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PLEASE HELP THE OREGON CAMPAIGN TO LABEL GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS!
Ballot Initiative in Final Days of Campaign: Deadline July 5
For the past two years, the Oregon Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods has been working tirelessly to put a ballot initiative on the Oregon ballot in 2002 that would require the labeling of all genetically engineered foods that are grown in Oregon or sold in Oregon.
Ballot initiatives allow the voters, rather than the state government, to enact laws. To get an initiative on the Oregon ballot, petitioners must gather enough voter signatures to satisfy state legal requirements. Once these requirements are fulfilled, the initiative appears on the ballot, and the voters vote for it or against it. If a majority approves it, the measure becomes law.
The Oregon Campaign has gathered 82,000 signatures so far—a very impressive achievement—but needs another 10,000 before the state deadline of July 5 in order to ensure enough valid signatures to get the GE initiative on the ballot. With only two weeks left for signature gathering, the Campaign needs your help (see below).
The ballot initiative was created from the draft Congressional legislation presented by Dr. John Hagelin at the July 1999 GE Summit in Washington, D.C., that was organized by Mothers for Natural Law. Getting this initiative on the ballot would
- create an unprecedented opportunity to educate the public about the hazards of GE foods and the benefits of organic food
- set a precedent for similar ballot initiatives in other states
- significantly boost the national initiative to label GE foods
- alert other countries that not all Americans favor GE foods
Contributors have already invested $50,000 in the Campaign, and volunteers have invested many long hours in signature gathering. Please help ensure that this effort succeeds.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Volunteer to collect signatures. You can gather signatures anywhere in the state, and you don’t need to be a resident of Oregon to do so. You can gather signatures full-time or part-time, and your participation will make a major difference. The Campaign needs non-paid volunteers but is willing to pay signature gatherers if necessary. Please call Donna Harris or Parker at 503-892-9393 or e-mail donnaharris@hotmail.com.
- Give a donation to the Campaign. Even $25 pays for about 50 signatures, so any amount will be deeply appreciated. The cost to collect 10,000 more signatures by July 5 will be about $6,000–8,000. You do not need to be an Oregon resident to contribute. Contributors can send checks made out to “OCCSF” to:
Oregon Concerned Citizens for Safe Foods
(or OCCSF)
3109 SW Dolph Ct.
Portland, OR 97219
For more information, please call 503-892-9393 or visit the Campaign website at
http://www.labelgefoods.org
- Tell your family and friends in Oregon about the Campaign. Encourage them to support the campaign by volunteering, contributing, or alerting their friends.
- Send letters to the editors of the Oregon newspapers to support the Campaign and the need for labeling GE foods.
Please do everything you can to help the Oregon campaign. Thank you in advance for your timely and generous support.
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