A.G. Kawamura Lies Again About LBAM Spray, Continues To Dig Own Grave
Saturday 10 May 2008 | LBAM Spray Bay Area
We’ve been keeping track of Ag. Secretary A.G. Kawamura’s mounting total of lies to the public. Here’s his latest intentionally deceptive statement:
“I urge all Bay Area families to remember this eradication is based on the best science; a decade of worldwide aerial pheromone applications shows no indication of human health threats and I assure them that a product for aerial treatment in 2008 will not be chosen until it is proven safe to people, pets and the environment. I also encourage everyone rely on scientifically proven research and ignore false information that causes an alarming amount of unwarranted fear.”
To take it apart:
1) It’s not an eradication. Former CDFA and USDA workers have stepped forward to state that use of pheromones is a control measure, not an eradication measure.
2) The pesticide/pheromone compound Checkmate has absolutely not been in use for 10 years over urban populations nor has any new formula they intend to test on the people of California.
3) Following the aerial spraying in 2007, the government, in fact, received 643 reports from sickened families. Subsequent reports have been issued documenting the deaths of birds, bees, fish, cats, dogs and rabbits. CDFA has abundant evidence at their disposal now proving that their product is toxic and deadly to humans and animals.
Yet, he keeps lying, and insulting the intelligence of Californians by urging us to believe in him - a lawbreaker who was convicted by the Superior Court of violating CEQA - rather than believing the expert testimony of disinterested parties including scientists, doctors and statisticians. A.G. Kawamura urges us all to rely on scientific research, while CDFA turns a blind eye to all of the scientists who are reporting the harm of this spraying.
A.G. Kawamura is saying that major media like CBS 5 is very foolish for documenting the harm that has been done on the Central Coast and demonstrating how 7 million people will be harmed if the spraying resumes this year. CBS, alone, has caught Kawamura lying on film half a dozen times, to my recollection.
A.G. Kawamura also patronizes the intelligence of hundreds of informed parents who are on the move, marching, demanding that their children not be subjected to deadly pesticides and PM10 pollution.
All these silly people, spreading misinformation across the web, across the state, just aren’t as smart as A.G., apparently. I don’t know that I’ve ever encountered a more arrogant person than this lawless, deceitful secretary.
“USDA’s Credibility Is At Stake,” proclaims California Farmer editor, Len Richardson, shedding light on the fact that while CDFA is lying to us, they are blackmailing the farmers who grow our food. From this must-read article:
California is under the same USDA quarantine list (read: blackmail) as other countries. Go along with it, or you can’t export — no matter that USDA will spend another $75 million (for spraying) that could be better spent elsewhere, and spraying has already made people sick.
Who, in their right mind, would trust an agency that creates an illegal emergency to gain millions in federal funding, puts unwarranted quarantines on organic farmers, promulgates the ludicrous concept that inhaling pesticide is fine for people and then looks the other way when the reports of irreparable damage start flooding in from all sides? I would take editor Len Richardson’s statement one step further. CDFA and USDA’s names are mud now in California. I can think of no other agencies so deeply mistrusted, criticized and despised here. Everyone I know has now had it up-to-here with the deceit and the patronizing urgings that we ‘trust’ these failed agencies.
“I encourage you to keep the pressure on,” says state senate candidate, Joe Nation. “This is the beginning of the end of pesticide use in California.”
Vegan Reader supports this goal, and we hope it is also the beginning of the end of A.G. Kawamura’s shameful career as a ‘public servant’.
Saturday 10 May 2008 | admin | LBAM Spray Bay Area |

“The beginning of the end of pesticides in California” …YES!
Great job Mim!
Sorry … “pesticide use in California”
I’m with you, Mary Ann!
Thousands and thousands of years worth of farming without pesticides and then this…this marketed poison that is rapidly destroying the very basics of life for us all. Down with pesticides! Up with time-honored organic polyculture!
Mim
As much as we want this LBAM fight to be over with, it isn’t over with by a long shot.
This Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. at the City of Reedley Community Center, CDFA & Kawamura are meeting with the Fresno and Tulare County Farm Bureaus in order to hold an informational forum on LBAM. The meeting is closed to the media per Kawamura’s request. A news conference will follow the meeting.
So why the secrecy?
Kawamura likes to “spin” the facts, make unscientific assertions about the safety of the LBAM chemicals, and tell agricultural businesses that LBAM will devour the planet unless LBAM is stopped. OK, I stretched the planet part for drama but Kawamura continues to state LBAM will devour all sorts of plants, including redwood trees, which just isn’t true.
Kawamura continues to spin the LBAM chemicals are pheromones with no mention of any toxic inert ingredients and the microencapsulated plastic delivery system.
A single New Zealand Entomologist, Max Suckling, is making the LBAM Chemical decisions for California. Kawamura is a political appointee of Schwarzenegger’s because Kawamura contributed to his campaign. Kawamura has no scientific background, which he should have, so he is relying on Max Suckling to do the LBAM chemical selection for him.
Since CDFA & Kawamura are still spewing misinformation (a kind word for lies) and making Farm Bureau visits out to the Central Valley with meetings closed to the media so there is no published scrutiny, perhaps a petition is needed to get Kawamura removed from his position.
All of CDFA’s youtube videos have now been removed from the internet probably because of lawsuits. So, as much as we can, document, document, document for when the time comes and we decide to file lawsuits there will be plenty of evidence against the State of California and Department of Food and Agriculture.
It is my personal belief that the Courts are the only avenue that are going to stop the LBAM Project because the Courts are not political beasts. Which Court? More than likely Federal over State since this madness is being pushed by USDA & Washington, DC bureaucrats.
Hi BMP -
Wait - CDFA’s videos have disappeared from YouTube, or videos about CDFA have disappeared? Can you please clarify that for me? I had not heard this!
I want to add, I believe we may very well see this go to the Federal level. Yes, indeed, we have spent 80% of our time talking about CDFA, but we know these orders are coming from USDA, so we’ve got to go after them and make them abide by the law.
Thank you for your extremely informative comment. Your dedicated research continues to blow me away.
Mim
CDFA had posted a few of their own developed LBAM videos on youtube but now are removed. The videos were of Kawamura and LBAM. Here’s CDFA’s youtube website:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CDFAtoday