Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Politically Modified Organism Makes Money Grow on Trees for Hawaii Anti-GMO Activist
By Andrew Walden @ 10:10 PM :: 6940 Views :: National News, Ethics, GMOs

by Andrew Walden

When Dan Inouye was among the living, Hawaii could always count on juicy revelations in Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn's annual government "Wastebook."

But those days are gone.  Now Coburn's newly released “2014 Wastebook” has only one sad and lonely reference to federal spending on “silly, unnecessary, and low priority projects” in Hawaii.   

Coburn explains, the USDA Value-Added Producer program "offloads some of the burden for producing and marketing locally grown products, and places it on the backs of taxpayers. This fiscal year, the USDA provided $4.5 million in grants to 28 recipients in 20 states, and footed the bill for all kinds of operating costs that are normally born by the businesses.  While the USDA says grants are awarded on a 'competitive basis,' it seems that politics may also have contributed....  (A) company in Hawaii even received taxpayer funds to produce mead from tropical fruit."

The USDA gave away three "Value-Added Producer Grants" totaling $91,822 to Hawaii agricultural businesses for 2014.   Coburn's Wastebook calls out the $22,322 given to "Double Spirals on Tap, LLC" for the mead project.  According to the USDA Grant announcement, "Rural Development funds will be used to conduct a feasibility study and business plan for a tropical fruit grower to produce mead.  Additional farmer, apiarist (honey producer) will benefit by use of his honey in the mead production."

In other words, your tax dollars will pay Double Spiral to bring in a bee hive to pollinate the fruit trees in their garden.  To score the federal bucks, they will ferment a glass of mead from the honey and write a report about it.

A search of BREG shows that "Double Spirals on Tap" is owned by Melanie and Colehour Bondera.  Melanie Bondera, who did not respond to a request for comment, introduced herself as "the Director of the USDA Cooperative Center in Hawaii" when testifying against GMO Papaya farmers before the Hawaii County Council in September, 2013. 

According to its website, the USDA Cooperative Services Program administers Value Added Producer Grants.

Money doesn't grow on trees--unless you are a self-dealing anti-GMO activist with a politically modified double spiral. 

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii