Swing Smith aka Jeffrey M. Smith was the Ford & Willie Show’s star witness on Monday for the hearing on Hawaii County Bill 113 effectively a GMO ban which will kill and strangle agriculture and any public research being done for niche agriculture crops on Hawaii Island…Let’s not forget it will slaughter the livestock industries options!
Was it Brenda Ford or Margaret Willie who organized the Skype call, we had to endure almost 1 hour of his nonsense, it was pure testimony not expert witness since he clearly is NOT an expert….His lack of credentials are below for your amusement, “Swing dancing” I particularly like that one, does that mean I’m a scientist because I can isolate DNA from a papaya with dish soap?
We have established he is an expert in Swing dancing and a self-appointed activist and gmo expert with ABSOLUTELY no
training or credentials..unless you consider yogic flying, by the way WTF is Yogic flying? If he can fly why wasn’t he at the actual Council meeting instead of Arizona? Which brings us to another point who is running this circus of a County Council debacle dubbed by many in the community as the “Ford & Willie Show” ?
Who wrote Margaret’s’ questions? That wasn’t the Willie we saw the previous hearings? Is it Nancy Redfeather who reportedly claims the initial authorship of Bill 113 or maybe it was Melanie Bondera, Una Greenway or the Occupy movement; we’re not sure who authored it and frankly do not care for it’s a train wreck for Hawaii Island, a potential legal disaster and an economic wreck if passed. The only congratulations the Ford & Willie Show get is in orchestrating Bills that are ripping this community apart and threaten our Food Security and food sustainability.
Farmers and Ranchers in Hawaii deserve the right and choice to grow safe, affordable food! Why must we become an agritourism stop and only grow high-end specialty crops to feed food elitists & not the average working man or woman; which is exactly who we are and who most farmers strive to feed, their community!
We do not need laws to legislate the economy and consumer choices that occurs on its own and not at the Hawaii county Council podium. Council members are elected to serve their community. Start serving YOUR entire community and let’s stop the “Ford & Willie Show” and cease any re-runs. Calling experts such as an Ob/gyn who is against vaccinations and Jeffrey Smith make the Hawaii county council look like a farce….
Jeffrey M. Smith lots of juicy bits below but nothing credible except a model for making activism a career that seems to pay him well. I know ranchers who would like to learn this Yogic flying that way they don’t have to open gates and use the pick up trucks. Next time Jeffrey why not fly in since your such an expert. I’m not sorry for the sarcasm this is beyond old, there were 8 Public University scientists who sat in the audience only to be ignored while we listened to this type of baloney!
Cease the “Ford & Willie Show” it is making Hawaii look bad, hurting our Farmers and costing taxpayers money!
Swing Jeffrey M. Smith (born 1956) is a self-published American author, independent film producer, professional dance instructor and former politician known for his work in transcendental meditation and yogic flying, Swing dance/Lindy Hop swing dance and Activism|activism in opposition to Genetically modified organisms (GMOs). He ran for the U.S. Congress as a candidate for the Natural Law Party (United_States), has authored several books, DVDs and a movie on the dangers of genetic engineering,[1] serves on the Genetic Engineering Committee of the Sierra Club, and is a frequent conference speaker at advocacy, alternative health, organic and natural products conferences and his work is promoted on such nationally syndicated television programs as The Dr. Oz Show. Smith claims to have a background in communications and marketing,[2] has served as an occasional contributor to his local newspaper[3] and attended school at the Maharishi Institute of Management in Fairfield, Iowa where he resides.
Career
There are few published details on Smith’s professional life prior to his joining with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi movement and affiliated Natural Law Party in 1992 and his campaigns against GMOs starting in 1999. Other than his time as a professional swing dance instructor, Jeffrey Smith has been a political activist, marketing and business development director and issues activist/author oriented around ventures linked to the multi-billion dollar Maharishi Institute religion[4] and has no other reported education background or other credentials.
Natural Law Party political activism
Jeffrey Smith yogic flying demonstration
Jeffrey Smith, listing his occupation as “teacher” was a frequent donor to the Natural Law Party starting with its founding in 1992.Jeffrey Smith campaigned in 1996 for the Maharishi Mahesh’s Natural Law Party platform promoting transcendental meditation and yogic flying, taught and practiced at the Maharishi Institute, as a foundation for achieving world peace in politics. At campaign events in Illinois on behalf of Natural Law Party senate candidate Jim Davis, Smith provided demonstrations of yogic flying claiming the acts would “reduce crime and other ills.” Smith claimed. to have done yogic flying demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol, World Bank and United Nations as part of his campaign efforts in support of Natural Law Party candidates and promoting the adoption of teaching transcendental meditation in public schools.[6] At campaign events Smith presented charts he claimed showed mass meditation and yogic flying lowered the crime rate in Washington, D.C., by 21 percent in a demonstration project. [7] Running on a platform promoting transcendental meditation and yogic flying in 1998, Smith was the Natural Law Party candidate for U.S. Congress in Iowa’s First District. Smith received 8 percent of the vote, losing to Republican Jim Leach.[8] Other Natural Law Party proposed platform policies promoted by Smith’s campaign included the widespread adoption of organic agriculture, an 18 percent flat-tax, and creating “macro-economic stability through increased social coherence” by having tens of thousands of practitioners of transcendental meditation that would reduce unemployment, decrease inflation and improve other economic factors.[9]
Swing Smith dance professional
Jeffrey and Andrea Smith
With his wife Andrea Vardi, Jeffry Smith has performed and provided instruction in swing dance under the professional name Swing Smith since 1996 teaching students at the University of Iowa[10] and continues via the group “Lindy Fairfield” today[11]. In 1999 the Smith duo founded Swingphoria, a Lindy Hop performance group, which performed around the Midwest.[12]
Genetic ID, GMO testing laboratory
Smith worked from 1999 – 2001 as the vice president for marketing, communications and business development for the Fairfield, IA-based GMO testing laboratory Genetic-ID. Genetic-ID was founded by John Fagan, a dean and teacher at the Maharishi Institute, with Bill Witherspoon, a Midwest organizer for the Maharishi movement[13],[14] and Jay B. Marcus, an attorney representing various Maharishi vedic health and organic food business interests.[15] At Genetic-ID Smith traveled around the globe promoting food testing for and labeling of GMOs in food, personally asserting they were dangerous.[16] Smith promoted Genetic-ID services to organic food companies[17], governments and activists groups[18] who opposed genetically modified foods. [19] Genetic-ID has become a partner in the Non-GMO Project campaign linked to Maharishi follower Ken Roseboro’s Organic and Non-GMO Report.
