[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
Action Alert
I do not feel Organic growers in Ca. should have to pay to grow extra money
to grow organic.
Redirect Funding To Support Alternatives to Pesticides and California's
Organic Farmers
California's pesticide 'mil tax" the major funding source for the state's
pesticide regulation programs, is slated to be cut in half this year. During
the current session, the California legislature will take up bills to
reauthorize the 'mil tax' and determine both the level and use of the tax.
Members of the sustainable community believe that a significant portion of
mil tax money should be dedicated to the pesticide-use reduction. Organic
farmers are advocating that California's organic growers be supported by
the State for their significant contribution in pesticide-use reduction and
not burdened with a registration fee to the California Department of Food
and Agriculture's (CDFA) California Organic Program (COP) . Encouraging
organic farming in California is one of the best strategies for reducing
pesticide use in the state. With your help we can eliminate registration
fees for the California Organic Program and substitute COP funding with
pesticide mil taxes.
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Chemical companies and other lobbyists will be working hard to gut funding
for programs that help farmers adopt environmentally sound farming
practices. Farmers,environmentalists,and other concerned citizens are
working together to maintain mil tax funding and redirect it to support
alternative pest management approaches. You can be part of the solution by
contacting a Ca. state representative.
WHAT WE NEED
Please write a letter to your /and or a Ca. Senator and/or Assembly Member.
A brief informal note is fine-the most important thing is that your voice be
heard.
WHAT ELSE YOU CAN-DO
Share this alert with others and encourage them to write.
Send a copy of your letter to a local newspaper
Meet with your legislator in Ca. CCOF is a member of California Sustainable
Agriculture Working Group (SAWG). California SAWG can help you set up and
prepare for the meeting . Meeting are currently being arranged in several
counties-contact Nadine at CCOF right away if your interested.
Also if you can find a CA. state Senator and /or Assembly member on the
internet please send them Email. Let your voice be heard.
Letter Writing and Email tips
Keep it short,simple and to the point
Identify yourself as organic grower ,voter in your representatives district etc.
Urge him/her to support legislation that earmarks a percentage of mil tax
revenues for programs that develop and extend alternative farm management
techniques, like Biologically Integrated Farming Systems(BIFS)
Recommend that he/she advocate elimination of the registration fees to the
California Organic Program by substituting funding with pesticide mil taxes.
Ask for a prompt written response. Example: (Please let me know if I can
count on your support of these programs)
Send your letter to
The Honorable (name of Senator and/or Assembly Member)
State Capitol ,Sacramento,Ca. 95814
Crucial legislators include:
Senate Agriculture and Water Resources Committee:
Ayala,Costa,Craven,Johannessen,Johson,Kelly,Kopp,Mello,Monteith,Rogers,Thomp
son,Wright.
Assembly Agriculture Committee:
Alpert,Bates,Battin,Bordonaro,Brown,Brulte,Cannella,Cortese,Friedman,Frusett
a,Granlund,Harvey,Hog,Lee,McPherson,Vasconcelos.
Assembly Appropriations Committee:
Ackerman,Aguiar,Archie-Hudson,Baldwin,Bordonara,Brewer,Brown,Burton,Cannella
,Friedman,Galegos,House,Martinez,Morrissey,Morrow,Olberg,Poochigian,Rogan,Ta
kasugi,Thompson,Villaraigosa
Key Senators:
Costa(Fresno,Kern,Madera,Tulare,Kings)
Johnson (Sacramento,San Juaquin)
Maddy {Fresno,Kern,Tulare}
O'Connell {San Luis Obispo,Santa Barbara)
Thompson(parts of Humboldt,Mendocino,Napa)
Note: This alert was developed based on one written by CCOF,California
Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and California Sustainable Agriculture
Working Group (SAWG)
http://www.rain.org/~sals/my.html
a homepage for organic farmers
sals@rain.org