GMOs
GMOs
There’s got to
be a better way
It was discussed and beat around in committee last session at the Legislature, but eventually even labeling of GMO foods was voted down. We can’t give up and must keep the pressure on Monsanto and similarly innovative chemical and crop-science companies. The melding of the state and corporations has got to stop. Local control is the answer for nearly everything: education, food supply, urban planning, transportation, health care.
Last week’s international protest day against Monsanto in 400 cities across 52 countries may have knocked Monsanto out of Europe. The U.S. Department of Agriculture less than a week ago confirmed the discovery of unapproved genetically modified wheat in Oregon. As a result, Japan and Korea have announced suspension of wheat imports from the U.S. Oregon exports almost all of its wheat crop. Remember what mad cow disease did to our beef exports?
We really do not know how safe GMO foods and ingredients are because Monsanto funds most of the studies and controls the data. They give mega-bucks to university agriculture departments and politicians all over the world (yes, even our own).
Oh by the way, how do you think super-bugs — MERS and other deadly viruses — so dangerous to patients in hospitals and care facilities came into being? Overuse of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals. Can anyone be surprised that super-weeds have evolved and circumvented the wonderful Round-up readiness of GMO seeds? How will we kill them? More, stronger poisons? Too many questions, not enough solid, truthful, unbiased answers.
Monsanto is able to get much higher crop yield per acre with GMOs and their mantra against labeling is it would be too costly and “kill the cupcake shop down the street,” but the dirty little secret is labeling would kill GMOs because people read labels and GMOs are in nearly everything. There’s got to be a better way to feed the hungry. Maybe retrain some superfluous IRS agents?
If you want to scare yourself silly go to shiftfrequency.com/comprehensive-list-of-gmo-products and see what you are already eating in your everyday diet.
Michelle “Mike” Kerr
Waikoloa
Resort fees
What’s with all
these extra charges?
Can someone tell me what these hotel resort fee charges are all about? Lately, hotels are adding to the daily room charge something they are calling a resort fee. This charge is a euphemism for guest gouging.
In the Kona area, one popular hotel tags on a resort fee of $25 a day plus $17 a day to park the car that you have to use to get there. Another hotel charges $31.25 a day, plus an unpublished (but I’m sure expensive) charge for high-speed Internet. The third adds on $25, but that includes the parking (stay here — it’s the best deal of the three).
It was not that long ago, when I stayed at these same hotels, I never paid a resort fee and still enjoyed the amenities. Now, the pool, towel use and telephone access are part of the resort fee mentality of guest gouging. By the way, the phone charge shouldn’t count either — we all bring our own.
So, if you are planning a “staycation” this summer you had better hold on to your wallet. I heard the next charges will be for clean sheets and the toilet paper.
Richard Dinges
Hilo