YES! Books
Yes! Books in Fairfield, IA has published two books by Jeffrey Smith starting with Seeds of Deception in 2003[20], and was established as a retail book store in 2004;[21] however, there are no formal business registrations for this book publisher name with the Iowa Secretary of State. Yes! Books is co-located with Jeffrey Smith’s Institute for Social Responsibility[22], and its product offerings appear limited to various anti-GMO authored content and Smith’s self-published publications, DVDs and “Non-GMO Educational Materials” promotional pamphlets.[23] Smith’s wife Andrea Vardi serves as the media contact for Yes! Books and Smith’s public appearances promoting his books.[24] Publishing under the banner of Yes! Books, Smith claims to be an international “best selling” author for his books; however, none appear verified on any such best sellerlists documenting sales.
Institute for Responsible Technology
Jeffrey Smith is currently the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, an organization he founded in 2003. According to a 2008 Reuters report, Smith’s Institute derives its income, for which he is paid a $24,000 annual salary[25], through speakers fees, book and DVD sales and sponsor donations for his advocacy efforts.[26] From 2004-2012 the Institute was listed as the “fictitious” business name for and operated as a project of “The Coordinating Council,”[27] a registered non-profit organization claiming no income or expenses from 2004-2007 and originally registered in Washington, State by nutraceutical lobbyist and health supplement salesman Craig Winters[28],[29] as the umbrella organization for The Campaign to Label Genetically Modified Foods political ballot initiative in that state. Smith is the only listed member and sole employee for this organization. The Institute for Social Responsibility was created as a stand-alone tax-exempt, non-profit arm in 2012[30] Sponsoring donors listed on his website included: Organic Valley, Joe Mercola, Natural News/Mike Adams, Eden Organic, Nutiva, Nature’s Path Organic, WestSoy, EO, Earth’s Best Organic, New Chapter Organics, Rudis Organic Bakery, Silk, and various other organic and alternative health companies.
Criticism
Several academics have launched campaigns[31] to dissect and review Jeffrey Smith’s claims and criticize organizations and media outlets who report on his claims.[32] Other skeptics of Smith’s attacks on genetically modified crops have called his assertions “pseudoscience” and have generally discounted the transcendental meditation and yogic flying bases of his claims[33][34][35] due to the lack of quality research and a lack of methodological rigor in Smith’s claims.[36][37][38]
Personal
Jeffrey Smith grew up in New York City and then attended school at the Maharishi Institute for Management and has been cited as an expert in yogic flying. From 1983 – 1988, as part of the Ministry of Celebration and Fulfillment, Smith studied in the business administration school’s Purusha[39][40][41] program for the TM-Sidhi program approach to advanced meditation. Smith is credited with helping form the core of the U.S. “national Maharishi Effect|Super Radiance community” with TM and yogic flying demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol, World Bank and United Nations.[42] In 2002 (around the same time period in which he claims to have been an international best selling author) Smith filed Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy in Iowa Federal Court.[43] He resides in Fairfield, IA with his wife artist, jewelry maker and dance instructor Andrea Vardi (Maharishi Institute ’78).[44]
Bibliography
Books
Smith, Jeffrey M (2003). Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating. Fairfield, IA: YES! Books (self published). ISBN 978-0-8144-1622-8.
Smith, Jeffrey M (2007). Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods. Fairfield, IA. ISBN 978-0972966528.
Smith, Jeffrey M (2003). Hard to Swallow: The Dangers of GE Food – An International Expose. Nelson, New Zealand: Craig Potton. ISBN 978-1877333118.
[edit] Filmography
Cite movie |last=Smith |first=Jeffrey M |title= Genetic Roulette the Movie |studio=Institute for Responsible Technology |location=Fairfield, IA |year=2012 |ASIN= B0096DP4CG
Cite movie |last=Smith |first=Jeffrey M |title= Dangers in Kids’ Meals and Your Milk on Drugs —Just Say No! a DVD|studio=Institute for Responsible Technology |location=Fairfield, IA |year=2008 |ASIN= 0972966560
Farmers 4 Choice 