• Carving out Kaua‘i • Request for accountability • More compassion needed • Video of meeting sought Carving out Kaua‘i There comes a time when a person has to respond to letters that seem to keep missing the point, and
• Carving out Kaua‘i
• Request for accountability
• More compassion needed
• Video of meeting sought
Carving out Kaua‘i
There comes a time when a person has to respond to letters that seem to keep missing the point, and letter writers who seem to feel they have to let the world know. Kaua‘i is a very small island. We have Wal-Mart and Costco which should sustain us for a very long time to come. Do we need another box store? No.
Is it box stores that are ruining Kaua‘i for us all? No, unless they build it in the middle of our beautiful AG and open areas. The island is being ruined by those who feel it’s their right to take the only real product Kaua‘i has to sell the world, its beauty, and carve it up into nice little packages with streets, street lights, houses, garages and other wonderful asphalt amenities for Mainland buyers. It’s time to take all AG land off the table for subdivision development, period. Minimum AG lots should be 20 acres and the largest house allowed to be built should be 2,000 square feet or less, and proven to be used primarily for agricultural purposes by real farmers.
As far as property taxes, how far off those are who say “pay them and be quiet.” Food, shelter, and clothing are the minimum requirements for an individual, or family, to live their lives. Property and food taxes are probably the most unfair taxes levied. Why should you work hard all your life to afford shelter and then have the government become your onerous landlord? People buy homes factoring in property taxes at the time, and their ability to pay them. When government, 20 years later, raises taxes nearly 150 percent in a very short period of time that purchaser has been screwed. If you don’t pay, you lose your shelter. Some 70 percent of Kaua‘i residents voted to lower property taxes to acceptable levels, and were sued. The comment was made, by a person who obviously doesn’t own a home, “Who wouldn’t vote for lowering taxes?” The comment should have been, “What percentage of government officials wouldn’t vote to provide themselves with more money?” Voters didn’t vote to abolish property taxes. They voted to lower property taxes to a level where they can pay their “fair” share, make ends meet, and maintain their families shelter. If that doesn’t make sense, go get a job and buy a house.
Gordon Oswald
Kapa‘a
Request for accountability
The recent incident at Waimea School has further decreased trust that Westside families have of the GMO companies. Hawai‘i has developed a great reputation for the foods we produce. However, once Hawai‘i embraces the genetically modified form of food production, the option to go back to traditional methods of agriculture may be lost.
Genetically engineered food ingredients or experimental crops should not be allowed to continue on the Hawaiian Islands until the following questions are answered by the GMO companies and government leaders: Does Kaua‘i have the resources to fully and independently study and confirm the scientific data from GMO companies?
Why aren’t ingredients clearly labeled to ensure the consumer’s right-to-know?
Has independent safety testing demonstrated that GMOs have no harmful effects on human health or the environment?
Are the biotechnology corporations that manufacture genetically modified foods and experiment on the Hawaiian Islands held responsible for any harm?
Are the requests to grow GMO crops subject to the same rigorous licensing process as applies to human medicines?
Greenpeace sued the Department of Agriculture in October for what it described as widespread contamination of Thai farms by genetically engineered papaya. Is Hawai‘i subject to the same litigation?
GMOs may pose threats to the health, our environment and the livelihood of our community. It is time we got some straight answers.
Diana LaBedz
Kekaha
More compassion needed
Several years ago my life long friend Cally was coming to terms with the realization that she would not win her battle with cancer. Having a prognosis of just a few years left it was her wish to spend them near her favorite place on earth — Hanalei Bay. She and her husband Bill were well established in Aspen, Colo.; indeed Bill owned a successful restaurant as well as having been the highly respected county commissioner for years. And yet when faced with Cally’s situation Bill made the decision to pull up roots and accompany her marching straight ahead into what he had to know was a very grim future — the terrible last stages of a terminal illness.
The couple lived in Princeville where Bill carefully tended to all of Cally’s needs as she slowly succumbed. The disease reduced her to an immobile shell of the beautiful vibrant girl I had known since childhood, eventually attacking even her ability to think. Bill’s devotion never wavered. All who knew them were astonished at the depth of his unfailing courage and commitment.
After her passing Bill carefully honored her last wish, retrieving from Colorado the ashes of her beloved border collie to be put with hers into the waters of Hanalei Bay. When Bill decided to make Kaua‘i his home I thought what a blessing to our community. So when I saw Bill’s name in the article about feral cats at Safeway I read it with interest. It is inconceivable to me that there could have been such a negative reaction to this good man’s simple desire to help ease the suffering of some helpless animals who, through no fault of their own, are homeless and have nowhere else to turn. Surely we can find in our hearts the ability to at least tolerate the efforts of those compassionate people who have cared enough to be sure the cats were spayed and neutered in the first place.
Feral cats are not adoptable but they can be helped. Re-trapping cats which were once trapped to be sterilized can take quite a bit of time. Let’s extend a hand of gratitude to those caring souls wanting and willing to help these innocent animals in their desperate plight. It has been said that society can be judged by how it treats the most helpless among us. A light has been thrown on this situation. Let’s let it reflect our willingness to enable our most compassionate to help our most helpless.
Helen Savadge
Princeville
Video of meeting sought
This is an open letter to the Kauaian community requesting information about the DOT harbors informational Superferry meeting held at the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School on Tuesday, Sept. 26. In order to raise awareness around the Superferry activities on the island we are seeking anyone who may have video taped that meeting. Thank you for your attention. Please send an email to richoep@aloha.net.
Richard (Diamond) Moll
Kapa‘a
