Friday, September 23, 2016

Musings: Kick 'Em

The Grove Farm road that allows public access to Mahaulepu beach will be closed for two months during bacterial studies in the Waiopili Ditch and Poipu-Koloa watershed area, the state Department of Health announced yesterday.

The news comes as no surprise — DOH indicated last May a beach closure was likely, though the proposal then was for four months this past summer. Now it's Sept. 26 to Nov. 30.

Nor is it any surprise that Friends of Mahaulepu and Surfrider are desperately trying to distance themselves from the action their endless complaints precipitated. As The Garden Island reports, “some locals” — FOM's Bridget Hammerquist and Surfrider's Carl Berg — “are questioning the motives” of DOH.

Yes, we understand Surfrider and FOM don't want to take any heat for being responsible for the lengthy closure of a popular beach. And we realize their real agenda has always been stopping the proposed dairy, not protecting public health.

But when you've been publicly bitching for months about how DOH is falling down on the job and Grove Farm is allowing its tenants to pollute the wai and kai, it rings a bit hollow when you start to question why DOH and GF are now doing exactly what you've been screaming at them to do: accurately determine the cause of high bacteria counts at Waiopili.

The beach closure is yet another example of the “unintended consequences” of activism by groups eager to target any possible source of pollution — save for tourism, and themselves.

And is anyone else tired of the self-proclaimed water quality experts at Surfrider and FOM acting like they know best how DOH should operate, when their own anti-ag biases are manifest? Not to mention the way TGI laps up their every word, without question.

Speaking of lousy reporting, the low standards at Civil Beat dropped yet another notch with publication of a secretly recorded video showing Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi offering a drunken, profanity-laced toast to Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho in a privately-hosted reception at the Hawaii Congress of Planning Officials.

Though the video has absolutely nothing to do with anything, and isn't even entertaining, reporter Chad Blair justifies it because “Kenoi has been accused by criminal prosecutors of using taxpayer money to buy, as the prosecutors put it, “exorbitant amounts of alcohol.”

Uh, except that's totally irrelevant, since no taxpayer money was used to host the after-hours Kauai Hyatt hospitality suite where the toast occurred. And I think we already know Billy has a drinking problem.

"Kick 'em when they're up, kick 'em when they're down..." 
Yeah, yeah. I know. I shouldn't talk. But I wouldn't have tried to pass that off as news. And it gives me a chance, during this horrible Presidential election, to post Don Henley's great song.

Though CB branded the video like it was its own, it was actually lifted from the Facebook page of Jonathan Scheuer, a member of the state Land Use Commission. So curious, that CB fails to note the one thing that actually is interesting about this shtick: a public official secretly taping other public officials.

To his credit, Scheuer deleted the two videos he'd taken at the event, and issued a FB apology:

First, the regular folks at the party did not expect to be videoed, even if the videos were not primarily of them. Second, the videos may have given some people the wrong impression that all we do is drink and party at this conference. This was one after-hours gathering at a three-day conference that is digging deeply into many substantive issues that face our islands. I am friends with many, many people at this conference, and many planners around the state, and they are some of the most dedicated people I know. I really regret having posted the videos for those reasons, and apologize to my planning colleagues for the harm this may have caused. I am sorry. :(

But too late. CB had already picked it up. No doubt Jonathan will experience a few cold shoulders and closed doors after this.

While we're on the topic of kicking failed politicians, Kauai Councilman Gary Hooser has managed to scrape together $8,837 in donations eligible for matching public funds. Thus far, he's the only Kauai Council candidate to report post-primary donations and seek matching funds for the general election.

That gives Gary another $17,674 to tamp down a rat hole — on top of the $64,543 he already blew in the primary. 

Hmm. Do you suppose $82,217 can buy him a Council seat that pays $56,000 a year? (And untold undisclosed perks from his HAPA nonprofit. Switzerland, anyone?)

So interesting to see sleazes like Hanalei boat king Joe Pascal and cat fanatic Basil Scott, who has been leading the vicious attacks against Kauai Humane Society director Penny Cistaro, among Gary's donors. 

And more than 20 percent of the total ($1,959, to be exact),  came from off-island folks — including Josh Stanbro, program director of environment and sustainability at Hawaii Community Foundation.

As I've noted, the decidedly opaque HCF has stepped up funding for the antis in recent years. Now we see why. 

Go, Josh! And I mean that literally.

76 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can certainly understand Grove Farm agreeing to close it. They have always been benevolent enough to provide access. Why do they need the headache of dealing with these non-issues? Granted the stream is polluted but thinking its due to access by fisherman, surfers and beach goers is asinine. What would people going to the beach at Mahaulepu possibly have to do with contamination of the stream? Think people are walking up the stream defecating in it? Think people are driving in garbage and and heaving it in? I've walked this ditch over 40 years, most recently in February of 2016, and I haven't seen evidence of this but have found half in the water and on the bank pig carcasses and chicken carcasses as well as evidence of much activity from the same. Where is the water tested?Some was located only 50 feet upstream from the bridge located by the farm/turtle enclosures. They need to close the beach to study this? Really? Could Surfrider and 'concerned' others perhaps tried to discover the source of the contamination? I guess it's easier to ask the same government they are so distrustful of to investigate. Beware! This first act of restricting access will serve to further privatize this area and lead to development. The logic will be that it ain't safe until we build on it.

