This is wonderful news coming from Hawaii; the Legislators and their bill drafters saw the merit in keeping almost all of the same language from the 2006 and 2007 New Mexico bills, especially regarding the states' rights and their obligation to protect citizens health, which are not "prempted by massive failures at the FDA.

These New Mexico bills were overwhelmed and eviscerated in New Mexico by some of the most vicious corporate lobbyists I have ever encountered, representing Ajinomoto of Japan, the world's largest manufacturer of both aspartame and MSG, as well as their duped American corporate henchmen/partners-in-poisoning who use massive amounts of Aspartame, like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Altria/Kraft Corporate Services, and others. The same corporations and even more will show up in Honolulu, make no mistake! Probably to include Wrigley's Gum, all of whose products contain aspartame, which is metabolized as methanol and formaldehyde.

These corporations have everything to lose if such bills advance and ultimately lead to the inevitable product liability and personal injury suits from those damaged by aspartame, which number in the hundreds of millions, despite their corporate serving propaganda and lies.

My profoundest appreciation goes to the numerous fine Hawaii activists who brought up these imperative issues, and to the Legislators, Senator J. Kalani English (Chairman of the International Committee), and Rep. Calvin Say (Speaker of the House), both Democrats, who see the merit and need to protect the health of all Hawaiians, no matter what duplicity is perpetuated by the top brass and corporate lackeys at the FDA. The Senate Bill is also cosponsored by Suzanne Chun-Oakland, Chairperson of the Senate Human Services Committee, and we sincerely commend these fine legislators for this pre-emptive and protective legislation.

I hope Hawaii Legislators don't capitulate to corporate-serving theories advanced by the corporate lobbyists that states do not have the right or power or obligation to challenge any kind of Federal authority, like an FDA pronouncement. When aspartame's history of approval is examined, it will be clear that the FDA Commissioner at the time, in 1981, was under a strong influence to approve this chemical, no matter who objected from the medical and scientific community, because the guy from Reagan's "Transition Team" who gave him the job, Donald Rumsfeld, had been CEO of the aspartame manufacturer, G.D. Searle. Rummy made $25 million of this deal alone!

Stephen Fox
Founder, New Millennium Fine Art
Managing Editor, Santa Fe Sun News

505 983-2002 stephen@santafefineart.com 217 W. Water St. Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501