Kauai Council takes on big ag

The will-they-or-won’t-they question about the fate of the genetically modified organism (GMO) agricultural regulations on Kauai has been answered: They did.

The Kauai County Council has approved a bill that does not ban GMO farming but enacts modest buffer zones to govern where restricted-use pesticides could be applied and requires more transparency about their use.

The mayor said he’s considering whether to sign it, but it looks like the bill had a veto-proof majority. So that brings up at least three key questions: How thoroughly will the county (and its citizen watchdogs) enforce it? Will other counties, starting with the Hawaii County Council, do the same?

Third (and we may not have to wait long for this): What will be the ag companies’ next steps?

There’s money in that saimin stand

Chronic budget deficits in the University of Hawaii’s Athletics Department stem in part from its lopsided deal with Aloha Stadium. UH pays to use the facility, attracting thousands of football fans to the venue, for example, but derives no revenue from concession sales and signage contracts during those games.

So it’s welcome news that revamping UH’s cost-sharing agreement with the stadium is a high priority for the state’s new Sports Development Initiative, headed by Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui. If Athletics is ever going to pay its own way, it needs the kind of moneymaking opportunities that are common at other universities.