Sanet Post, Sal Schettino, November 19, 1996

I feel the whole world is asking for genetically engineered stuff to be label from the time the gov. let farmers inject cows with a genetically engineered growth hormone and not label till now. People want a choice. I heard on tv tonight the gov was injecting people with plutonium and not telling them so we want a choice we want to be told . We are tired of being the white mice. I am for full discloser for organic farmer and everyone else. Let the people know what is going on with the food they eat and feed to their babies. Don't single out the poor organic farmer for extra taxes and paper work without making every one walk that same straight line.

When I started farming many years ago people just trusted you when you said you were organic. Then about 10 or so years ago my customers told me I should get certified. I went to CCOF because they were the best and I know farmers that they certified. They have checked my books and have sent a trained inspector to walk my land every year for ten years . My customers had confidence in CCOF and well they should. This is a example of an industry regulating itself voluntary. Then the big scare. We need to be protected from the dishonest organic farmers. Da aa What a joke. So the State of Ca. forced us to pay a organic tax if we sell organic. I think they got us for well over 200,000 dollars and maybe found 2 dishonest people . That is about 100,000 a person . I may be off but if someone has the real figures please post them. Its been 3 or more years now so check it out. you see they have been making all the good organic farmers pay a tax for the few bad apples. No fair. I fear not being able to afford to be organic more than I fear these few dishonest people. I feel the State is wrong charging us money to grow and sell organic. Every organic farmer I know is more than a little honest and the state should not levi an extra tax them . Now you say we need the feds to get into the act. I'm not convinced that the folks that are pro chemical pro gene altering pro methyl bromine pro melathion spraying should be the over seeers of organic farming. They stand for a lot of things I am against. it has taken them over 6 years and they still cannot come up with a standard of what organic is. These are not the folks I want to bow to and say yes you are the God of organic farmers. Sorry ! Sure if they make the law I will pay and do what they say for I will follow the law and have but I don't feel they have a right to make organic farmers keep track of everything they sell and to whom and not make gene tinkers do the same. I don't think they should be able to make organic farmers separate our product and yet say the gene tinkers you don't have to separate and keep books because it to much of a burden on the gene jockeys. I think there is a conflict of interest here. I think they are the wrong folks to be regulating organic farmers. I don't think they should tell us what not to do while they are doing it like mad men. . Hey if it is wrong for me its wrong for you too. I don't think the law in Ca. fostered the evolution and growth of organic farming in fact a lot of folks quit because of this double taxation.We don't need regulation and taxation we need education and support. This Gene label thing only points out to me how two face the government can be. I think you are wrong about organic farmers being so dishonest that they should be taxed extra and do extra paper work. I think they have principles in fact that is where the principles came from. its not a case of throw the baby out with the bath water its more a case of drowning the baby in too much bath water and the baby was not all that dirty to begin with. I don't see charging me a extra tax and making me do even more book work levels the playing field or protects the honest committed grower. Sorry Charles I understand where you are comming from but I don't want to go there unless I am forced too. I don't want to give up one cent more to grow and sell organic because I don't feel I am doing anything wrong. Question how many folks do I have to pay off to farm organic and sell organic ? I vote for none not one cent. . Thats my view of reality.