• Owners’ actions speak louder than opposition • Fair pay takes real change • Barking dog issue now a crisis Owners’ actions speak louder than opposition In the past few days, there have been two long letters encouraging the public
• Owners’ actions speak louder than opposition
• Fair pay takes real change •
Barking dog issue now a crisis
Owners’ actions speak louder than opposition
In the past few days, there have been two long letters encouraging the public to write the Planning Commission to oppose the Special Permit for the Kilauea Pavilion. The letters were well written but indulge in the use of a specious argument and a “Clintonesque” approach to the truth.
The letters attempt to confuse the issue by trying to group the Kilauea Pavilion Special Permit request with three other possible developments in the area, and insinuate that issuing a Special Permit for the Kilauea Pavilion will result in the other three going forward.
The shopping center development in Kilauea is not on agricultural land and has been slated for development for years. What ultimately happens to the 175 acres across the road from the Anaina Hou property is not dependent on what happens regarding the Kilauea Pavilion. People can easily be in favor of one and opposed to the other.
Most importantly, the letters make it appear that the owners of the Kilauea Pavilion site plan to develop the Wai Koa Plantation located behind the site, into 43 gentleman’s estates. The type of estates, by the way, that most of the writers of the opposition letters happen to have for their own personal residences. If the owners intend this type of development, they are going about it in a very strange way.
The owners have committed to multiple long-term agricultural projects across the entire plantation that simply would make it unreasonable and almost impossible to sell off and build gentlemen’s estates for the next 25 to 30 years, at minimum. 205 acres of mahogany hardwoods have been planted on the property. Another 50 acres of the plantation are committed to small local farmers in the form of 25-year contracts and leases.
These lease holders include Heart and soul Organics, Malama Kaua‘i, Rainbow School, Sato’s Organic and Sustainable Farms, Common Ground, and Hano Hano Services. Those leases are going to be utilized only for those farmers, and all of them have options for automatic renewal at the end of their term. In addition the plantation is also home to Kaua‘i Fresh Farms’ large greenhouse farm, nearly 100-KW solar PV system, and young organic orchards.
To summarize, while 43-CPR units do exist on the Wai Koa Plantation, it is obvious that the owners’ actions speak louder than the opposition’s words.
In closing, the owners do not have anterior motives in building the Kilauea Pavilion and I strongly support the project. I encourage others who support the Kilauea pavilion to come out to the public hearing on April 12 or write a supporting letter to the Planning Commissioners.
Jonathan McRoberts, Kilauea
Fair pay takes real change
On April 12, the County of Kaua‘i Committee on the Status of Women will be joining many women organizations across the United States in recognizing and raising awareness of Equal Pay Day.
April is symbolic of the point into the New Year that a woman must work in order to earn the wages paid to a man in the previous year. On the national level, women are paid only 77 cents for every dollar a man is paid, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Women earn less and therefore must work longer for the same pay that men receive.
At a time when America’s economy is weak, every penny counts!
Economist Evelyn Murphy, president and founder of the WAGE Project, estimates that the wage gap costs the average American full-time woman worker between $700,000 and $2 million over the course of her lifetime.
As working women, we are extremely concerned about the lack of pay equity between men and women, not only for ourselves but also for our families.
Fair pay takes real change! We can make a difference.
Here on Kaua’i, we will be joining the many organizations across the nation to educate women and men about pay inequity. On Tuesday, April 12, at 11 a.m. at the Mo‘ikeha Building of the County of Kaua‘i, the Committee on the Status of Women will be accepting a Proclamation from Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr., acknowledging April 1, 2011, as Equal Pay Day.
Charlene U. Castor, Committee on the Status of Women, Chair
Barking dog issue now a crisis
Many of us would say that we are indeed in a crisis on this island due to barking dogs. Many also say that the root cause of the barking dogs is neglect. While many dogs are treated very well here by caring people, some suffer daily existences that are pure torture. Unfortunately for these poor souls, we, the people of this island, have trained ourselves to ignore them.
A year ago, the barking dog issue was an issue for sure, but now, we are in crisis. What has changed?
Could it be, perhaps, the leadership vacuum at the Kauai Humane Society? I mean no disrespect to the very nice lady who is in charge, but from what I’ve seen, her presence in that role has not done our island any good — it is not her fault, she was kind enough to step up to the job regardless of her lack of experience.
I ask honestly, have we progressed to the next level of care for our island animals or have we started the slow regression back to the Salt Pond days?
When will KHS move from an interim director to a permanent one who can take charge of this situation? I’d love to hear this directly from Laura Wiley, the board president. Laura, where are you?
Sandy Strauss, Kalaheo
