Letters for Sunday, October 13, 2013

• Protect Newell’s Shearwater • Eviction notices for GMO companies • Don’t let old boy system win

Protect Newell’s Shearwater

The Newell’s Shearwater protection status is listed as “threatened.” However, The Newell’s Shearwater Population Modeling for Habitat Conservation Plan and Recovery Planning states, “Various indices suggest the population has declined by — 75 percent in the past two decades” (Griesemer and Holmes 2).

Just a few of the threats to the Newell’s Shearwater are development, power line collisions and nesting area disruption. The development of resorts in Kauai is taking place in the midst of important flight pathways for the Newell’s Shearwater.

This causes the bird to fly toward the bright lights of the resorts until they collapse or collide with the buildings. There are multiple power lines that cross important flight pathways.

The Newell’s Shearwater is constantly making contact with these power lines. Moreover, their nesting areas are becoming increasing threatened by remote colony locations caused by the continual habitat loss occurring in Kauai and the increasing amount of predators, including feral cats, mongooses, dogs, and barn owls.

In 2011, the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative was forced to pay $400,000 a year to protect the Newell’s Shearwater nesting colonies. This is a step in the right direction. However, the Newell’s Shearwater population is consistently decreasing. Waiting for the remaining population to be listed as endangered and earn the right to critical habitat would be a mistake. Locally, pushing for relocation of critical habitat areas and further aid for the proliferation of the Newell’s Shearwater is crucial in the survival of the species as a whole.

Oliver Moffat, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Eviction notices for GMO companies

Simple.

Give them their two months via eviction. Terminate leases of land by these five largest agriculture companies. Penalties for being poor tenants (stewards): Clean up the soil and waterways. Continue to employ current employees in this process. Provide future employment for these same employees as they restore the land; developing organic agriculture to feed this garden island.

L.S. Nalani Pudwill, Kapaa

Don’t let old boy system win

I sincerely want to thank the members of the public for filling the Council Chambers (10/8) with people who were supporting our auditor, Ernie Pasion, for the outstanding work he and his staff have done in their four years of operation.

There is a conspiratorial movement under way to fire Mr. Pasion for purely political reasons and the public, who is benefiting from these audits that show millions of wasted tax dollars, are unanimously supporting Ernie to make sure he remains as our county auditor.

This whole issue in not just about an honest, dedicated man who did the job the public expected of him. One who did it so well that a peer group from the Association of Local Government Auditors sent him and his staff a congratulatory letter for excelling at his work. Now, because of the thoroughness of these audits that were done and graphically show the gross incompetence of the operation of our government, those in power decided that Ernie Pasion must be fired.

The far bigger story here is about a corrupt system that those in power are fighting to keep and not letting anyone with honesty and integrity interfere with their operation — the status quo.

If the public ignores this ploy to dismiss Ernie without threatening to use their power to vote, those who are perpetrating this injustice will get the message loud and clear — the old boy system is alive and well and no one can change it. And for anyone who wants to be a whistleblower and play by the rules, be ready to have your position eliminated.

Please, all of you citizens who care about the welfare of Kauai — stay or get involved with this auditor issue and don’t let the “bad” guys win.

Ken Taylor, Kapaa