Paul McCartney and Measure 27: The Movie!

CS>Fw: Paul McCartney + Measure 27: The Movie!:

Measure 27 Gets Backed by A Beatle

Jeff Brady

PORTLAND, OR 2002-10-24 (OPB Radio) - Backers of a measure to require
labels on genetically engineered food have gotten a boost from Former
Beatle Paul McCartney. He's recorded the group's first radio commercial,
which started airing Thursday.

McCartney's on a cell phone and the sound is kind of scratchy, but
Measure 27's supporters are very excited to have the former Beatle on
their side.

Paul McCartney: Hi, this is Paul McCartney here and I'm calling to show
my support for Yes on 27 the resolution to label genetically engineered
food.

McCartney was in Portland last week for a concert. He contacted some
Measure 27 supporters who asked him to record the radio commercial.

Paul McCartney: Back in Europe we have that choice. Our food is labeled
and it hasn't increased any costs for the consumer or the farmer

The ad will run on radio stations throughout the state, but backers say
not as often as their opponents' ads are airing. Those opposed to
Measure 27 have a lot more money. 

Backers also received a boost from an Oregon State University report
that analyzed the cost of the measure. OSU Economics Professor Bill
Jaeger concluded that opponents' had severely overestimated how much
Measure 27 would cost the government and consumers.

Bill Jaeger: I think they're highly exaggerated and I don't think they
come from, what I would consider to be an authoritative or carefully
done economic analysis.

Jaeger found a family of four would spend between 12 and 40 dollars a
year more on food if the measure passes. That's much less than the 550
dollars a year Measure 27's opponents estimate. While opponents were not
available to comment on tape, they did say Jaeger's estimates are lower
because he's interpreting the language in the measure too narrowly. They
contend the measure's language is so broad that the labeling requirement
would apply to things the sponsors never intended such as restaurant
food.

Jaeger admits the language in Measure 27 is vague on some issues
including the restaurant question.

One of Measure 27's sponsors, Katelyn Lord, says the proposal will not
apply to restaurants if it passes. Lord says she and her co-petitioner
will fight any effort to include restaurants.

Katelyn Lord: Anyone who's coming in and saying, We think that you
should interpret it this way would have a very, very high hill to climb,
legally. And I don't know who has an interest in doing that. I have not
met one person who has an interest in doing that.

The Oregon legislature and the state Department of Agriculture will have
the final say over the scope of the measure if it passes. 

Meanwhile state officials are investigating allegations that a Corvallis
food cooperative may have violated state election law by giving its
customer discounts if they worked to pass Measure 27. A member of the
co-op filed the complaint after learning customers working on the
campaign were being given a 15-percent discount.

It's difficult to say how voters are leaning on Measure 27. Nationally,
polls show people support labeling GE food. But two local polls
conducted by newspapers and TV stations indicated mixed results on the
measure.