Anonymous said...

Joan - "While we're on the topic of kicking failed politicians, Kauai Councilman Gary Hooser"

While we're on the topic of (insert anything here), Kauai Councilmember Gary Hooser.... Regardless of topic everything in Joan World revolves around Gary Hooser. Global warming - Hooser. GMOs - Hooser. Dividing the community-Hooser. You would think he is the only bad apple on the council. Here is a fun game - every time Joan drags the Hooser out for a drubbing substitute "could it be Satan" for Hooser for he is the death star around which Joan's life revolves.

Joan Conrow said...

Your own obsession with Hooser confers far too much importance on him. He is but a minuscule speck in my life -- about which you know nothing other than the tiny bit revealed in this blog.

Anonymous said...

Paskal, Josh and Basil donated less than $100 apiece to Hooser's campaign! This clearly demonstrates the cat fanatics, the boating industry and the community foundation are all pushing Hooser's anti GMO agenda. Thank you Joan for pointing this out.

Anonymous said...

Actually Joan from what my friends at the planning department have told me Hooser, Chock and Yukimura were the only Council-members not present at this booze fest.

Anonymous said...

"a minuscule speck in my life" - Joan who are you kidding? You are obviously obsessed with this guy. You should own it and not deny it.

Anonymous said...

TGI posting another Hooser type Haole Peter Nilsen from Princeville, who advocates for Council districting and County Manager. Why don't you move back to the mainland and go live where there's a County Manager and Districting. You Peter are a minority voice, the locals are sick and tired of elitist Haoles like you!

Joan Conrow said...

I'm quite certain I have a better sense of the relative importance of things in my life than an anonymous Hooser apologist. Sorry my reality doesn't fit your false narrative, 9:17.

And 9:12, if you read more carefully you'd have seen I referenced two of those contributors as representing the sleaze factor.

It's so cute how Gary's deluded toadies rush to his defense! Though I suspect it's all the same person making multiple comments.

Anonymous said...

"It's so cute how Gary's deluded toadies rush to his defense! Though I suspect it's all the same person making multiple comments."

we are everywhere

Anonymous said...

You are totally obsessed with Gary and I know you are what am I comment doesn't make sense.

Anonymous said...

"Actually Joan from what my friends at the planning department have told me Hooser, Chock and Yukimura were the only Council-members not present at this booze fest.

September 23, 2016 at 9:15 AM"

Your "friends" at the Planning Department are wrong. Yukimura was at the booze fest. Get your facts straight you idiot.

Anonymous said...

Joan is not obsessed with Hooser. Just because his name appears in more than half of her blogs the past few years, thousands of times in fact, does not mean she is obsessed. His name surpasses by far any others appearing in this blog, but that does not mean obsession. Kinda like saying the mass media is obsessed with Trump. Ridiculous! Obviously, Joan highly values Hooserʻs newsworthiness over other council members and the mayor. She is just following her own preferences for newsmaking. If she loves writing about Hooser, she has every right to do so as often as she wants without being accused of obsession.

Anonymous said...

I don't think Joan is at all obsessed with Hooser. I think Joan uses the blog to stop the endless flow of unabated BS, of which Hooser, Surfrider, CFS, HAPA, Friends of Mauhalepu, and many more freely dispense. Thank you Joan! You are very courageous! Whenever you are directly of your target, is when you catch the most heat.

Anonymous said...

No clown.. YOU, are everywhere. Nobody else.

Anonymous said...

9:12 Joan He is but a minuscule speck in my life -- about which you know nothing other than the tiny bit revealed in this blog.

Tiny bit? Hooser is by far the most mentioned person in your blog. No other person comes even close.

Joan Conrow said...

You have a reading comprehension problem, 11am, as well as a Hooser obsession. I wrote that only a tiny bit of my of my life is revealed in this blog. But hey, you go right back to counting how many times his name has been mentioned. And don't worry, references will greatly diminish once he loses. If you can't stomach the wait, quit haunting my blog.

Anonymous said...

9:32 Joan "It's so cute how Gary's deluded toadies rush to his defense! Though I suspect it's all the same person making multiple comments."

Pointing out how many times you bring up Hooser in your blog is not a defense of Hooser. It is a simple observation. I suspect that you Joan are that same person making multiple comments as multiple anons. That is why you allow anons to comment. If you stopped such practice the comments on your blog would evaporate. Try it for a week. It would be so cute to see the results.

Anonymous said...

Hey 9:12, Joan could have been accused of being obsessed with Shaylene's antics too, until of course she was shown to the door by the voters of Kauai.

