In the face of shocking testimony and public outrage, the Hawaii County
Council Finance Committee voted 42 in favor of accepting a U.S. "Drug
War" grant for Marijuana Eradication on Mon., June 16.
Over 40 people turned out to testify against the Eradication Program,
detailing abuses and violations of privacy, and speaking out in favor of
Cannabis decriminalization. Some of the horror stories related to aerial
spraying of pesticides, including detrimental health effects such as
burning eyes and lung tissue, dead pets, and even destroyed private
orchards! One elderly woman stated emphatically "We resent being treated
like TERMITES and eradicated!" to which Councilman Santangelo responded
that this new grant did not include any aerial spraying ( which turned out
to be a LIE upon examining the contract later in the afternoon).
Other citizens announced their opposition to the "POLICE STATE" which
Eradication facilitates, along with violations of the U.S. Bill of
Rights.
Gisela KrammerColeman, a 59yo Holocaust survivor stated "TheEradication
Program promotes war on people and entices the police into corruption. It
is about police power and the abuse of it, about fear and forfeiture,
about the breach of civil rights."
After having her farm raided and ransacked by the Eradicator Squads, on
a false warrant, she came to the council to warn the community that we are
one step closer to a Nazistyle totalitarian system, with a subversion of
our guaranteed checks, balances, and civil rights by the "Drug War"terror.
Medical doctors, economists, farmers, veterans, and locals all expressed
their opposition to the War on Marijuana for various reasons, taking up
the majority of the day's testimony in the Council Special Session.
During the dialogue with Council members, both Councilman Santangelo and
Councilwoman LeitheadTodd admitted to having smoked marijuana in their
earlier days, when they were "wild". Councilman Santangelo, plagued by
rumours that he once was a Marijuana grower himself, even admitted
"I was young and I had grown!" Both later voted in support
of Eradication, revealing the classic politician's willingness to sellout
at the expense of their neighbors and constituents.

In the afternoon the DEA and Cops began their huddled, mumbling
testimony, which came off seeming disjointed, defensive, and poorly
prepared. The questions surrounding the flow of multimillion dollar slush
funds and forfeitures left the Cops squirming and scrambling to cover
their cookie jars. It appears that the funding flow is so lax that there
is little documentation for public presentation.
Glenn Robinette, a community activist, earlier made a thoroughly
entertaining presentation of some of the Cops' expenditure receipts, which
almost always contained large quantites of Gourmet Pastry!
Hawaii is in serious need of MEDIA INVESTIGATORS to find out where all,
of these millions of dollars worth of WEED, federal funds, and
forfeitures/seizures are GOING! Come on, 60 Minutes, Hard Copy, anyone?

One conclusion of the day's testimony and Council discussion is that
LEGAL QUESTIONS surrounding mandated PROGRAM REVIEWS/AUDITS are still up
in the air, with activists claiming that the Eradication Program is
operating illegaly, and Council admitting that the Program Reviews are
"longoverdue", promising to pursue one AFTER THEIR VOTE OF APPROVAL. A
Program Review is mandated every 4 years,the Eradication Program has been
operating without one for 16 years, with previous reviews postponed under
suspicious circumstances. In other words, the Council voted to support a
highimpact program with NO CHECKS AND BALANCES, in a State where police
corruption is rampant!
Councilman Curtis was the one stalwart man of conscience, trying to
defer the vote until completion of Program Review, which failed 34.
Councilman Curtis stated that he "Would rrather err on the side of
Constitutionally guaranteed rights" than on possible loss of federal
police grants. None of the other Councilmemebrs seemed willing to question
the priorities of the Police Chief and DEA present.

News coverage was widespread and slanted toward the ProMarijuana
public, with much publicity given to our "POT Party" on the porch of the
Council chambers at lunch, in which some of us smoked on TV, we served
hempseed ice cream and hempseed carrot cake with hempseed coffee.The
propaganda victory goes to Cannabis Liberation. The federal funding still
must be approved by the full Council. Community and expert input
forthcoming, with one chink in the armor of the DEA pried away.

This is occuring in an island culture where marijauna is openly smoked
on the streets, in homes, in fact is a backbone of the local culture.
Marijuana is heralded even on the popular commercial radio stations in
song and comedy, marijuana growing equipt. is sold at every hardware
store, even ACE, is worn on Tshirts and commonly acknowledged in the
media as a primary cashcrop.

Please send comments and expert testimony to :

Honolulu Advertiser Fax (808) 9357855
Honolulu StarBulletin Fax (808) 9351012
KPUA Am Fax (808) 9357761


In Beauty and Buds,

BZ Browzer

purefire@interpac.net