Lihu‘e man has many questions for Biden
An open letter to President Biden:
• Why does the US not enforce existing border and immigration laws while Congress works on updating and reforming them?
• Why do we not enforce laws with respect to demonstrating outside the homes of Supreme Court justices?
• How many doctors and other VA medical personnel have instead been sent to the southern US border to deal with the influx of illegal immigrants?
• Why do our vets take a back seat to illegals?
• In view of the fact that more than 100,000 deaths have been attributed to Chinese fentanyl smuggled into the US through Mexico, what is being done to stop fentanyl from being brought into the country by illegals?
• Why is the US turning to “unfriendly” nations for oil and gas, instead of promoting immediate, intense domestic production and distribution?
James Ross, Lihu‘e
Support research into plant-based, cultivated meats
Every state in America should follow the lead of California, which recently allocated $5 million to support research and development of plant-based and cultivated meats. For those who don’t know, cultivated meat is grown livestock cells, without slaughter. It’s better for the environment, public health and animal welfare.
Cultivated meat requires a fraction of the green house gas emissions that raising livestock does. It eliminates the risk of zoonotic diseases making the jump to humans. And obviously it avoids all the cruelties of factory farming — the battery cages, gestation crates and transportation trucks.
Voters who want to create a more sustainable, healthy and compassionate food system should urge their state representatives to make investments like California did. If you would like to get involved in a campaign to advance cellular agriculture through the political process, please visit SlaughterFreeAmerica.Substack.com.
Jon Hochschartner, Granby, Connecticut
County tree pruning might kill trees
Aloha Mayor Kawakami, Parks Director Porter, and members of the County Council,
I am a resident on Kaua‘i, an affirmed tree lover, and a retired ISA Certified Arborist. It has come to my attention that tree-pruning practices on county land are not following best management practices. In fact, the current pruning at Po‘ipu Beach Park is truly abhorrent and will surely contribute to the trees’ early demise.
When I looked on the county website, I saw that there is (was?) an Arborist Advisory Committee. I encourage you and your staff to require that a Certified Arborist be involved prior to and on site for any further tree pruning.
For information about tree pruning for the health and longevity of the trees, please refer to the International Society of Arborists website: mac-isa.org/shop/publications/best-management-practices-tree-pruning.
I urge you to drive out and take a look at what is happening to these living things and take action to preserve what has not yet been destroyed.
Mahalo for caring about this beautiful place where we are blessed to live.
Sue Buckley, Kapa‘a
