From gpurcell at earthlink.net Sat Jun 10 10:05:26 2006 From: gpurcell at earthlink.net (Gloria Purcell) Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2006 10:05:26 -0700 Subject: [GP-Eldorado-n] heads up Message-ID: Hi Greens! Just a quick note that the Al Gore movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is playing NOW in Sacramento. Please see it; take friends or family too. The more poeple who go at the beginning, the more theaters it will play in the coming weeks. The public needs to know all they/we can about global climate change, and it may have political results as well. We will have our next meeting on July 6 at the Library in Placerville at 6:30p.m. Please come; we are working on getting a speaker and would like it to be a potluck. More details next week. Gloria Purcell, County Councilmember, EDC From dianasum at directcon.net Mon Jun 19 19:47:12 2006 From: dianasum at directcon.net (Diana Stauffer) Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:47:12 -0700 Subject: [GP-Eldorado-n] action to take on GMF -organic farming Message-ID: <002901c69413$f739af00$0b2e5142@D81GRT31> This from a peace activist and local teacher--action to take on Genetically Modifed foods--organic farming. DEAR FRIENDS, > >I AM SENDING YOU INFORMATION REGARDING A BILL WHICH WILL HAVE MAJOR >IMPACT ON ORGANIC FARMING IN CALIFORNIA. ENCLOSED ARE THE NAMES OF >THE AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE WHICH HAS THE POWER TO ADVISE THE >LEGISLATURE ON THIS. THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING IN ROOM 4202 >(SOUTH SIDE OF THE CAPITOL) ON JUNE 28, 2006 AT 1:30 IN THE >AFTERNOON. PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CAN BUT PHONE, EMAIL OR WRITE THE >COMMITTEE LISTED BELOW AS WELL AS YOUR ASSEMBLY PERSON AND SENATOR >(LISTED IN FRONT OF THE PHONE BOOK) I ALSO ENCLOSE MY LETTER TO >THEM. >THANK YOU FOR HELP IN SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE, LOCAL ORGANIC AND BIO >DYNAMIC FOOD! > >NANCY >P.S. - do get the book The Ominvore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. a >real eye opener on food issues > >1. GE Free Action Alert >*** > >Local Democracy Again Under Threat in California >On June 28th 2006, the California State Assembly Agriculture >Committee will consider a bill (SB 1056) that will take away local >government authority over seed regulation. If passed, this bill will >override current and future restrictions on genetically engineered >crops and seeds, as well as all other local regulation of seeds. > In 2005, a groundswell of organizational and citizen response >stopped the California preemption attempts - we need your help to >prevent the passage of this bill once and for all. >We ask you to join Californians for GE-Free Agriculture in >protecting local communities democratic right to protect their >citizens in the absence of adequate state and federal regulation of >genetically engineered crops. > Take Action! > >1. Call, email or fax your own Assembly member to ask them to >oppose SB 1056. CalGE-Free coalition member True Food Network has >set up an online action page at: >http://ga3.org/campaign/CA_preemption, or using the sample letter >below. Call your local elected officials and encourage them to do >the same. >2. Attend the Assembly Agriculture Committee hearing in >Sacramento on June 28th to voice your opposition (for more details, >contact Becky at 510-647-3733 or (becky at calgefree.org) >3. Join the Cal GE-Free list serve >(http://www.calgefree.org/mailerregform.shtml) for regular updates >on preemption. >4. Forward this email to everyone you know in California and >urge them to take action! > >MY LETTER >* >Dear Senator Cox, > > SB Bill 1056 (Florez), to be heard by the Agriculture >committee on June 28, 2006, violates two of our most basic human >rights. One, it overrides our constitutionally guaranteed right for >local democracy. Citizens of counties have the right to vote for >the highest standards of health, safety and welfare in their >counties. Three counties in California have voted to not have >genetically modified crops grown in their counties in order to >protect their organic agriculture from contamination by pollination. > This bill takes away this right in favor of bio tech agriculture. >Such industrial chemical farming is not harmed by these citizen >standards for they can sell GMO products in all the counties. They >are only asked to use conventional seed instead of GMO seed. The >organic farmer, on the other hand, can be put out of business. > > Secondly, the right to choose what we eat is a basic human >right. Unlike other countries where genetically modified food is >labeled, in the US it circulates in our food supply without >labeling. The only way we can have some right to choice about the >food we are buying is by having access to organic food upheld by >standards. > > Organic food, the fastest growing sector of agriculture, has >not