I can't vouch for Joan, but once Hooser is shown to the door in November, her job of informing the public of his antics will be over as well, and you won't have your panties in a bundle over seeing his name being mired in his own muck.

But if you don't like this obsessive blog, you should ignore it and keep getting your news from the crack team of hard hitting investigative journalists at TGI.. They are obsessively in love with your hero Gary Hooser.

Joan Conrow said...

Well, 11:09' thank you for confirming your delusions. I can barely keep up with the blog and comment moderation, much less write comments, too. I actually do have a life, and a very demanding profession that engage me much more than blogging.

I have allowed anonymous comments from the very beginning because I know that in a small community, people are reluctant to put their name out there. And that apparently includes you. Why don't you try putting your name on all your comments for a month? It would be so cute to see how many times you rush to Hooser's defense.

Anonymous said...

11:25 Joan "Why don't you try putting your name on all your comments for a month? It would be so cute to see how many times you rush to Hooser's defense."

Deal under 2 conditions

(1) if you agree not to censor any of my comments.
(2) you agree to shut off anons for a week if I do not come to Hooser's defense for a month.

You realize you are calling the anons (including me) of being cowards by saying "I have allowed anonymous comments from the very beginning because I know that in a small community, people are reluctant to put their name out there." Everyone but you is a coward right Joan? Smug superiority looking down on the legions of cowards you facilitate.

Anonymous said...

10:43 " I think Joan uses the blog to stop the endless flow of unabated BS" Apparently not as Hooser's BS continues unabated.

Joan Conrow said...

@11:51. I can only do so much.

@11:45. I'm not interested in making any deals on the management of my blog. Lol. You are too much.

And no, I'm not calling the anons cowards. There are many reasons why people don't use their names, and I respect their choices, which is why I allow anonymous comments.

The only ones who are cowards are those who attack me anonymously. Which would include you.

Anonymous said...

The first commenter is right. Closing the beach is overkill.

Anonymous said...

11:58 Ok I won't attack you but can I attack the hoos?

Anonymous said...

Hooser sold his Kapaa property for $435,000 today and rumor has it he's been looking at investing in the old Golden Pond property in Kapahi where the medical marijuana farm will be. Better not be GMO pot.

Anonymous said...

11:09 AM
Joan seems to do a great deal of research on many topics. There isn't much about this island that she isn't aware of. She is also a sounding board for many citizens.
All of this takes time, intellect and organization. And then there is her writing stuff...that takes a lot of time.
As far as Da Hoos goes, Joan may feel as many do, that Da Hoos should be gone.
Why he is fighting so desperately to hold pn to his seat is baffling. He can make a fortune selling real estate to or for his many wealthy friends. These narrow faced, shrill voiced, know-it-alls got big bucks and big Ag estates.
But he may have a problem in real estate, even tho' he can be a real ass-kisser with the supreme powers at Planning, he has been so rude to so many underlings, that he may have trouble getting any permits processed.
All of Kauai's fortunes live or die at Planning.

A mark of a man is how he treats his subordinates or the herds of lesser beings.......Da Hoos is rude and arrogant toward the Council staff and others in County service.
And don't none of you say that the underlings don't be talkin' about the goings on at the Ivory Tower. They talk. And Da Hoos don't treat them good. Not a courteous bone in the Big Fistee.
Mel is respectful and fun. So is Ross, Arryl, Kipukai and even JoAnn is polite and gracious. Mason is still trying to remember their names, and for the most part keeps his arrogance down.
Da Hoos stands tall as a man who lets the little people know they are little. But if you got bucks the main Fistee will brown-nose you to oblivion.

Anonymous said...

"I don't work in a dairy, so I do not care. Just let me on your beaches and pay the damn taxes for my view, pleasure, and use. Or give me the land in my 'nonprofit' so I can boss it. " Surfriders/Friends/Sierra Club. "The last thing we need here is a stink dairy and real farming. This is prime hotel and housing land. Look how it is protected from the riffraff. We can create a private roadway and build a thousand units and lots. It will employ investors and realtors for 15 years. Remember Poipu Kai/Moana/Pee Road?" Modern Poipu.

Anonymous said...

It is interesting how Ms. Hammerquist and Mr, Berg pushed hard for DOH to find the reasons for a high bacterial count in the kahakai near and around the mouth of Waiopili Stream are now changing the tune of their high-bacteria mantra. Yet as the study period is about to commence to identify the source of the bacteria count they already are casting doubt on the process.

I read in a recent media publication, claims by Ms.Hammerquist that people swim and frolic in the waters of Papalinakoa where Waiopili Stream flows into the sea, between the border of na ahupua’a of Pa’a and Maha’ulepu.

I don’t ever recall this being a favorite swimming spot in the past or even today. It is a shallow reefed area that drops off to deep water. The shoreline in not conducive to frolicking and swimming. It faces the east and the ocean is usually rougher than other beaches on the southside. Residents may fish and surf, but it is not a place for children and adults to safely swim. The stream itself is a few inches deep near the shoreline.

