With today's editorial endorsing the
Kauai Community Cat Project (KCCP) as “offering a reasonable
approach on the feral cat problem,” The Garden Island has again
shown it's woefully out of touch with reality.
Because just two weeks ago, TGI
published an editorial calling on folks to support the Kauai Humane
Society and its director, Penny Cistaro:
While Cistaro has her critics, as would
anyone who steps into that role, overall she has done a good job.
This isn’t and shouldn’t be about Penny Cistaro, anyway.
Uh, earth to TGI editor Bill Buley...
Who do you think is leading the vicious attack against Penny and KHS?
It's none other than the leaders and major funders of the Kauai Community Cat
Project. Their publicly stated goal is to get rid of Penny and seize control of KHS. How reasonable is that?
No, no one wants to see Kauai known as
the island that killed 20,000 cats, though I doubt it would damage the tourism count any more than the anti-GMO folks who tried to label
it the toxic island. Australia even allows hunting of feral cats, and it has plenty of tourists.
But for a Trap-Neuter-Release-Manage (TNRM) to
work, according to the Kauai Feral Task Force report, colonies must
have a minimum 90 percent spay-neuter rate, with a goal of 100 percent. The colonies that KCCP
manage are not anywhere near that level.
The Task Force also calls
for fencing the colonies to keep the cats from killing wildlife and
prevent newcomers from joining the colony, and ensuring that no colonies are maintained on county property. KCCP has not done that,
either.
Yes, TNR can be one component of a reasonable
program to control the island's out-of-control feral cat problem.
But KCCP is not a reasonable
organization, nor is its $80,000 budget reasonable to manage just 510
cats.
It's similarly unreasonable to allow Princeville Corp., which 25 years ago was required to provide 100 units of affordable housing, to get away with 44 ugly boxes and a big asphalt parking lot right on the highway opposite the Hanalei Valley overlook.
What about the other 56 units? And how about installing some mature landscaping now that this eyesore is in place?
It got me wondering, so is this what Princeville thinks of its workforce?
And is this the best that working folks on Kauai can expect in the way of affordable housing, while all around them lavish second homes are constructed for vacationers and part-time residents?
Yes, princeville's required housing is finally built, too bad they built it right next to the pesticide mixing station where all of princeville's toxic pesticides are mixed and stored, to be shared with the poor folks that are blessed to finally find a home on a busy highway.
ReplyDeleteThe design of these Danish Look-a-likes certainly does not come close to the intent of most Kauai community's desire to have "Plantations" style (or even Western Store front look). But the Scandinavian look a likes, fit in with Da Hoos, JoAnn and Mason's attempts to turn Kauai into some North European limp-wrist, government controls everything society. And before any of y'all say JoAnn don't do no designing..Baloney, she is the heart and soul of ALL housing ransoms.
ReplyDeleteI guess we should be grateful that it only took a quarter of a century for Pville to fulfill their promise.
It will be interesting to see what JoAnn does with her "affordable housing" extortion from the Red Bull project. She will want hi-density, multi rise apartments to cram in the folks. These 'Affordable Homes" she builds usually cost 40 percent higher than a regular Contractor could build them And then of course there is the extreme hi-cost and mismanagement of these units by Government Housing managers after they come on line.
Just like A&B put their housing for the Kukuiuila (Poipu) project out to hell and gone Eleele. Another project that is in the wrong place and has huge traffic concerns, But then again, it is housing.
Yep, cram the locals into shit locations, far from jobs in cracker boxes. Great Gobs of Government Horseshit Batman, let's bring back some of the ILWU and old Plantation guys to show JoAnn how to build what the people need and want. Single Family Houses, a place to call home, have a doggie, fruit trees and a few cars.
Penny is right on. The KHS is subject to a conspiracy by Cat Ladies. I have several of the loving felines and our hearts go out to the hard task of euthanizing the ferals, but what the f*ck can be done. Unless we take a few acres and millions of dollars and build a nice Felix the Cat and Hello Kitty whiskers resorts. Either the cats go to Kitty Heaven or the birds get killed and Kauai get overrun by Where dat pooty-cat Sylvesters.
Joan, thank you for focusing on the essence of the Humane Society. A hard job, but overall, they do a great job. But there would be more donations, if the ladies at the front of the house smiled a bit and learned how to "Hello" and "Thank you". A smile goes a long way.
From a Old Gal who gives to KHS and wants to put locals into Houses.
From what I can see the lanai spaces were never built although they still appear on the plans and renderings.
ReplyDeletea county building inspector was lamenting to me about how poorly designed and cheaply built those units are! and they see ALL the new construction.
ReplyDeletemost all the roofs are oriented facing north instead of being solar panel smart south facing.
Affordable housing anywhere on Kauai is welcome. Complaining that affordable units aren't wonderful country residences placed in old neighborhoods is ludicrous. Where's the land for that anyway? It seems like what detractors want is $800,000 homes built for $250,000. Give me a break!! Habitat For Humanity is the only organization that is accomplishing miracles like that but it's being done mostly on Hawaiian Home Lands where the land is virtually free. Near zero rent and no property taxes. It starts with cheap land. Now where can we find that? Oh ya, the mainland! Bye, bye!
