Update on activites of The Campaign + California battle

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" News Update from The Campaign " <newsupdate

Update on activites of The Campaign + California battle

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 07:13:57 -0700

 

 

 

 

News Update From The Campaign

----------------

 

Dear News Update Subscribers,

 

The battle over genetically engineered foods continues to intensify on

all

levels. There are regional, national, state and local GMO food fights

taking

place all over the world. Before telling you about one battle taking

place

right now in California and other U.S. states, please allow me to bring

you

up-to-date on a few internal matters regarding our organization.

 

THE CAMPAIGN'S WEB SITE

 

The Campaign will be launching a new web site in August. Our revised

web

site will provide you with enhanced tools to stay informed and

participate

in the efforts to pass legislation to properly label and regulate

genetically

engineered foods.

 

The Campaign's new web site will employ both " off-the-shelf " lobbying

technology from Capitol Advantage www.capitoladvantage.com and some

advanced custom software we have had written for our unique needs. We

are

particularly excited about the potential of our custom software

application

to get the attention of members of the U.S. Congress.

 

Further, our new web site will provide the means to increase your

ability to

network with others in your state and local communities. It is amazing

what

informed citizens can do when they organize themselves on a grassroots

level.

 

OUR LEGAL STRUCTURE

 

As you may be aware, The Campaign is a 501©(4) non-profit political

advocacy organization. With this legal structure, we are not limited on

the

amount of financial resources we may spend on lobbying efforts to pass

legislation. However, since we are a political advocacy organization,

donations to us are not tax-deductible.

 

Most non-profit organizations are educational in their legal structure

rather than political. Therefore, unlike The Campaign, they are

severely

limited in their ability to lobby to pass legislation. However,

donations

to educational non-profits are tax-deductible.

 

The tax-deductible status of educational non-profits is a primary

reason

they usually have an easier time raising money than political advocacy

non-profit organizations like The Campaign.

 

OUR " SISTER " EDUCATIONAL NON-PROFIT

 

Since a lot of our efforts do involve education, the management of The

Campaign established a " sister " educational non-profit organization

called

The Coordinating Council. The IRS has granted The Coordinating Council

501©(3) status to accept tax-deductible donations.

 

INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGY

 

I am pleased to announce that we have worked out an arrangement to have

the

" Institute For Responsible Technology " become a project of The

Coordinating

Council. Some of you may be aware that the Institute For Responsible

Technology is operated by Jeffrey M. Smith, author of the best-selling

book

on genetically engineered foods called " Seeds of Deception. "

 

Jeffrey M. Smith is an exceptional teacher and travels the world

educating

people about the concerns over genetically engineered foods. In

particular,

Jeffrey is focusing on the meal programs in schools. Here is a link to

Jeffrey's web site:

http://www.seedsofdeception.com

 

We are excited to be working with Jeffrey M. Smith. You will be hearing

more

about the Institute For Responsible Technology in the coming weeks and

months as we expand our educational outreach efforts.

 

FUNDRAISING OFFER FOR THE CAMPAIGN

 

Fundraising is always a challenge and currently The Campaign has some

pressing financial needs. Those of you who receive our News Updates on

a

regular basis know we do not often ask you for donations. However, this

is

one of those times when we are asking for your financial support.

 

We are combining this request for your financial support with a

terrific

offer that you may find makes your donation more than worthwhile.

 

For any donation made to The Campaign of at least $10, while supplies

last,

we are going to give you a free copy of Anita Roddick's popular book

" Take

It Personally: How to Make Conscious Choices to Change the World. " This

224-page book has received rave reviews and normally sells for $24.95.

That's

right, make a donation of only $10 and get a $24.95 book delivered to

your

door, anywhere in the United States.

 

How are we able to give you a $24.95 book with a donation to The

Campaign of

$10 or more? Because Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, donated

400

copies of this book to The Campaign to use for fundraising purposes.

Thank

you Anita Roddick!

 

Naturally we hope you can give a donation of more than $10, but even a

donation of only $10 will entitle you to receive this excellent book.

 

SPECIAL ADDED BONUS

 

As an added incentive for you to support The Campaign, if you make your

donation before the end of July (unless the books run out before then)

we

will also include an Audio CD of a lecture by Jeffrey M. Smith called

" You're Eating What? " This is one of the best talks I have ever heard

on the

problems of genetically engineered foods. And it is free along with

Anita

Roddick's book for any donation of $10 or more.

 

To make a donation online, please

http://www.thecampaign.org/donate.php

 

If you prefer to mail in a donation,

http://www.thecampaign.org/donationform.pdf

 

With these housekeeping matters covered, on to the news...

 

THE CALIFORNIA BATTLE

 

With the success of several county initiatives that passed in

California in

recent years that ban the growing of genetically engineered crops, the

biotech industry is fighting back. They have launched a nationwide

effort to

pass laws in State legislatures to prevent counties from passing such

bans.

 

Unfortunately their efforts have been swift and effective. These bills

have

passed in 14 states and there is one that is pending in the California

legislature.

 

Posted below is an Associated Press article titled " County bans on

crops

trigger backlash " that goes into considerable detail.

 

There will also be a radio show on this subject playing this Wednesday

at

10:00-11:00 am Pacific Time. You can listen live on the Internet, and

if you

miss it, you can play it later from the archives.