I am not making an assumption here. I have lived in Koloa most of my life, save for the years I was off island getting an education. My family has roots in Kōloa that span many generations. I may not be at the everyday and often enough over my life time to report above what I see. I have never seen Ms. Hammerquist there or any older caucasian who are residents.

One glaring fact Ms. Hammerquist and Mr. Berg fail to mention is, since the explosion of resort development in the last 46 years, including condominiums, subdivisions and hotels, seventeen (17) waste water treatment plants have been built on the south shore to treat all the sewage from this visitor and residential (malihini) growth. The sewage is treated than injected into the water table through over 88 injections wells. There are many puna (springs) offshore and this treated sewage will find its way into the sea. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this. Human feces bacteria. Look no further than your own okole.

Keen observation over time by these two nay-sayers would have also revealed that ocean currents run east and west along the south shore coastline. This may add to the bacterial count at Papalanikoa. An example; after a heavy rain, muddy runoff from Kukui’ula runs into Kukui’ula Harbor and runs east toward the Sheraton Kaua’i and some flows west towards Lawa’i Kai.

Ms. Hammerquist and Mr. Berg would be doing a better service addressing this issue at Kuiui’ula and preventing sediment from crippling our nearshore fisheries and reefs.



Anonymous said...

No be silly, pound beers with Billy! You can't tell from the video, but he's a good orator.

Unknown said...

"League of cowards"? GO F yourself. I'm not the one posting anonymously. Gary Hooser has worked diligently to place himself on top of the Anti-GMO idiot pile (not saying all anti-gmo protestors are idiots, but Hooser is one). That being said, the target on his back is fair game, and earned him top ranking for Joan's well deserved ridicule. You'd save money, and have better qualified candidates, if you cut their salary from $56,0000 to $26,000. What do the councilmen make per hour worked? However, Hooser should give his salary back after all the money he cost the county with frivolous 2491.

Anonymous said...

It's not enough to get Hooser off the Council. He should depart to to CFSlandia and get his meddling, arrogant, overweening and kissing-up/kicking-down pandering out of our lives and to to more suitable places. And, Coast Haole that he is, he can swim there with Hammerquist under under one arm and Berg under the other. We will see whose kukae is in the water without their finger pointing. And as 6:11 very trenchantly observed above "Look no further than your own okole." And, please, before you get all weepy over Hammerquist's statement on the Mahaulepu closure, at least attempt to find out what the PhyloChip testing involves. I'm sure Hammerquist did not bother before opening her big mouth. And I am very sure TGI didn't either since they prefer to be spoon-fed pablum passing for news.

Anonymous said...

Billy Kenoi is one of the funniest speakers I have ever heard and, as said earlier, a great drinking companion.

Anonymous said...

Kauai was a peaceful little island until all the Bullshit started falling from the sky. The A-GMO invited the grandmasters of Roundup to give their one sided view of roundup. H then decided to upscale the fight for no roundup. The "Brain" had a vision for Kauai, you use roundup - nobody is going to come to Kauai. The Real Estate Market will take a dip because nobody is going to come to Kauai to buy this poisoned land. Just imagine that every transaction for real estate will increase the property value of that property and the properties around it. The "Brain" got these leaders to wear red t-shirts. The color red sends a signal to opponents which is very different from the color blue. What is the meaning of a blue collared worker? There is no red collared worker. No more red collared workers. They work little bit and start asking for help.....work is hard and it demands different muscle skills. The "Brain" did not let the red shirts know that their job is to sell the land and not work it. LOL

Anonymous said...

For those who believe Joan is obsessed with Gary Hooser, a simple solution to your ills is to not read this blog. No one is forcing you to logon, click your mouse, and navigate your way here. I for one greatly appreciate Joan's work, research, and sharing of her point of view. Again, if you don't like it....don't read it. She does a hell of a lot more research then the average Kauai resident.

Keep up the good work Joan!

Unknown said...

Surfrider is not "desperately" backing away fr anything Joan. Where did you pull that out of and why the inflammatory language? Read the article. Read our website. Read national website. And that lie you perpetuate in Carl Rovian style about our being anti-ag is false. We are anti-pollution, wether it's bacterial or chemical.

Joan Conrow said...

Surfrider has been calling on DOH to figure out the Mahaulepu pollution source. But when DOH takes the steps that Surfrider has been advocating, which means closing the beach, suddenly Surfrider is questioning DOH's motives. You claim you're not backing away. Well, you certainly aren't embracing it.

As for you not being anti-AG, only anti pollution, it's so odd that you've been very aggressive in opposing the dairy, and GMOs, even though neither actually have produced any documented pollution. But you're so quiet about all the Haena-Hanalei TVRs pumping sewage into the water from outdated cesspools. I haven't seen you demanding an investigation up there, or calling on the county to revise the TVR law to prohibit them on a cesspool, or suing anyone. I don't see your group doing anything to challenge pollution from any tourism or residential sources. All your efforts are against AG. Or at least, the ones you promote so heavily in the newspaper and litigate.

Anonymous said...

Be interesting if test results show that pollution of Waiopili actually comes from cesspools and injection wells from urban uses. Possibly people crapping in stream? Hey, anything is possible - and that is the kind of mentality ( a la antis) which gravitate to "possible" rather than probable.

Oh, and this is not Joan, just a new anon.

Anonymous said...

Be interesting if test results show that pollution of Waiopili actually comes from cesspools and injection wells from urban uses. Possibly people crapping in stream? Hey, anything is possible - and that is the kind of mentality ( a la antis) which gravitate to "possible" rather than probable.

Oh, and this is not Joan, just a new anon.

Anonymous said...

9:22, I have previously read the Nationalist Socialist Workers' Party's propaganda recommendations, so reading anything put out by Surfrider would be redundant. We see enough of it in Surfrider's local house organ, TGI,anyway.

Anonymous said...

AHAHAHA 12:21 PM. Good one!

And it's not just Surfrider. Look at Babes, SHAKA, CFS, Civil Beat, and the many other "non-profits" that pretend to be the underdogs fighting for our planet.

P.S. I'm not Joan (INJ)

Anonymous said...

Why Worry about Joan. Look around the island. Look at yourself. Does anyone tell you what to do? Are you old enough to have your own thoughts? Does anyone tell you what to say? Can you distinguish the truth from a lie? I like what Joan writes. My wife tells me what to do. I do it, I take the trash out. I keep the peace. These are my own comments. I want to know the truth and this is one source of the truth.

Manuahi said...

Hear! Hear!

Anonymous said...


1:04 and 5:03 PMs ,, I triple hear y'all .

I did not follow my wife's orders today,,,,,I thought I went better than orders.. I love her because she is as mean and much smarter than I am......

I paid ( am paying at this moment) for my lack of proper respect to my lovely wife today,,, and I thank the stars that she let me live through this pretty day!

Note too other men that like fiery half Apache half German pretty and powerfull women---- do NOT let em drink Tequila ,,, The Duetch in them can take beer all day long!!!! Now ,, you better be prepped for the kind of hell I had all day.. I had a great day. I was not in the drinking mood but my wife had a long week and needed to not drive and have a good day!!

And I reckon she is hollering at me so I gotta go and relax the Apache!!! Performance anxiety is not an option.. I wish everyone was as happy as me and my wife.. I'm not kidding , .....

Anonymous said...

Da Hoos condominiumizes a lot in Kapaa into 3 units. 2 dinky little postage stamp sized Commercial units and the one he sold as a residence. I am not against a man making some money by chopping up his land BUT --How does Da Hoos get to have a mixed use on ancient properties without bringing it into total compliance? Every other CPR on the island is dragged over hot coals and endless torture. Da Hoos sails on thru. A greased Fistee. Maybe Gary and Big Mike Dahilig are closer than a normal relationship should be.. Maybe those beers down at the Beer Store on Rice Street has another story to tell.
Anyway- Da Hoos is an experienced land developer. Being a land master he knows that every west side property must disclose that they are in a poison zone.
West Side properties have lost immense value, ever since the Fistees raised their arms.
Millions of dollars lost in equity. Millions.
Not one iota of scientific proof that shows that the GMOs/Big Ag hurt people, but NOW it is a disclosure issue on every west side property. It falls under that old "lawsuit" and "nuisance" segments.
Our County Council, Hooser, Mason, JoAnn, Jay and Big Boy Bynum should all be sued. A class action. Their lies and hyperbole have changed west side real estate forever.
West side property owners are damaged.
If Mason can sue the County and get big bucks- and if Bynum can sue the County and make big bucks....why can't people who are absolutely hurt and damaged sue? Bynum's lawsuit was BS and Mason sure can lift 3 sacks of concrete with his supposedly bad back..And we as citizens, sit back and accept this. Great Gawd Almighty, we citizens must have fallen off of the Stupid Tree and hit every branch as we fell down. Proof that evolution CAN go in reverse.

Unless the County Council makes a declaration that GMO and Ag is safe, many buyers will avoid the west side.
Shame on Da Hoos, JoAnn and Mason. The old time owners have lost moocho denero by these three liar's actions.
But, I guess that is OK. Da Hoos is off to a rekindled real estate career. And all three will get huge pensions and medical.............whilst the old-timers on the Westside live with the wreckage they have strewn.
What a County. Has anyone's life been improved since the County has doubled the property tax and doubled the number of County employees? Nope. Nothing is better. The elite government worker class collects and collects, while the regular citizen just sits in traffic and wonders how the will pay their bills.
Hey Gary, can I borrow some kala?

Anonymous said...

@1:04
Yeah I've become a bit more suspicious of Civil Beat over the years. Initially I liked them and thought they were a legitimate news source then I read their anti-gmo stuff and heard about Joans blog and saw how connected they were to the Anti-GMO people. Just out of curiosity Joan can you explain from your professional experience how deep the rabbit hole goes with Civil Beat? What other ways is their journalism flawed?

