• Island changes • Heacock response Island changes Just whom do KEO, CARE, Mayor Baptiste and the G.I. think why, and who, the majority of the homeless on Kaua‘i are? I’ll tell you. The same 70 to 90 percent of
• Island changes
• Heacock response
Island changes
Just whom do KEO, CARE, Mayor Baptiste and the G.I. think why, and who, the majority of the homeless on Kaua‘i are?
I’ll tell you. The same 70 to 90 percent of incarcerated inmates at KCCC are the sick, untreated, haven’t got a clue addicts and alcoholics (same thing).
Kaua‘i has hundreds of recovering, willing (as their program requires to stand by pro bono at these places) in a state where three or four police cruisers are parked in low income housing not ’cause they are working, but because they live there. Where teachers, nurses, clearks are no longer public servants, but servers of the rich, who swarm our island and thrown money at realty workers who grab and buy on the Mainland ’cause even they can’t afford to live here.
I purpose to tax our land to mainlanders so high so they may feel what its like to cover the nut every month.
Gary Matola
Kapa‘a
Heacock response
This letter is to clarify a “quote” of mine that appeared in an article (“Kauai’s Crustacean Crisis”) in The Garden Island on 23 April 2004. First, readers need to be aware that “quotes” in newspapers are not necessarily complete quotes, due to the constraints of time and space, and due to the ability of the writer. Taking only a portion of an quote can be very misleading to the readers, particularly when words like “may” are changed to “is”. When I was asked about the effectiveness of Ceatech USA , Inc., remediation efforts, my entire answer/quote was as follows: “If (read IF) shrimp have escaped into the natural environment, and if these shrimp were infected with the White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), and if these infected shrimp have infected any native crustaceans (shrimp, crabs, etc.), then any type of remediation or mitigation to kill the WSSV in the aquaculture ponds may (read MAY; not IS) be like putting lipstick on a corpse. Like trying to close the barn door after the barn has burned down and the horses have run away.” This quote is significantly different than the one printed in paper, for the reasons given above. We all have a responsibility to provide readers with the most accurate, scientifically-based, information as is possible.
Additionally, the title of this article, “Kauai’s Crustacean Crisis” is presumptive; although all remediation and other issues relevant to this WSSV infection are being actively and cooperatively studied by the DLNR, the USDA and the Hawaii DOA, there are no know crustacean crises on Kaua‘i other than Ceatech’s shrimp have become infected with WSSV and they are working closely with state and federal agencies to correct the situation.
Finally, marine shrimp are the largest aquacultured fishery product imported into the U.S. Our State Constitution sets policy (Article XI, Section 1) that the state should strive to be self-sufficient and therefore produce its own food, fiber and energy. Therefore, we should all be working together to help guide the development of sustainable aquaculture and agriculture systems that protect our environment, are economically efficient and socially equitable.
Don Heacock
Kaua‘i District Aquatic Biologist
