CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council on Thursday night split over a proposal to endorse a statewide proposition on labeling food that contains genetically engineered products.
With Councilman Curt Giambruno absent, the council deadlocked 2-2 on supporting Proposition 37, “The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act.”
David Goolsbee, a member of the Yes on 37 Lake County Committee, asked the council for its support of the measure, which is facing serious opposition from big agrochemical companies like Monsanto and DuPont.
He said the measure is essentially about mothers and fathers wanting to know what they are feeding their children.
He said Proposition 37’s opponents are afraid that if it becomes law in California that it will spread across the country.
“People want to know that their food is safe,” Goolsbee said.
Vice Mayor Jeri Spittler said that if you start reading about GMOs and food, GMOs are in almost everything that is processed.
She thanked the Yes on 37 Lake County Committee for its work, including providing shopping guides to show how to rearrange what people are eating to avoid GMOs in their diet.
Spittler’s husband is in remission after battling advanced cancer, and she said they read all of their food labels. She said she supported the measure.
Community member Elizabeth Weiss asked the council to endorse it
Weiss said it’s not a ban on GMOs, “just a little bit of ink” to help give consumers a choice.
Leslie Sheridan told the council that the opponents to Proposition 37 are the same companies that covered up for cigarettes, DDT and Agent Orange. “Why would we trust them?”
Sheridan said GMO labeling is done in other countries, and she questioned why the Food and Drug Administration is not protecting citizens, then pointed out that there is a “revolving door” between the FDA and many of the companies opposing the measure. She said the fox is guarding the hen house.
Haji Warf of Upper Lake, a committee member, said grocery bills won’t go up if the initiative passes. That’s a fallacy she said resulted from a study done by consultants hired by Proposition 37’s opponents.
She said the suggestion that grocery bills would rise dramatically was based on a faulty assumption – that all farmers would switch to organic.
“That’s not even remotely realistic,” said Warf, adding that labeling has been done in more than 60 countries.
Council member Judy Thein said she personally supported Proposition 37, but added that the council hadn’t heard from the other side.
Thein said she didn’t support the council giving the statewide measure an official enforcement, a stance with which Council member Joyce Overton agreed.
Spittler said she’s studied both sides of the issue and wanted to support the proposition.
Mayor Joey Luiz said he also supported Proposition 37 and wanted to give it a statement of support.
But with Giambruno absent, the motion to support the proposition came down to a 2-2 vote – Luiz and Spittler for, Overton and Thein against – and the motion died.
In other business, the council voted 4-0 to accept an ordinance that will regulate taxi cabs and for-hire vehicles in the city.
The ordinance requires operator permitting, vehicle registration and safety inspections, increased insurance requirements, standards for operation and driver conduct, and maximum rates per mile and per minute of waiting time.
City Manager Joan Phillipe said city staff will be contacting taxi operators in the city and assisting them with going through the process to be in compliance.
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