evidence that there are laws.  She stated that she really meant that the label is not regulated and that there are laws for the testing of its safety and environmental issues by the EPA, FDA, and other regulating bodies.  Good.  She came clean with the truth.  Now she just needs to broadcast that to the rest of the anti-GMO folks out there who haven’t gotten the message.  That’s a good start Rep. Wooley to educate the public.  We need more educating and less fear mongering.  I’m thrilled to know that you have taken the first step on speaking the truth which shows some integrity.  That’s a start in the right direction and I commend you for clarifying the facts.

Related articles

• Hawaii SEED Wants to Destroy Papaya Farmers (hawaiifarmersdaughter.com)
• Priced out of Paradise: What’s Hawaii Leaders Doing? (hawaiifarmersdaughter.com)
• 1000 Good Reasons to Label GMO Food: A Guide for Politicians (hawaiifarmersdaughter.com)