Thursday, May 29, 2014

Musings: Stops and Starts

The day started with stars, Venus, two adorable piglets running across our path as the dogs and I walked in first light, and a thought that's been recurring in this long spate of muggy weather: Did I somehow get transported to Guam?

I learned something rather disturbing yesterday. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued its findings of retaliatory behavior against Police Chief Darryl Perry without ever questioning him, or taking his statement. Nor was he ever given a copy of the EEOC's report. How is that a person can be accused and found guilty while never being allowed to speak in their own defense, or see the findings against them?

Glancing at Civil Beat, I notice it has a new look. I also noticed a commentary by Ashley Lukens, director of the Center for Food Safety, demanding more transparency from the seed/chem companies. Awesome. And while you are it, could you please tell us more about the Rockefeller sisters who are the primary benefactors of your work, and what their agenda is in Hawaii?

Ashley's not the only talking out of both sides of her mouth. There's uber hypocrite Councilman Tim Bynum trying to take away ag tax rates from the seed companies because they aren't growing something that goes right into the mouth of the consumer. But he had no problem falsely signing a document that claimed his own house — with rental — was a farm dwelling and his land agricultural, though he produced absolutely nothing at all.

Speaking of hypocrites, I found it so fascinating that Surfrider wants to hold the seed companies to the highest possible standards, as in not even the faintest trace of pesticides leaving their land. Which is fine, the very best management practices should be required. But when I asked Dr. Carl Berg if they also intended to hold the state and taro farmers to the same standards, regarding their use of glyphosate (Roundup), which was also detected in waterways, I got this:

RUP [restricted use pesticides] and experimental pesticides are more dangerous than general use pesticides. Why not target those that use the most and the most toxic pesticides? While not ignoring everyone else?

Except, as I pointed out, they are ignoring everyone else, including the termite treatment companies, which actually use more RUPs than the seed companies, with no buffers, no disclosure, no nothing. What do they think happens to the poison gas when the tent is removed?

And when I asked why they weren't saying anything about the RUPs leaching off the golf courses — an issue that used to be an environmental concern, before Surfrider allied itself with the pro-tourism contingent — I got no response at all.

A friend who attended the recent state Democratic Convention was bummed that “the progressives still get suppressed.” Which, sadly, is exactly what I predicted would be the effect of allowing regressives like the “lil fisties” — and what woman so aptly termed “the pole dancers” — to dominate the supposedly progressive political arena, setting it back decades.

But do they learn? No, they run doomed-to-lose candidates like Dylan Hooser, Felicia Cowden and Dustin Barca. I loved Felicia's comment in The Garden Island about how KKCR listeners encouraged her to run. And soon she will discover just how small and empty the KKCR echo chamber really is.

Finally, the county has again posted the list of approved transient vacation rentals on its website. But the TVRs are listed by tax map key, rather than their advertised property name. So it is still virtually impossible for consumers to determine whether they are renting a legal or illegal property, or for neighbors to participate in the county's policy of enforcement by complaint. What's up with that, guys? 

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

The entire council seems to have gone crazy.Accepting a charter amendment petition that is an ordinance rather than follow the advice given to wait a week for a legal opinion.It is clear a charter amendment only requires 5%signatures where a initiative requires 20% and the thing was clearly not a charter amendment. Nowhere are incorrect petitions supposed to be accepted and will result in more waste of time and money of the county. It is the responsibility of the petitioner to submit a correct petition.And if the county changes it, the people will complain it wasn't what they wanted and sue the county. And once it is changed, are the signatures still valid? How could signatures be valid when people signed something else, and why the fear of 20%, it will need alot more to pass?
The attorney who wrote it, said he was not representing the Ohana group, did not have a Hawaii license to practice law, had not advised the group on legislative process, but had authored the document, was not there representing the group, and yet the council did not bring up the person who does represent the group and continued to support his position. Legally different from the normal makes one wonder WTF is going on there.

Anonymous said...

Joan, just what do you know about those Rockefeller sisters evil agenda? Please, share. It is my understanding that land with Ag zoning is taxed at a higher rate than residential unless it has Ag dedication. It seems unlikely that Tim Bynum had that dedication and tax break. Where do you live, on Ag land with Ag dedication? To blame Bynum for the lack of controls on farm dwelling permits seems misplaced. You imply that Bynum was in violation of some law by renting a room in his house, why? Why give Ag dedication tax breaks to chemical companies that do nothing to increase our food security? As we all know, they don't pay any state excise tax. Comparing house tenting to the open air testing is like comparing apples to oranges. Now if the testing were being done in green houses then you would have apples to apples. http://jenohsays.com/gardening/get-termites/
Doomed-to-lose-candidates, this name calling is getting old. If you want to call out a name I would suggest the name of the Planning Director, the Planners, and the Planning Commission for the continued mismanagement of land use on this island.

Anonymous said...