been promoted by our government, or our research universities >who have multi million dollar contracts with bio tech companies. >Their focus is not public welfare but patenting of life forms and >making profit. The rapidly rising popularity of organic is because >people are demanding access to healthy food for their families as a >basic right of life. This bill jeopardizes these basic rights and >should be defeated. Further, agriculture based on huge fossil fuel >inputs and long distances for transport is unsustainable. > > Lastly, our government has done no long term research on the >effects on human health or the environment from GMO crops. The >companies who engineer the seed have written the safety standards, >hardly an objective source. There are disturbing signs that GMO >crops may negatively affect the digestion in ruminants and the >powerful herbicides used on GMO plants may reconstitute in the gut >of those ingesting meat and milk from them. There have been no >studies on unborn children or the developing brain of children. >Please consider protecting the health and welfare of our citizen's >and not endorse and spread this technology until truly proven safe. > > As an educator, farmer, and grandparent I ask that you vote >for the people's rights in this matter. NO ON AB 1056. Thank you. > >2. Excerpt of Offensive Passage in Amended SB 1056 > *** >AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 02, 2005 >52251.5. Except as otherwise provided in this code, the provisions >of this chapter are of statewide concern and occupy the entire field >of regulation regarding the registration, labeling, sale, storage, >transportation, distribution, notification of use and use of seeds >TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL LOCAL REGULATIONS. Except as otherwise >specifically provided in this code, no ordinance or regulation of >any political subdivision may prohibit or in any way attempt to >regulate any matter relating to the registration, labeling, sale, >storage, transportation, distribution, notification of use, or use >of seeds. > >*** >3. Contact Info and Details on Assembly Ag Committee >*** > >Assembly Agriculture > >Barbara Matthews Chair >916-319-2017 >916-319-2117 fax >State Capitol, Room 5155 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a17/default.htm >email > >Bill Maze Vice-Chair >916-319-2034 >916-319-2134 fax >State Capitol, Room 4015 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://republican.assembly.ca.gov/members/index.asp?Dist=34&Lang=1 >email > >Patty Berg >916-319-2001 >916-319-2101 fax >State Capitol, Room 4146 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a01/ >email > >Sam Blakeslee >916-319-2033 >916-319-2133 fax >Sate Capitol, Room 5126 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://republican.assembly.ca.gov/members/index.asp?Dist=33&Lang=1 >email > >David Cogdill >916-319-2025 >916-319-2125 fax >State Capitol, Room 4117 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://republican.assembly.ca.gov/members/index.asp?Dist=25&Lang=1 >email > >Nicole Parra >916-319-2030 >916-319-2130 fax >State Capitol, Room 4005 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a30/ >email > >Simon Salinas >916-319-2028 >916-319-2128 fax >State Capitol, Room 2175 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a28/ >email > >Juan Vargas >916-319-2079 >916-319-2179 fax >State Capitol, Room 2013 >Sacramento, CA 95814 >http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a79/ >email > >. Assembly Ag Committee Agenda for June 28 >*** > >Assembly Agriculture > >06/28/06 1:30 pm > Room 4202 (audio) >? SB 1041 (Denham): District agricultural associations. >? SB 1056 (Florez): Agriculture. > > *** >5. Links to Details on the Bill > *** > >SB 1056 (Florez) >Agriculture. >Bill Text: >? SB 1056 (Tabbed view of all versions) (beta) >? Introduced: 02/22/05 | PDF >? Amended: 04/25/05 | PDF >? Amended: 05/11/05 | PDF >? Amended: 07/07/05 | PDF >? Amended: 09/02/05 | PDF > >Bill Status: >? From committee with author's amendments. Read second time. >Amended. Re-referred to committee. > >Bill Location: >? Location: Assembly Agriculture >? Hearing date: 06/28/06 > >Bill Analysis >? Senate committee analysis (04/24/05) >? Senate floor analysis (05/10/05) >? Senate floor analysis (05/12/05) >? Assembly committee analysis (06/27/05) > >New vote tracking system (undergoing testing) >? Senate Environmental Quality - 04/25/05 >Motion: Do pass, but re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. > Ayes: 7, Noes: 0, Abstentions: 1 >? Senate Floor - 06/01/05 >Motion: Senate 3rd Reading SB1056 Florez > Ayes: 30, Noes: 8, Abstentions: 1 >? Assembly Natural Resources - 06/27/05 >Motion: Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on Agriculture. > Ayes: 6, Noes: 3, Abstentions: 1 > > > NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current president. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: