Monday's Minnesota 2nd Congressional District Debate between candidates seeking the Republican endorsement for the open seat creating by the retirement of Congressman John Kline offered few surprises.
One big surprise? A new candidate took the stage: Gene Rechtzigel, who had filed paperwork for his bid with the Federal Election Commission that very day.
GMO Mosquitoes Threat Us All
The spanking new candidate's closing statement began with a revelation about the spread of the Zika virus in Brazil. After saying that health is an important issue, the Apple Valley resident said:
One example is the Zika virus down in Brazil. And...what the people aren't being told about the Zika virus. . .is that this mosquito didn't just happen on its own.
It is a generic modified mosquito that they thought that it would be good to create a male mosquito that would breed with the female mosquito and then the mosquitoes are supposed to die. But that didn't happen. Tetracycline [is] used a lot in Brazil in catfood, in animal foods and so on.
So these mosquitoes have used this tetracycline to stay alive and when they sting human beings, the human beings are getting Zika virus where pregnant women are giving birth to babies that have a small head.
GMO is having worse effects upon the people and we need to stop this because believe it or not, Florida is talking about releasing the same mosquitoes to fight other mosquitoes and so it could come to America. And I believe that is important.
GMO. I think Monsanto is out of control. Corn, soybeans, GMO! I believe we need to label what foods are GMO.
This is about freedom! People have a right to know what they're eating.They have a right to know what's in their food and they have a right to know it the food was raised free range or not. ...
Here's the clip, via The Uptake (update: we used our own embedded code for this post, but you now can view it as a stand-alone Youtube here on The Uptake's Youtube channel)
Rechtzigel's theory isn't original with him--and parts of the statement are grounded in fact. The Washington Post reports in What it would really take for GMO mosquitoes to stop Zika:
In the global rush to find a way to stop the spread of the Zika virus, a new player has emerged — a genetically modified mosquito whose developers claim it could be a game-changer. But while initial reports of the mosquito’s effectiveness at halting the disease seem promising, the GM bug is still quite a new item in the global arsenal of anti-mosquito weapons — and there are a number of factors that could determine whether it will really succeed.
The mosquito, a product of the British biotechnology company Oxitec, is designed to reduce populations of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — the species best known for carrying dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever and now Zika virus — using a relatively simple concept. Oxitec has introduced a “self destruct” gene into its mosquitoes that causes new generations of the bugs to die before they reach adulthood. Releasing batches of the modified insects and allowing them to mate with wild Aedes aegypti can knock out new generations and reduce mosquito populations.
The Oxitec mosquito has made it to field trials in several countries already, but the biggest ongoing project has taken place in Brazil, the epicenter of the current Zika crisis. Brazil is the first country in which the GM mosquito has made it out of field trials and been permitted for limited use as a control method. It’s currently deployed in the city of Piracicaba in what’s called the “Friendly Aedes aegypti” project, and is awaiting government safety approval for use throughout the country, according to Oxitec CEO Hadyn Parry.
The Oxitec mosquito has been the subject of numerous headlines in recent weeks — first, for its novelty as a disease control agent, but more recently as the subject of a conspiracy theory suggesting that the release of the GM bug in Brazil somehow helped cause the current Zika crisis. Experts have largely dismissed that theory, however, and focused on the GM insect’s potential to help stop the spread of the disease instead.
Read the rest at the Post. How does that conspiracy theory go? British tabloid The Mirror reported in Was Zika outbreak caused by release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Brazil?:
The Zika virus outbreak currently gripping the Americas could have been sparked by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in 2012, critics say.
The insects were engineered by biotechnology experts to combat the spread of dengue fever and other diseases and released into the general population of Brazil in 2012.
But with the World Health Organisation (WHO) now meeting in Geneva to desperately discuss cures for the Zika virus, speculation has mounted as to the cause of this sudden outbreak.
The Zika virus was first discovered in the 1950s but the recent outbreak has escalated alarmingly, causing birth defects and a range of health problems in South and central America. . . .