 

The broadcast is on the Beyond Organic show:

http://www.beyondorganic.com/

 

There will be some great speakers including Andrew Kimbrell - Exec.

Dir.,

Center for Food Safety, and Britt Bailey - Founder/Director,

Environmental

Commons. This should be a terrific show.

 

The pro-biotech people supporting the legislation to prevent counties

from

banning genetically engineered crops, the California Healthy Foods

Coalition,

were asked to speak on the show, but declined to participate. However,

you

may want to visit their web site to get an idea of the half-truths and

propaganda the promoters of genetically engineered crops are using:

http://www.feedingthefuture.org/

 

Here is where you can read a copy of the bill that is pending in the

California legislature:

http://tinyurl.com/bb4q8

 

THE NEED FOR NATIONAL LEGISLATION

 

The success of these state bills to prevent counties from banning the

growing of genetically engineered crops highlights the need to pass

national

labeling legislation.

 

Representative Kucinich will again be introducing the " Genetically

Engineered Food Right to Know Act " before the U.S. House of

Representatives

in the next few weeks. Once we have a bill number, we will begin a

focused

effort to get committee hearings on the legislation. Our new web site

will

be geared for action to help get this labeling legislation passed into

law.

 

We WILL win the battle to label genetically engineered foods in the

United

States. It is just a matter of time. With your support and active

participation, success will come sooner rather than later.

 

Please support The Campaign with your generous donation:

http://www.thecampaign.org/donate.php

http://www.thecampaign.org/donationform.pdf

 

Thanks!!

 

Craig Winters

President

The Campaign

PO Box 55699

Seattle, WA 98155

Tel: 425-771-4049

E-mail: label

Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org

 

***************************************************************

 

County bans on crops trigger backlash

 

By Daisy Nguyen, Associated Press

July 12, 2005

 

LOS ANGELES - Bans on genetically engineered crops and animals in three

California counties have triggered a national backlash.

 

Since late last year, 14 states have passed bills that bar towns,

cities and

counties from regulating genetically engineered crops a direct reaction

to

the California counties' first-in-the-nation bans on growing such

plants.

 

Now, the movement has circled back to California, where a state senator

from

the agriculture-dependent Central Valley wants to undo county controls

by

establishing state authority on the issue.

 

Sen. Dean Florez's proposal has sparked protests by biotech foes and

municipal leaders, underscoring the growing tension between consumers

and

biotechnology supporters.

 

Florez, D-Shafter, said it should be the state's job to regulate crops

by

passing laws that affect everyone in California. The state will end up

with

a patchwork of standards if all 58 counties adopt different rules, he

said.

 

" There should be some uniformity and conformity, " Florez said. " We have

statewide standards for pesticide, fertilizer and labor law. "

 

Genetically modified crops also called GMOs are grown from seeds

genetically

engineered with bacteria genes to make the plants resistant to weed

killers

or bugs. Proponents argue that genetic engineering increases farm

production

and streamlines farming costs.

 

Mendocino, Marin and Trinity counties have passed laws banning the use

of

genetically altered seeds. Voters in Humboldt, San Luis Obispo and

Butte

counties rejected similar ballot measures.

 

Residents of Sonoma County are set to vote on a similar ban this

November.

 

Florez is calling for a special Assembly Agriculture Committee hearing

on

his proposed state bill next month.

 

Opponents said the measure would undercut voters in counties that

passed

anti-biotech laws last year even though those counties have no biotech

crops.

 

" We see this as a violation of local democracies, " said Renata

Brillinger,

director of Californians for GE-Free Agriculture.

 

Some farmers are worried about the potential effects of introducing

genetically altered crops into the food supply and the environment.

They

insist those impacts haven't been adequately studied.

 

" It's a reckless approach to handling agriculture and the ecosystem, "

said

Peter Martinelli, an organic farmer in Marin County. " Why are we

willing to

risk the natural biology of plant species with these Franken-seeds? "

 

The League of California Cities and the California State Association of

Counties oppose the Florez bill.

 

" The language of the bill pre-empts us from placing any restriction on

field

crops, " said Karen Keene, a legislative representative for the

association

of counties. " It goes beyond the biotech issue. "

 

Food safety advocates said the prospect of county bans spreading beyond

California have prompted more than a dozen state legislatures to block

such

moves.

 

Oklahoma, Idaho, Texas and Kansas passed laws even though there are

few, if

any, moves against biotech in those states, Brillinger said.

 

" It's superpre-emption, " she said.

 

Joseph Mendelson, legal director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center

for

Food Safety, said the debate over genetically engineered food is

occurring

in states, counties and cities because there is a lack of federal

oversight

on the issue.

 

" The federal government hasn't sufficiently addressed the (genetically

engineered) food issue, and their negligence has really prompted local

responses, " Mendelson said.

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has argued that the approved crops

soy,

corn, papaya are substantially equivalent to the naturally grown

varieties

and don't need further regulation.

 

Florez supports a debate on the health and environmental impact of

genetically altered crops but said it should take place in the state

Legislature.

 

He said he supports the use of biotech products because he believes

they can

solve some serious problems.

 

" What's the solution to reducing the use of pesticides to protect

farmworkers, and reduce dust that's polluting our air? " he said. " I

believe

that in the long run, GMO products offer that solution. "

 

 

 

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