Anonymous said...

Another reason to give the boot to Hooser and Yukimura amd Mason is their Pavlovian response to any and all "environmental" BS. We all love the birds, but---
There will never be Friday Night Football while these three make their trade-offs in Council votes. But that's OK, because the voter base for these three do not want football, hunting, housing or jobs.
These kids work hard and their parents and pubic deserve to see them on a cool Kauai night. Instead of sweltering in the hot sun. Poor kids. Where is the empathy for these athletes, JoAnn and err Gary and hypocrite Mason.
I vote for Friday Night Football.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone hear of purposefully blighting a neighborhood? the blight, in this case pesticides , or more correctly alleged pesticide poisoning makes the land values go down, way down. the influential , on Kauai, Realtors and brokers , buy these cheap properties, hold on to them for a little while or longer if necessary, then sell for a huge profit. The prices are intentionally brought down, no one wants to purchase these blighted properties and they get sold cheaply. Soon, the brokers will own most of the land and trust me when they sell it, it will be for top dollar. Hold onto your west side lands they will be very valuable before too long.

Anonymous said...

The West Side has the healthiest elderly population in the State. Maybe because most are Asians, but they all went thru the big Sugar era. Asian or not, poison is supposed to kill and give that cancer, right?
The Sugar era where mosquito fogs drenched the camps, Paraquat, Lorsban, Chlordane and others were in common use. Sabedong ruled the fields, Murray Air sprayed from Planes and chemicals were everywhere.
What's up with that?
Hey Gary, maybe if a NS elitist sues on disclosure over your contention that Kauai is a pesticide swill of poison and wins on lack of Disclosure.....do you think you will back off?
The West Side is a great place to live. Great people and fine environment. Wanna buy my Waimea Lot for cheap? Even Hanapepe is damaged because of this illusion. Property yaxes should be cut in half or made at zero...call it the JoAnn, Gary and Mason Ad Valorum Tax Consequence Bill.
But Pakalas is perfect this morning, Perfect.

Unknown said...

Joan, you still have not explained how and why you wrote that Surfrider quote is desperately backtracking quote. If you are going to write something back it up please with facts.don't do it by saying Surfrider is doing this or not doing that according to your wishes. If I am going to spend the time reading your blog, which I don't normally, only when someone points me to it, please explain why you write something.

Joan Conrow said...

I did explain it: Surfrider has been calling on DOH to figure out the Mahaulepu pollution source. But when DOH takes the steps that Surfrider has been advocating, which means closing the beach, suddenly Surfrider is questioning DOH's motives. Sounds like backing away to me. As opposed to saying, "way to go DOH. Yeah, it sucks they're closing the beach, but we gotta get to the source of this pollution."

And since you feel you can make demands of me -- now that you have condescend to read my blog, and only because someone pointed out you/Surfrider are in it -- please explain why your most aggressive actions have been directed toward the dairy and seed companies, neither of which have been documented to be polluting. You are the one who said you aren't anti-AG, only anti- pollution. Back up your statement with some facts now, not just saying Surfrider is doing this or that according to your spin.

Anonymous said...


Thanks for remining us 8:08 ,,,

I might be wrong ,and if I am please correct me,

Did not someboy's crew maybe three or four years back get the county/us to build Shearwater stadium lights for a couple MILLION $$ ??

Man we were all laughing in jealousy at that contract... But it was cool cause that was going to stop the Friday Night Lights from going extinct ...
So what the hell happened with that happy thought , who got the contract,,,, and WHY are we not utilizing these lights????

And get real,, the contract was for putting a glorified lamp shade over the lights to appease the birds.. So what is the status if anyone knows?

Anonymous said...


08:03

She said it Lima Charlie doc , you are playing intellectual?

Cause all of us got all Sunday to "back it up" Zelkovski?? I'm just one ole corn pone that is still waiting for--- yep Asshole , you are not professional at any level..

I would love to back that up! How bout you??

Anonymous said...

8:08 said "There will never be Friday Night Football while these three make their trade-offs in Council votes."

Actually, there will never be Friday Night Football unless the Feds allow it. The Council has nothing to do with the ban on night football. But why let the truth mess with your b.s. narrative?

John Kauai said...

Since Friday Night Lights depend on saving the Shearwaters consider The Moral Cost of Cats

Anonymous said...

The county has been off of probation for the last 2 years. It's the mayors call and attorneys

Anonymous said...

