• Public has a right to county opinions • What about the animal cruelty? • A Hale ‘Opio Kaua‘i mahalo Public has a right to county opinions The charter designates the county attorney as the county’s chief legal adviser and
• Public has a right to county opinions
• What about the animal cruelty?
• A Hale ‘Opio Kaua‘i mahalo
Public has a right to county opinions
The charter designates the county attorney as the county’s chief legal adviser and legal representative. Contrary to an attitude and aura increasingly prevalent in government circles for the past several years, this does not mean that opinions from the attorney’s office originate on Mount Olympus or Mount Sinai, nor does it mean that recipients of opinions must discount their own judgment by saying “I’m not a lawyer” or dodge their responsibilities by hiding behind the opinions.
Contrary to the rise of a culture of secrecy, silence, and control regarding county attorney opinions, the public has a right to access the opinions and to join the debate about their validity except when they are lawfully protected from public scrutiny. Exercising this right is doubly important as long as the county attorney remains a political appointee.
The fresh beginning created by the November elections is an opportune time for everyone in and out of government to demystify the handling of county attorney opinions. In that spirit I offer my take on a few elementary questions:
• Question: What authority does a county attorney opinion have?
Answer: None. Authority (and responsibility) resides with the recipient of the opinion or with the court in court cases. Opinions are advisory, not determinative.
• Question: What influence does a county attorney opinion have?
Answer: That is determined by the client, who may automatically accept the opinion as definitive, question, disagree with, or reject the opinion, or seek a second opinion.
• Question: What value does a county attorney opinion have?
Answer: Its value is proportional to the factual evidence and rational arguments undergirding it, as is the case with all human opinions. Some politically driven “after-the-fact” opinions are not worth the paper they are written on, some opinions present impeccable arguments, and most probably fall somewhere between these two extremes.
• Question: Where is wisdom for our self-governing to be found?
Answer: The best chance is a lively and transparent democratic process of discussion and debate in which legal opinions play their proper advisory part.
• Horace Stoessel, Kapa‘a
What about the animal cruelty?
Harvey Garcia would disingenuously have us believe that banning cockfighting is all about associated drugs and gambling (“The culture of cockfighting,” Letters, Dec. 13).
To this end, he studiously avoided writing one word about the animal cruelty this issue is really all about. The presence of drugs and gambling, among those who don’t care about the suffering of another living creature, is far from shocking. That presence is merely an additional good reason to end this so called sport.
The accessories in sporting events are batting helmets and shoulder pads. They protect the participants. The accessories of cockfighting are razors. They butcher the participants while they are still alive.
The claim of a “cultural” connection is often made to justify this disgraceful activity. Gladiators and bullfighting permeated and influenced cultures and filled stadiums with approving fans; becoming cultural in the process.
Cockfighting hides in the dark, like a dirty secret; shameful to most. It’s true that this activity can be connected to certain ethnicities. That doesn’t make it “cultural.” It merely makes cockfighting like sickle cell anemia. In the future, both will be completely eradicated.
* Pete Antonson, Wailua
A Hale ‘Opio Kaua‘i mahalo
I want to say mahalo nui loa to the many caring, giving people in our Kaua‘i community who take the time to extend their kokua to the youth in our programs.
As you can imagine, it is very difficult for our youth to be away from their families during the holidays. Our youth deeply miss their families and the many holiday traditions they look forward to each year. The gifts you give are from your heart and help our youth weather their separation from family by generously sharing your kokua in a myriad of ways. Some make fresh, beautifully hand decorated wreaths for each home, some leave gifts on their doorstep “from Santa” on Christmas Eve. Two churches provide support year-round with cooked meals one night each week. One “guardian angel” family annually provides complete dinners for each of our two houses for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, gives individual gifts for each youth for Christmas, and provides the ingredients to make a wonderful pancake breakfast on Christmas morning.
With the help of many, Louie Soltren hosts a wonderful Christmas party each year for the foster youth of Kaua‘i to bring them cheer and individual, hand-selected gifts. The Salvation Army includes our youth on their Angel Tree in Nancy Budd’s office. The Foster Family Association of Kaua‘i also hosts another holiday party inviting all the foster youth of Kaua‘i. The Lihue Missionary Church on Rice Street let us use their sanctuary for our annual holiday family party, coinciding with the Lights on Rice Street parade.
Wal-Mart and Costco donated gift cards this year, along with the Rotary Club of Hanalei Bay who coordinates holiday donations from Zonta Club of Hanalei, Chamber of Commerce, Pics Pools, and The Prince Golf Course. Last but not least, K-Mart gave each house a beautiful, fresh Christmas tree to bring the spirit of Christmas home with the familiar smell of a fresh tree. Please forgive me, as I know I have forgotten to mention someone, and there are also many companies and individuals who made financial donations this season, especially in memory of Walter Briant, a founding Board member of Hale ‘Opio. So, to all of the “angels” who so generously support our youth and our youth programs, we cannot thank you enough, as your support and dedication is what makes our work possible. Mele Kalikimaka to all, and to all, e Hauoli Makahiki Hou.
• Mary Navarro, executive director, Hale ‘Opio, Lihu‘e
