• Government should enact strict GMO laws • GMO labels • Protest the Monsanto Protection Act • Spring is for eggs, matzah and showers • Who wins when the minimum wage increases? Government should enact strict GMO laws I am
• Government should enact strict GMO laws • GMO labels • Protest the Monsanto Protection Act • Spring is for eggs, matzah and showers • Who wins when the minimum wage increases?
Government should enact strict GMO laws
I am kind of surprised that people who involve themselves in the GMO issue don’t do a little research or at least ask some questions. Questions like, why do we have atrazine in our water supply?
Why are our leaders so absent on this issue?
Why did the government just sell itself to Monsanto and pass the Monsanto Protection Act, thereby giving Monsanto and the seed companies the legal right to poison whoever and whatever they want without any legal responsibilities?
Apparently, Monsanto just bought the rights to poison the people from the government. I guess they won’t have to pay Westside residents off anymore.
I believe there is a reason that GMO was banned in other countries. Probably because their leaders aren’t so easily bought.
And while you are asking questions, ask yourself this one, why do they spray so much pesticide?
At the GMO rally signs stated “70 Pesticides a Day.” Is that right? I thought GMOs were supposed to be resistant to insects? Why all the pesticides to the point of now having atrazine in the water?
And now the GMO corn in Hawai‘i has a virus. Well, let’s see what they are going to do about that.
Robert Reynolds
Lihu‘e
GMO labels
Why should I have to pay for special food labeling for a small percentage of scientific illiterate consumers because they have a right to know? When you can prove to me that GMOs are harmful, then you can label it whatever way the FDA requires it.
If I have to pay extra for labeling GMOs on the basis of right to know, then how about you labeling plant foods fertilized with bacteria producing chicken manure for me? It’s my right to know.
To require the added cost of special labeling, monitoring and lab testing for something that has not shown any human or environmental harm for more than 15 years of production, and being grown on billions of acres around the world, is ridiculous.
If you don’t want to eat GMO produced food, buy organic. Problem solved.
Don Gerbig
Lahaina
Protest the Monsanto Protection Act
On March 26, President Obama signed into law HR 933. What of note is Section 735, which allows Monsanto to override U.S. federal courts on the issue of planting experimental genetically engineered crops (GMO) all across the country. Even if those experimental crops are found to be extremely dangerous or to cause runaway crop plague, the U.S. government now has no judicial power to stop them from being planted and harvested.
Both Senators Schatz and Hirono voted for HR 933.
All you anti-GMO voters who voted for Obama, he has sold you down the river to Monsanto.
This law is effective for six months before it becomes permanent.
Anti-GMOers, now is the time to work on this at the federal level, especially with the senators of the state of Hawai‘i, who are suppose to be looking after your interests.
It does no good to paint “NO GMO” on the streets.
Put your energy where it will do some good!
Kathie Bedwell
Koloa
Spring is for eggs, matzah and showers
Spring break, along with April showers, Passover and Easter, is upon us.
My people, the Jewish People eat matzo (unleavened bread) and have elaborate gourmet meals to remember the days of slavery and exodus by abstaining from bread.
The Christians celebrate Easter with painted eggs and bunnies to celebrate the resurrection of their Lord.
College kids celebrate spring break with wild and crazy behavior.
I enjoy all of the above by eating matzah and colored eggs along with wild and crazy behavior. I guess I have it all?
Happy Passover, happy Easter and happy April showers!
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapa‘a
Who wins when the minimum wage increases?
Why do the politician want an increase in the minimum wage? Most would say that it will help the low wage earner keep up with inflation and the ever increasing cost of living. The best way is to look at the numbers without the rhetoric and emotion. The following will clarify who is the real winner when the minimum wage is increased.
If the minimum wage goes from $7.25 an hour to $9.25 as proposed in the Hawai‘i Legislature, does the worker actually benefit? The worker gets a gross pay increase of 2 dollars per hour or $4,160 per year gross based on a 40 hour work week for 52 weeks. The federal and state government will take 30 percent in various taxes (income tax and Social Security). As a result, the worker gets an increase of $2,912 per year or 70 percent of the increase.
Now on the employer’s side, the increase in cost is not the $4,160 but $4,992 because they will have at least 20 percent in additional taxes and related costs. The employer will have to pass on the additional costs to the consumer if they can, or they will cut workers, hours or both.
If low wage earners are fortunate enough to keep their full-time job, they take home an additional $2,912, but the cost of living will have gone up by $4,992 leaving the worker $2,080 short in purchasing power. The increase of minimum wage results in an additional cost of living, of the increase the worker has 58 percent, thus the worker has 42 percent less in purchasing power.
Next, let’s calculate the government share of this wage increase. For example, consider a married couple with no children and both who earn minimum wage. Before the minimum wage increase, the federal government takes $1,118 in federal income tax or 3.7 percent of their income, whereas after the increase the couple would pay $2,496 in federal income tax or 6.5 percent of their income based on 2012 tax rates. This gives the federal government a 123 percent increase in revenue.
The governments share is even more when Social Security tax a state income tax is added to the equation.
The concept that increasing low income earners wage will help them is only true when there is an increase in productivity that goes along with the pay increase. I know that the lawmakers are concerned about the workers however they need to focus on how to help the workers increase their productivity, wage increases would then result in an improved standard of living.
And finally, who wins when the minimum wage increases? Is it the low wage worker or the government? You decide.
Al Spencer
Wailua