9:17
There is an accepted "kill" of Shearwaters. The Feds have a scale.
JoAnn, Mason and Gary may not be the source of the Friday Night ban..................but as sure as you is one NS elitist....these three are NOT Kauai Football fans, are Pavlov's dogs on anything that insinuates harm to the so-called environment. JoAnn don't got no problems with her Hubby's construction and Da Hoos has developed on more than one river ridge.
It is BS....these three are against anything that helps the regular folks on the island. They are entrenched with the rich retirees, trust-funders and others that are here for the weather and beaches....and since their love is for the natural beauty this leaves the REAL asset of the island KAUAI's great people out of luck.
Face it. Da Hoos is agin anything that helps local housing or jobs. He and JoAnn have been agin PMRF countless times.
Kauai "leaders" should be for the people, all of the people. This includes the hard-working folks who just work and try to get along in their life.
Da Hoos, Mason and JoAnn prefer the easy lifestyle of the wealthy NS types.
Friday Night Football could be an iconic type event for these three.
Man alive.......for decades JoAnn has been for the Bus and against the needed roads. Da Hoos used to be her little shadow until he grew some a couple and gathered his own groupies...so here we are.
Three Council people who are for the rich "raise the drawbridge" folks and say "F8ck off to jobs, local housing and roads".........Plus the other stuff, how Da hoos didn't pay taxes and Mason sues the County...ad nauseum.
Only people who love the people of the island's people should be elected.....not just environmental Pavlovian jerk-offs.
I've had it, time to go smoke a Fattie. Grown in old Sugar soil, with lots of Osmocote, it drips with sap and the odor would choke a herd of Hippies.

Anonymous said...

Yesterday was so hot I thought we might see some carry offs the field. Back to night games. Day games are OK at Hawaii Prep, Kula, and Kohala. But they are inappropriate for the lowlands given our usual heat and humidity.

Anonymous said...

Still waiting for your reply to Joan's question Robert Zelkovsky of Surfrider Kauai. This is another reader, not the first. And not Joan posting anonymously either...

Maybe if you stall long enough and enough of us write in it will come up on google search under Robert Zelkovsky Surfrider Foundation? But thank you for using your real name btw.

Anonymous said...

There will be big changes in the council in November. Hooser and Yukimura will be out and replace by Kawakami and Brun. Mason will survive.

Anonymous said...


OK,, what is the moral cost of human young dehydrating... I Get ya JK but it is hard to justify my friend. That and my question about the lamp shades ?? That was supposed to rectalfy all this?? How much millions???who's contracts??? Who signed off??

Your mine opinion doesn't matter John even if we had kids would not matter. The birds outrank children !! That alone is hard to wrap our heads around!

Hey , the rest of the country gets cool and crisp football weather,,, Kauai /all islands get very humid and hot.. And that includes my sorry ass that would love to watch local football without lookin like good/bad/ugly melting in the sun? Imagin if your grand parents wanted to watch ya play?? Might as well have many many medics.

Anonymous said...


Hi 12:44 pm, I am not Joan. I am a veteran that was referred to Dr. Zelkovsky by the VA... This fuck head is a chiropractor and deferred me two years until I finally said enough. A real Doctor is getting the surgeons together and will fix multi combined fuck ups that this asshole let go...this asshole hurt my world and he can take himself and Surfrider and get very very far away from me!! I thought he was a real doctor.

If you don't like being maligned ......FUCKYOU

And FUCK YOU VA for doing this to me my wife and all these taxpaying readers.. AGAIN.. And WHY VA would you hire a chiropractor?

I think this asshole has defrauded not only me,, but every single one of us!! I hurt, I am mad,I don't want any of these citizens paying for my pain.

Joan Conrow said...

Anonymous September 24, 2016 at 7:57 PM wrote:

Yeah I've become a bit more suspicious of Civil Beat over the years. Initially I liked them and thought they were a legitimate news source then I read their anti-gmo stuff and heard about Joans blog and saw how connected they were to the Anti-GMO people. Just out of curiosity Joan can you explain from your professional experience how deep the rabbit hole goes with Civil Beat? What other ways is their journalism flawed?

The primary journalistic problem I see with Civil Beat is that its founder and primary funder, Pierre Omidyar, funds many of the groups and issues that are covered by Civil Beat. But this financial connection is not disclosed. Indeed, Civil Beat editor Patti Epler has claimed that it's not an issue, because Pierre puts his money into a fund that Hawaii Community Foundation administers. But as I've pointed out, this is the same strategy used by the Koch Brothers to hide their philanthropy. In any case, once his donations have been pointed out, as I did with Center for Food Safety, Blue Planet Foundation and Surfrider, Civil Beat can't really play the ignorance card and it should be disclosing that Omidyar funds these groups every time they are covered.

To make matters worse, Civil Beat has been unduly favorable to the groups that Omidyar funds. In one case, it published a CFS press release verbatim.

Omidyar also serves on Civil Beat's editorial board, making recommendations on editorial stances. In most traditional newsrooms -- and CB loves to hold people to the traditional journalism model -- there is a wall between publisher and editorial.

Then there's Civil Beat's so-called reader rep, Brett Oppengaard. However, rather than do anything to actually represent the readers and their interests, such as explore the connection between Civil Beat's funder and its editorial policies, he spends his time criticizing other media and blogs, while making excuses for Civil Beat and issuing such idiotic pronouncements as "comments are journalism." Uh, maybe at a low-bar publication like Civil Beat, but not in any real world of professional journalism.