The Zika virus outbreak currently gripping the Americas could have been sparked by the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in 2012, critics say.
The insects were engineered by biotechnology experts to combat the spread of dengue fever and other diseases and released into the general population of Brazil in 2012.
But with the World Health Organisation (WHO) now meeting in Geneva to desperately discuss cures for the Zika virus, speculation has mounted as to the cause of this sudden outbreak.
The Zika virus was first discovered in the 1950s but the recent outbreak has escalated alarmingly, causing birth defects and a range of health problems in South and central America. . . .
Snopes outlines the larger narrative and deems the rumor, "unproven."
The Independent reports in Zika virus: Conspiracy theories about GMO mosquitoes and intentional infection spread as fears of disease grow:
Many of the conspiracy theories are wild and obviously untrue — but they could still lead to people dying.
Many of the biggest conspiracy theories are familiar: a shadowy network is spreading the virus, or people are being intentionally left to die.
But they can also have terrible effects. Many of the stories being spread demonise genuine efforts to get work done, and so could lead directly to people dying or the virus spreading further.
Read the entire article. It clearly debunks some of the many points of the conspiracy, while pointing out if this is a plan to depress population growth, it's markedly inefficient.
Perennial Candidate
But Rechtzigel isn't a new face in office seeking. Witness his 2014 bid for mayor of Apple Valley.
The Sun This Week published the photo below with this caption: "Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland, right, faces challenger Gene Rechtzigel, left." The look is much different from the photo on his mayoral campaign website.
He lost that contest in 2014 by a margin of 72.32 percent to 27.35 percent.
Nor is this the first try at a congressional office. In 2010, Lawrence Schumacher reported in McCollum, challengers seek endorsement this weekend:
CD4 Republicans will gather at 8:30 a.m. at Jimmy’s Food and Drink at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites in Vadnais Heights. There, they’ll choose from candidates Teresa Collett, Brad Lee and Gene Rechtzigel for the endorsement. . . .
Gene Rechtzigel is a farmer from Newport who has not listed any campaign information.
Rechtzigel was not selected and sought the Republican endorsement in MN04 again in 2012. CBS Minnesota reported:
In the 4th District, which includes St. Paul, businessman Tony Hernandez won the GOP endorsement to challenge incumbent Democrat Betty McCollum. Hernandez secured the party’s backing on the first ballot in a three-way contest with Ron Seiford and Gene Rechtzigel at a convention in Vadnais Heights, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
Political and Charitable Giving
While the farmer and property manager hasn't contributor to the state Republican Party on Minnesota, the FEC database of individual contributions indicates that he's been relatively generous to GOP candidates on the federal level, giving $7150.00 in individual contributions and $12200.00 in Joint Fundraising Contributions, with $4600 going to Norm Coleman in 2007 and $7600 to the Republican Party of Minnesota in 2008. Lee Byberg received $500 for his 2012 bid.
In 2006, he contributed $1000 to Michele Bachmann's first congressional bid. In 2007, he gave Norm Coleman's senate campaign $2300. Joel Demos received $500 in 2010 for his congressional race. In 2006-2007, he gave three contributions to John Kline for a total of $3100,00. He gave $2550.00 to Rudy Guiliani's presidential bid in 2007.
Rechpzigel also is on the board of the Frank and Evelyn Rechzigel Family Foundation. Its 2014 990 filing with the IRS shows that the nonprofit largely gives to religious charities that assist the hungry and pro-life pregnancy centers, although Open Arms of Minnesota, a secular group, which feeds people with life-threatening and chronic illnesses, including ALS and HIV, also receives help.
This one will bear watching, though I doubt he'll get much traction in the crowded field.
Images: Rechpzigel in Monday's debate (top); An Apple Valley mayoral forum in 2014 (bottom).
If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie's original research and analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or use the paypal button below:
Email subscribers can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen at gmail.com as recipient.
Comments