Originally published January 16 2015
Oregon county to vote on banning genetically modified crops
by PF Louis
(NaturalNews) Benton County, Oregon has gathered enough signatures to ballot a measure to ban GMOs completely. These are all rural counties that contain small- to medium-sized farms.
Measure 2-89, known as the "Benton County Local Food System Ordinance," is on the May 19, 2015 election ballot for voters in Benton County, Oregon.
There is a looming snag. In 2013, after similar proposals were filed, the state legislature passed a law prohibiting such local bans until results are gathered from a task force to develop a statewide policy on genetically modified organisms.
That gives the huge, well-greased lobby machinery of biotech industries time to peddle their influence.
The GMO end-around of going higher up to influence corrupt politicos who wield power over communities within is an easy route for megabucks Monsanto and its cohorts in the agrochemical industries that want to "feed the world."
They're doing this in Europe now, influencing EU commissioners to backpedal on the rights granted to individual countries to ban GMO farming and products as they wish.
The biotech ban the ban plans are underway in the USA
This has already happened in Los Angeles, which is not a farming location the way Oregon is. Although urban and container gardening are on the rise, the Los Angeles ban is mostly symbolic. But what took place after the ban looked like a go is an example of the way things work in corporate-controlled America.
After the City Council seemed to agree on voting in favor of the proposed ban, a massive biotech lobbying effort took place. Then three of the City Council's five members reneged, claiming the lobby efforts had no influence.
The LA city councilman who introduced the bill, Paul Koretz, didn't buy it. "Since nothing else has changed, it clearly was heavy lobbying."
A lead lobbyist in the effort against banning GMOs in Los Angeles, George Keiffer made this public statement: "The city is going to be better off making a decision with a lot of information, rather than just emotion."
Well, George, where will that information come from? From the USDA, FDA, EPA and other government agencies that have their key positions held by Monsanto and other biotech insiders put there by the chief executive liar himself, Prince Obama.
There's a lot of independently researched information, trials and international petition signatures that assert the dangers of GMOs and their supporting toxic herbicides and pesticides that are required at greater amounts than even non-GMO commercial farming.
Almost all of it is not disclosed by the mainstream media. What little is mentioned publicly is marginalized as emotions vs. science "debates" with the biotech insiders and sycophants uttering their well-rehearsed talking points and getting their last authoritative word highlighted.
Most of them know nothing of GMOs' realities and don't really care. They have their status and their money.
Other harsh realities have occurred in farming areas beyondOregon. In Hawaii, measures were introduced "in Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island of Hawaii that blocked further development of GMOs and the spraying of toxic pesticides," Jon Rappoport reported on his blog. "They all won."
Then, "a federal magistrate struck down the victories in Kauai and the Big Island, on the basis that such matters are controlled by state law." Maybe this will happen to Maui's efforts as well.
That is the theme. Local communities cannot decide what's right for them. It's up to the state, again, where a handful of the most corrupt decision makers who are easy to influence have their way. It's not constitutional, but so what.
Corporate and state legal powers have merged. It's called fascism, and it's not coming, it's here.
Thus far, Mendocino County, an area that produces a lot of California's organic produce, has escaped the fascism of Monsanto and their ilk's ownership of government officials who decide against what citizens want.
A few small communities in Maine have enacted laws that assert their right to farm the way they see fit, and that still stands. They call it food sovereignty. They didn't wave a red flag of "no GMOs." But that was clearly part of their intent.
Check out Measure 2-89, on the May 19, 2015 election ballot.
Sources:
http://www.gazettetimes.com
http://www.gmwatch.org
http://ballotpedia.org
https://jonrappoport.wordpress.com
http://www.rachel.org
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