• Neighbor was using wood to heat home • Support ban on ivory products • Bill 2573 is another mistake
Neighbor was using wood to heat home
I would like to correct a misrepresentation of my testimony to the county council regarding Bill 2573 as reported in TGI’s article titled “A Fight For Rights,” published Friday, Feb. 13. I want to go on record that I am not opposed to people smoking meat, using barbecues, imus or otherwise cooking in or outside their homes or elsewhere.
I support Bill 2573 because, as amended, it will not ban such practices. 2573 is designed to empower people who suffer when their homes are filled with smoke from neighbors’ wood burning fireplaces.
TGI reported that I suffered for three days because my neighbor was smoking meat and that my attempt to resolve the situation did not go well. In fact, my neighbor was not smoking meat. He was burning wood to heat his house during a spate of cold weather.
He became angry when I complained about the smoke filling my house and said he had a legal right to use his fireplace, which is true. Even so, my neighbor stopped the burning and I have not been bothered since.
He is a good neighbor who was trying to keep his family warm. I testified that if he had been smoking meat I would have been willing to suffer for a few days.
However, for people whose neighbors are not as considerate as my own, Bill 2573 may be their only hope of protecting their health and homes in similar situations.
Lorraine Newman, Kilauea
Support ban on ivory products
We would like to bring to your attention a very important bill that will be heard in our Legislature in the near future.
HB837 was introduced by Sen. Will Espero. It states to ban any future importation or sales of ivory and ivory products. This includes rhino horns and products. It will not affect any existing inlays in musical instruments, etc.
This solely addresses new imported product for sale. It was estimated that in 2014, 35,000 elephants were poached for their tusk. At this rate, within 20 years, they will be extinct.
Please take the time to contact our legislators and ask them to support this bill. Also contact Sen. Espero and thank him for introducing it. Mahalo in advance for your assistance in getting this most important bill passed into law.
It’s time for us, homo sapiens, to step in and speak up for the ones that don’t have a voice. It’s going to be very sad when we wake up one day and there’s no other living creatures on Earth but humans!
What will we do? What will we hunt? What will we farm? Where will we get our warm clothing and winter boots?
Take a stand for compassion.
Stuart Hollinger and Mika Ashley-Hollinger, Kilauea
Bill 2573 is another mistake
Mr. Hooser, Bill 2573 is a waste of taxpayers’ money and time. This reminds us of the GMO bill, when you caused division on this island.
You overrode the mayor’s veto, you got the five big seed companies to sue our County of Kauai and I believe you collect a paycheck from our county.
What are you doing? Your intentions are not what you say they are. How dare you? You and the McDonald family are trying to find blame on their sicknesses.
What difference is it as we breathe carbon monoxide every day on our island in traffic? You say the bottom line is that smoking is bad for you, Well, I’m a smoker and it’s my choice to smoke and it’s just your opinion. Your opinion cannot dictate my life. Who do you think you are by trying to write up this bill and get it passed into law.
This is not a county issue, this is a state issue. Once again, just like the GMO trip, you dragged the whole thing through, destroying people’s lives and relationships just for the bill to be found by the highest courts of law, the federal courts — illegal. This 2573 is also illegal.
This is not pono at all from you. You’re running on emotions. Does this set a precedence in that anyone who has issue with a neighbor and finds no solutions can come to you for help and you will write up a bill? Because that’s exactly what this is.
Noalani Nakasone, Lihue
