Letters for Thursday, April 17, 2014

• Regarding Russia’s expansionism • Show some Aloha • Raiding fund not right • GMOs too uncertain

Regarding Russia’s expansionism

It’s painful to watch as the Russian KGB officer toys with our one-term senator and community organizer on the world stage. Where is the leader of the free world?

Robert Requilman

Lihue

Show some Aloha

Three months ago, I was pulling into Lumahai and he was pulling out. He had stopped in the entrance and was blocking it while waiting for some camera crew. I was waving him forward. After he pulled past, he slowed down and said,  “What?” So I said, “Why don’t you go ahead and sell out all the beaches?”

I must have struck a nerve because I haven’t seen him until today , while I was showing my grandpa my newborn son for the first time. He approached me and said, “You remember me?” I said, “Yeah, from Lumahai,” at which point he started to threaten to knock me out because I had disrespected him. I stood my ground with my baby in my arms explaining to him that he had disrespected me by preventing me to access a beach I go to all the time. He continued to threaten me and call me a punk. I acknowledged that I was a punk and tried to apologize but the scene continued to escalate when some younger guy stepped up and joined in the harassment and threatening me. They both were saying they would find me later and give me the beating of my life. I called the cops. They said there was no grounds for terroristic threatening because they didn’t mention using an object to do harm so he could only warn him of harassment. Business owners shouldn’t act like this.

Isaac Hamilton

Kilauea

Raiding fund not right

In December 2002, Kauai voters approved an amendment to the County Charter that established the “Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund” paid for by the addition of .5 percent of the County’s real property tax. In December 2012, this amount was raised to 1.5 percent, still paid for out the property taxes.  

The kinds of preservation these funds can be used for are spelled out in the law:  

1. Outdoor recreation and education, including access to beaches and mountains; and

2. Preserving of cultural and historic sites; and

3. Protecting habitats or ecosystems; and

4. Preserving forests, beaches, coastal areas, and agricultural lands; and

5. Protecting watershed lands; and

6. Conserving land to reduce erosion and runoff; and

7. Improving access to public land and open space; and

8. Acquiring access to public land and open space; and

9. Conserving land for open space and scenic values.

Nowhere does it say anything about being used to help balance the budget.

Mayor Carvalho’s suggestion that almost $1 million be raided from this fund and used for the reserve fund of the county is completely outside the uses for which this fund was set up by vote of the people of the county.    

Kauai has many outstanding needs for acquiring open spaces, acquiring access to beaches and trails, protecting cultural and historic sites and other needs of the general public.  

It is important that the county budget be balanced without going against the law set up by the public.  

Marge Freeman

Kapaa

GMOs too uncertain

GMO corn grown on Kauai is not grown for human consumption. Herbicide and pesticide genes were artificially introduced into the crop. Unfortunately, some weeds and some insects became resistant, causing the growers to have to spray stronger herbicides and pesticides to keep the plant alive.

It’s Darwin. Survival of the fittest.

Sadly, GMO corn has found its way into the human food chain. If you eat this corn you are ingesting herbicides and pesticides. Who knows what the results will be?

Further, Monsanto “discovered” a gene in pigs that caused pigs to grow fatter. They attempted to patent this gene. Turns out, 75 percent of the pigs in the world have this gene. Therefor, if Monsanto were to inspect your pigs and find 75 percent of them had this gene, those pigs belonged to Monsanto. European courts denied Monsanto. What would the American courts would do? Who knows?

We’re in the same situation on Kauai with the seed corn. I’m sure it will be fed to the dairy cows, just down the road. And, once again, who knows what the results may be.

Hi, guinea pig.

Bettejo Dux

Kalaheo