Voter Forum- Make your Voice Heard!

2012 State Races (click previous for all info) Hualalai Academy Auditorium
Make agriculture a focus and attend these. Suggested questions below:

Next Forum:  STATE SENATE Districts 3 and 4
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Suggested questions include:
 **In the almost 2 years since CBB was discovered in Kona, the Hawaii Dept of Ag has failed to recognize CBB as a serious emergency and has failed to assign an entomologist on the ground in Kona to help farmers develop a science-based CBB mitigation program.  If you are elected, what will you do focus the State’s attention on this emergency?

**Hawaii is the only region anywhere in the world that authorizes the use the name of one of its specialty agriculture products with only 10% genuine content. If elected, what will you do to put an end to the misuse of the Kona name in the marketing of “Kona coffee blends”?

**The Hawaii Department of Agriculture holds the trademark for “100% Kona coffee”, but the State has not used its trademark rights to combat the counterfeiting of Kona coffee on the Mainland.  If elected, what will you do to encourage the State to affirmatively combat Mainland counterfeiting?

**If elected will you pledge to serve only 100% Hawaiian-grown coffees at events sponsored by your office?

**Far too few restaurants in Kona offer 100% Kona coffee on their menus.  If elected, what will you do to encourage restaurants to place 100% Kona as at least one of the coffee offerings on their menus?

**Many West Hawaii resorts are changing visitors up to $500 or more per day, but providing 10% Kona coffee blends in those rooms. If elected, will you affirmatively encourage resorts to support coffee farmers by providing 100% Kona coffee to visitors?

**If elected, what will you do to promote Kona coffee and other Hawaii County agriculture products?