Finally, now that Civil Beat has turned itself into a nonprofit, allowing Omidyar to get a tax-break for his vanity publication, it engages in relentless self-promotion and self-congratulation, which is unseemly behavior for a news outlet.

And as I've noted, their recent publication of the Billy Kenoi video is also questionable, especially since the person who made the video said he did not release it to CB.

Anonymous said...

Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Jeremy Scahill are also not legitimate journalists as they work for the puppetmaster Omidyar who also funds the Intercept. Democracy Now (Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez) are also suspect as Joan has pointed out in a previous post. They are all left wing nutcases trying to destroy America. Joan don't listen to the anonymous haters and keep exposing these anti-american gasbags for what they are. I no longer read TGI either after you pointed out all their crap.

John Kauai said...

WRT the mention of Koch vs Omidyar:

CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Clinton: “In my first 30 days as president, I will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.”
Trump: “These super PACs are a disaster, by the way, folks. Very corrupt. It’s going to lead to lots of disasters.”

So which one do you support?

WRT the impartiality of Civil Beat supporting Omidyar's politics, have you noticed the change in the Washington Post since it was bought by Jeff Bezos?

Lastly, TGI is getting much worse in handling their on-line presence.

Joan Conrow said...

Well, I don't know about "left wing nutcases trying to destroy America," but I take them all with a big grain of salt, especially Democracy Now.

What's noteworthy about Greenwald, Scahill and Poitras is the way their voices have become muted, rather than amplified, since joining Omidyar's vanity press, The Intercept. Here's an interesting perspective on that.

Anonymous said...

I love it that Mayor Kenoi was just keeping it real. Not like anyone never heard that kind of talk. "Keeping it Real". Keep going my braddah!

Anonymous said...

Didn't Greenwald and Poitras both win a Pulitzer? Guess we can take that "honor" as a prize for the yellow journalism that Joseph Pulitzer introduced to the world before founding Columbia School of Journalism with his philanthropic bequest. Omidyar seems to be following in his footsteps.

Anonymous said...

Long ago on my wooden ruler had a saying "NEVER HIT A PERSON WHEN HE IS DOWN, HE MAY GET UP". Mayor Kenoi, I hope you are the one to get back up.

Joan Conrow said...

Yes, they did. But that was before they went to work for Omidyar. And please don't besmirch the legacy of Joseph Pulitzer by trying to pretend that Mr E-bay is in any way following in his footsteps.

John Kauai said...

Great article Joan, thanks for the reference. Folks might also be interested in how Omidyar also torpedoed Matt Taibi .

In Omidyar's defense, all the other news outlets are being bought up by other Billionaires, so he will require an outlet that can defend him against their attacks. Which is why Joan's perspective is important. (And Democracy Now, whether you agree with them or not.)

Seems as if he may be doing the same thing with the dairy. Which, in turn, points to the problem with the concentration of wealth in too few hands. Billionaires think that because they made a lot of money by being in the right place at the right time they know everything about everything.

FWIW: I am not opposed to the dairy but then neither am I a vocal supporter (although I'd like fresher dairy products and think Ag jobs important).

Anonymous said...

Joan thank you for explaining the flaws of Civil Beat to me. Now I know how deep the rabbit hole goes. Thanks for mentioning the Editorial Board, I always found that a bit suspect with their recommendations on what people should do. I guess I'll stick with Hawaii News Now unless there are better alternatives. Thank you Joan.

Anonymous said...

While I support AG and a dairy on KAUAI, and Mahaulepu would be fine if done within the laws of "carrying capacity" - which would be 550 to 680 - depending on the how much energy and nutrients the lactating cows will be supplemented with, beyond the pastures.

At this point (in fact from the git-go), Omidiyar's Hawaii Dairy Farms botched the deal by relying on the wrong consultants, along with an extremely ill suited and poor management team. It is hard to feel sorry for them. Regarding Hammerquist, Surfriderider, et. al., they are not clueless, just simply misguided by their own smugness and hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

Joan are you seriously claiming the Joseph Pulitzer was not the father of yellow journalism? "Pulitzer introduced the techniques of yellow journalism to the newspapers he acquired in the 1880s." or are you claiming Omydiar is not a yellow journalist?

If you don't believe wikipedia just look at the stories and headlines of the New York World from the 1880.

Joan Conrow said...

Like most people, Pulitzer is more than just one thing. Yes, there was yellow journalism, in terms of sensational features, but he also promoted investigative journalism and fought corruption.

My objection to correlating him with Omidyar was the idea that Omidyar is creating any sort of lasting legacy with his foray into journalism.

Anonymous said...

Omidyar may be many things, but journalist is certainly not one of them- yellow or other. Mostly, Civil Beat is a collection of fabulists.

Anonymous said...

Did Zelkovsky ever provide the info you asked for?