ReplyDeleteWhat people have to remember is when the trash can triple tax came about, the then council stalled the bill until the election was over.
ReplyDeleteThey extended the tax increase for several months until they got their seats on council. So thereafter the county crooks (Mayor,Admin, council) passed the triple tax increase from $6 to $18 on the same 96 gallon trash can that cost $6 the previous year or so.
This is why Kauai has to remember next election that they got fooled by this council and the admin. The budget was also a scam and a scheme to get the families jobs.
Can you imagine that the county of kauai is spending millions of dollars in salaries that they cannot prove that they are qualified to receive. Also many was being paid for benefits they checked NO.
the benefits of taking vacation and getting paid for it while admin is not subtracting the vacation days is a scheme that has been going on for far too long. then if the county worker has to use or lose days, then they sell it so it's double dipping and tax fraud.
Now everyone in the circle or close to the circle knows that you better start applying for county jobs now because after this 'No Mo'. They know the scheme that the Mayor and this admin is hiring unqualified famiky and friends.
This by definition is Fraud, Waste and Abuse which could be considered a federal racket case of government fraud.
Now I have filed my report to the department of Justice and so if any other kauai citizens is pissed off with the grand theft that's glung in in the county, you are more than welcome to file fraudulent complaints to the department of Justice.
The county council doesn't have the balls to file investigations but they have the balls to SUE themselves for the right to raise property taxes on the people.
You are either part of the problem or you are part of the solution.
Which one of these so called leaders will step up and call for federal corruption investigations on the county of Kauai?
I have, will you? Or will you let these phonies continue to run their schemes to defraud the tax paying citizens.
Where's the anti GMO peoe on this? You care about the environment. Now do you care about political corruption that hurts the people and the environment?
There should be no less that 55K people of Kauai filing complaints minus the 1500 county of Kauai workers.
It's a desperate situation here on Kauai with housing, trash, tourists moving here (wtf?), desperate realtors trying to get tourist to move here (wtf again?) and disgruntled local people trying to make a living in general. what isn't a desperate situation is the cat thing. Seriously, f&ck the cats. There disease ridden, disgusting, loud, invasive species. Irradicate them! How is this even a discussion or question in people's minds? Has everyone gone cat crazy? Maybe all the cat poop is affecting your brains.
ReplyDeleteCuck the Fats
ReplyDeleteImpeach the Mayor and his admin must be fired!!! Them crooks need to face the law. Plea deal with Kollar to get the ring leaders.
ReplyDeleteKauai County audit raises concerns about 2010 furloughs.
ReplyDeleteSo it's true that Kauai didn't need furloughs after having 58 million in surplus but spent the money on BS to cover up the faux furloughs.
Did they really find the missing million dollars or was it stolen and they found another account to cover up the theft like the gas theft? Inquiring minds would like an audit to know.
This Mayor and his admin will be remembered as thieves in office.
How the poor became rich by stealing from the poor.
Kauai's Ponzi Scheme
the furloughs were a deception. it was an "we're so poor, please don't take any part of our TAT" ploy. it worked. the county has been over-collecting tax revenues and finding creative ways to hide it. return the money to those of us who overpaid. that would actually require courage and integrity which is sorely lacking among our leadership. no more term limits for the council?? um, i don't think so. rapozo needs to go. kagawa? well, he can just leave now.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteMore affordable housing is mo' bettah than less affordable housing, no doubt.
A dear friend, a single grandma raising her grandson, scored a 2 bedroom unit for $1100/month. She's disappointed but happy at the same time.
Would it be nicer if she had her own little home to rent? Well sure, but that does not exist at that price on the open market, and where is the cheap land on which to build such cute little places? Which career politician has the political will to craft a deal to allow re-zoning an appropriate agriculturally zoned property to urban in exchange for an ironclad agreement to provide affordable houselots or affordable homes? If Princeville can easily build 44 units on 3.5 acres, a 7 acres ag parcel should yield twice as many units. Of course, then you'll have one group screaming "save the ag lands!" (even though they, or the owners, have no intention of ever really farming) and another screaming "fix the roads before allowing more density...maintain our rural lifestyle." More easy for that politico to maintain the status quo and focus on re-election, especially if Ross gets his way with elimination of term limits.
Princeville was mandated to build 75 units for sale to residents making up to 140% of the area median income, and another 25 to be rented at market rates.
Somehow, with the help of our County Council, they got away with just building 44 apartments, but they are all being rented to households earning less than 60% of the Kaua`i median income.
44 families who are barely scraping by will now have a secure place to live, and
the units will remain affordable for a minimum of 61 years.
Is it perfect? No, but it certainly seems better than continued avaoidance on Princeville's part.
There are more pressing issues about which to lament.
July 19, 2015 at 11:06 AM you must be one of those trickle down economists. Let the developers build housing exclusively for the richie riches and the housing will magically appear for everyone else. Kukuiula, Princeville, etc. Dream on.
ReplyDeleteLet the cats eat the birds and we can have Friday night football. Nothing like repetitive brain trauma under a star lit sky.
ReplyDelete