• Respect each other • Political equality • Your government at work Respect each other Articles covering activist groups on Kaua‘i have not caused people to value the wrong issues (“Skewed look,” Letters, Aug. 18). On the contrary, articles about
• Respect each other • Political equality • Your government at work
Respect each other
Articles covering activist groups on Kaua‘i have not caused people to value the wrong issues (“Skewed look,” Letters, Aug. 18).
On the contrary, articles about activism are an important way that people learn about the efforts of activist communities and form individual opinions.
Regarding the judgment of charities for people vs. charities for animals, this comment portrays a negative attitude. Rather, all of those stepping forward to help people and/or animals should be applauded. Activists are not competing for the title of which is best.
The issue of feral cats on the island, which was specifically mentioned in “Skewed look,” is important because this problem was created by people in the first place!
Many believe that kittens will be better off if released in the wild, so they simply release the kittens. However, without fixing the kittens, the population can grow exponentially within a few years. Kaua‘i Ferals is a group that tries to solve this problem using the humane methods of dispensing birth control and conducing trap-neuter-release.
Feeding the cats and making them come to the same place each day is the first step, so cheers for the cat feeders! Let Kaua‘i Ferals know if you have a feeding spot.
Articles that cover activism efforts are not propaganda for those groups, but are an important way that the people of Kaua‘i can learn about each other’s ideas and efforts.
Rebekah Liebling, Cat feeder, Kaua‘i Ferals, Kapa‘a
Political equality
Thank you, Lonnie Sykos, for your Aug. 24 letter “Why enforce Sunshine and UIPA Law?” Thank you, Julia Owens, for your very brave letter “Disgusted and angry,” and, thank you to the many others for your voices which need to be heard to what too often appears as organized political cartels which, at times, control the ill-fate of the quality of Kaua‘i citizens’ day-to-day political lives.
As I read each story, what came to mind is a quote from “Solitude of Self” (1892), and as follows: “To deny political equality is to rob the ostracized of all self-respect, of credit in the marketplace, of recompense in the world of work; of a voice among those who make and administer the law; a choice in the jury before whom they are tried, and in the judge who decides their punishment.”
“Solitude of Self” is noted having been written in 1892; however, with some contemporary island issues — issues which, at times, unjustly compromise the quality of community members’ rights — it is as though this quote has come fresh off the island press.
Deborah Morel, Kapa‘a
Your government at work
I have attended meetings of the Board of Ethics for the better part of three years. I offer these comments for the information of those interested in a matter currently before the Board.
In May Planning Director Ian Costa requested an advisory opinion from the Board of Ethics regarding the outside employment of four departmental employees engaged variously in drafting, site inspection, architectural drawings, design and consultation.
Since then, in an end run around the Charter requirement that a request for advisory opinion must be answered within 30 days, the request has been withdrawn twice by mutual agreement between the Board and the Department, in each case to be resubmitted at a later date. The main reason given for the five-months-and-counting process was to allow Director Costa a chance to consult the County Attorney’s office.
So far the County Attorney’s office has participated in the Board’s process as follows:
In May Deputy County Attorney Mona Clark, who is regularly assigned to the Board, advised the Board that County Code Section 3-1.7(d) expresses an absolute prohibition against the activities referenced in the request for advisory opinion and told the Board that aside from enforcing the section its only option is to ask the Council to change the language of 3-1.7. The Board took no action based on her advice, arranging instead with Director Costa to withdraw the request and resubmit it later.
In July Attorney Clark volunteered to provide the Board with a (written) opinion if the Board requested it. The Board did not request it.
In August Director Costa’s request reappeared on the agenda, leading some of us in the public to believe that the way was clear for the Board to act on the request. However, County Attorney Al Castillo appeared long enough to tell the Board that Attorney Clark was in court and to apologize for his being unprepared to address the agenda item.
In July Board member Paul Weil had moved that the Board request the County Attorney to provide the Board with the same information provided to Mr. Costa. The motion was seconded by Warren Perry and unanimously adopted. That request also went unanswered in August.
In August it was agreed that Mr. Costa would resubmit the department’s request at the Sept. 17 meeting.
Horace Stoessel, Kapa‘a