There is so much poison being used here on Kauai, to single out 1 user is really not protective of the children, so I agree we need to look at the agenda going on. A look at what is being sold at the stores, poison, why not boycott the stores selling poison in the aisles of Kauai stores? Toxic soup on the golf courses and the luxury hotels. Mokihana has a fantastic busy business spraying poison in peoples homes, business and outdoors , and spray the tourist places every month.Restricted use pesticides, yup. And the tenting is incredibly toxic especially with no notice when they take it off to whoever is nearby and it certainly kills whatever is inside as in poison gas . Done to most every home being sold, pesticides everywhere, but raw beautiful undeveloped land with water, could that, no that couldn't be what the Rockefeller 's are doing here. They are here because they care...

Anonymous said...

Joan, your day may have started with a glimpse of Venus, but t'is Mars that grips your readers.
Somewhere there is a balance. The Council and especially the Hoos, Jackpot Bynum and now, it seems like Chock are intent on focusing on just one of the many problems we have on Kauai.
As Jackpot and da Hoos continue their Mainland inspired, controlled and glorified agenda of Anti-Ag, the Locals who ultimately will have to pay for this Bumbling Duos grandstanding are becoming more isolated.
There are lots of problems on the island. Jay Furfaro by his impotent limp leadership is allowing the Council to be Hi-jacked by Jackpot and the Big L'il Fistee and is really hurting the local worker, business and regular old taxpayer.
Council, please get back to basics.
It seems that Mel and Ross are the only council members that care about the regular folks.
Hopefully, this election will show the ire of the voter and bounce Jay, Joann, Compliant Chock, Jackpot and the Big Fister.
Even the roads are getting overcome by Guinea Grass as nobody wants to use salty Roundup.
But that's OK there are enough pukas in the pavement, a few weeds will be overlooked.


Anonymous said...

@12:32

You say this name calling is getting old and in your next sentence you call out more than a few. Hypocrite!

Anonymous said...

12:32 Tim signed a "Farm dwelling agreement' for his large estate in Wailua. Which says "you do Ag" He never did no Ag. It is OK to rent a room, but it is a no-no to have certain whatcha callits, that make a room a "unit". Tim had a little kitchen etc.
He never claimed otherwise. He never denied that he "gots no kitchen".
He just got poked by over zealous enforcers.
Kinda like what he is trying to do to Big Landowners, farmers, etc.
Remember, there was no trial for the Shaylene incident, the County bent over and got Bynum'd. Tim made out like a bandit (cost the County well over a milyun). The County Attorney and Tim's County Cushioned Bed-mates, Jay, Joann, Chock and Hooser should have let this go to trial. There is no way a jury would support Big ol'Tim over pretty Shaylene..
But, we the citizens are responsible for electing this weird council. A cozy council that cares and coddles their fellow members, rather than serve the public as they are sworn to do.

Anonymous said...

Bynum's Ag bill will wreak havoc on all Ag land owners. Commercial growers will get an Ag land tax break but all ranchers and those who have 1,2,3 acre or so parcels that farm for subsistence ill bear the Burden of Bynum's Bill.

He in trying to get at the GMO companies and will persecute all other Ag land owners to do it.

The TVR's and gentlemen's estates though should pay taxes based on dwelling value. If the dwelling is valued at more than $750 K the property falls into a different tax bracket.

Anonymous said...

Yeah how about large land owners like Grove Farm and Princeville etc.. They keep their excess Ag land in open space or as pasture land but now because no crops are being retailed they will become susceptible to Bynum's increased tax law. Political suicide at it's best.

Anonymous said...

Ag estates DO pay taxes at dwelling value.

Anonymous said...

The chief was not "found guilty". The EEOC finding is only of probable cause, the same standard used by police to arrest. The EEOC finding is by no means dispositive and does not establish that discrimination occured. They are fairly fast and loose with issuing these prob cause determinations, almost always with little to no input from the accused. Our County attorney's office via Marc Guyot, Al Castillo, and former Deputy County Attorney now Prosecutor Justin Kollar have a rich history of not adequately representing the county's interest in these matters. In several cases, as is the case with Perry's current predicament, these attorneys knew of the EEOC investigation but failed (sometimes intentionally failed) to provide information that would protect the county from liability.

This whole "sue the county and settle for insane amounts of money" game has to stop. We have been blaming the wrong people (department heads, unpopular political figures) for these issues when the real culprit is the County Attorney's Office for dropping the ball time and time again on issues that could have been resolved well before any frivilous lawsuit or EEOC complaibt was filed.

Anonymous said...

12:32 criticizes 6:18 for name calling - by calling 6:18 a hypocrite! loved the irony..not to mention the hypocrisy...

Manuahi said...

Joan, all TVR's must show their permit numbers in all advertising. So.... Even if a TVR is permitted, it is breaking the law if you can't see their permit # on their website. This may help

Manuahi said...

Since when did agriculture have to increase food security? Are we to put all flower growers and nurseries out of business?

Manuahi said...

The seed farms generate and pay a large amount of gross income tax on the land rents they pay, on all the local goods and services they purchase, and don't forget all the employment taxes they pay. Do the whiners and anti's pay gross income taxes on theit wages and salaries? Maybe it is they who are doing nothing for Kauai and should leave if you adhere to their logic.

Anonymous said...

Tim Bynum was producing an ag byproduct: bullshit.