Act 79 is at its second hearing before the Hawaii County Council threaten agriculture on Hawaii Island and their right to choose. One rancher requested the bill be killed, saying it threatens the “well-being” of farmers and ranchers. “Frankly, I’m sick and tired of having to defend my life’s work,” he said. He is not alone....Let farmers and ranchers choose! If farmers & ranchers are going to survive, we need access to the most modern techniques and technologies. This Act would cut off our ability to use modified crops that are resistant to disease, if needed. It would mean foregoing potential help, like the Genetic modification that saved the papaya industry in Hawai‘i; without the Rainbow papaya, we would no longer have a papaya industry at all. This feeling is increasingly being discussed at dinner tables in the farming community. They are asking themselves, “Is it worth it" to continue farming? What will happen when our farmers get out of the business? They grow the food you eat....

Ban gmo foods. There is enough proof from clinical studies that Gmo foods cause serious illness and death in animals. Pres Obama said he would sure to have gmo foods labeled. Instead he passes " The Monsanto Protection Act " no questions asked. People all over the world are against this. Studies have been done In France, Italy , India , etc. They do not want these imports pushed on them. Monsanto has deep pockets, obviously since so many on our government have their hands in it.

We demand to be informed of the contents of chemical dispersants being use in "chem trails" for atmospheric modification. We all (including government officials) have ourselves and our families health being affected. Human beings must not be used as experimental test subjects without our consent.

California is too beautiful to destroy with dangerous fracking. It is important that we preserve and protect this state.

The Pennsylvania State Democratic Party's current position on fracking is tax and regulate. A resolution was offered at their last meeting calling for a moratorium on fracking that never made it to the floor for a vote. They'll have a chance to consider the resolution at their June meeting. We want to make sure it gets to the floor for a vote and passes!

I do not want to be the subject of contaminated air or water brought about by the process of fracking.

Cash for Clunkers was a great program. It solved several problems simultaneously. It helped American carmakers, and those whose jobs are tied to them. It helped car owners. It was great for the environment. It removed polluters and gas guzzlers from the road, reduced dependence on fossil fuel and reduced the release of greenhouse gas. Poor people want, need and deserve eco-friendly transportation, too.

Please support a ban of fracking in California. a practice that hurts everybody in our state.

On May 24, a truck from Calgary-based Mullen Trucking carrying housing for oil drilling equipment to Vancouver, Washington struck and took out the Skagit River bridge on I5. This is a preview of the problems that Washington state is going to experience if we allow the construction and expansion of coal and oil terminals. Our roads can't handle the huge and heavy loading of tar sands drilling equipment. Our rails and rail crossings can't handle the wear and tear that will come with coal and oil trains. Finally and most importantly, the atmosphere on our planet can't handle the carbon dioxide load that will follow if we maintain our fossil fuel addiction. We say NO to coal and oil trains in Washington state now. We say NO to oil and coal terminals in Washington state now. We say NO to fracking and tar sand destruction. Let's establish Washington state as a leader in green power by committing to an extensive transition to sustainable energy. Let's build our power system components in Washington state. We need good jobs in Washington state. Let's install a sustainable energy grid that the whole world can use as a model for transition from fossil fuel to clean sustainable energy. We need to fix our infrastructure in Washington state. Let's start by establishing the energy infrastructure for the 21st century.

Fracking is dangerous and destructive to neighborhoods and our land. The consequences of Fracking are not totally determined but it can contribute to gas leaks and sink holes. Please do not let big corporations benefit at the expense of California's citizens.

A local politician once said to me that the Golden Rule is: “He who has the gold makes the rules.” The general manager, John Grubich of the Okanogan PUD #1 is negotiating, against the will of rate-payers, a $102.4 million dollar deal with a private venture capitol company to fund a series of optional “want to” projects. What the general manager (an employee, not owner of the PUD) refuses to acknowledge is that the rate payers are the owners of the gold. This deal would give our gold to for-profit “investors” and give them the power to make the rules. Mr. Grubich and his financial adviser insist that they must raise private customer rates 26% to service this loan. The Commissioners are blocking public input and enabling the management decision. Over-leveraged debt is what caused the 2008 financial crisis. I predict that this venture capital deal will lead to financial crisis for the rate-payers of our PUD. This is of concern for all tax payers because one of the projects is a hydro-dam project that has a negative cost/benefit assessment. It will never produce enough electricity to pay for itself. This project, known as Enloe Dam, is in conflict with billions of state and federal tax dollars and decades of time spent on habitat restoration on our local streams and rivers. The 1st step in our grassroots determination for fiscal sanity is to raise public awareness. Please sign our notice to the PUD that many people from across the state are paying attention. Our next step is to demand the management partner with us (honor our native and natural creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship) to create local sustainable power generation and affordable access to electric power.

Lee County Commissioners will be deciding on budget cuts sometime in September, 2013, and the entire budget for Lee County Extension Services ($885,600) is on the chopping block. Extension develops & administrates: 1. Public outreach, with free or inexpensive classes on a variety of topics that improve quality of life, nutrition, environmental sciences, bee keeping, Master Naturalist and Master Gardening. 2. Florida Yards & Neighborhood program that educates homeowners about landscapes that will protect the environment & conserve our precious water. 3. 4-H programs that provide youth programs with volunteer services valued at $330,000 in 2011. 4. Master Gardener volunteers (hours from last year alone totaled 26,874, which translates into a dollar amount of $585,584). 5. Training & certification for various occupational licenses. 6. Teaching professional landscapers the Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMPs) on proper use of pesticides & fertilizers, resulting in fewer nutrients & toxins entering our water. 7. Marine Education 8. Agriculture & Natural Resources 9. Family & Consumers. Lee County Extension, providing residents with access to science-based information and education in natural and social resources through the work of UF/IFAS Extension (University of Florida/Institute of Food & Agriculture Sciences) does all this & more for a minimal investment. It’s a bargain that if lost, will certainly result in the compromise of our clean waterways, which is a big reason tourists visit our beautiful county. Save Lee County Extension. We can't afford not to.