Monday, October 24, 2016

Musings: Extremists

As the election nears, questions are being raised about why the Kauai Sierra Club has failed to endorse Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, long associated with environmental issues.

It seems the dissing is due to Club member Judy Dalton, a longtime cat lady who isn't pleased with JoAnn's leadership of the feral cat task force. Advocates of trap-spay-neuter and release are irked that the task force is drafting an ordinance that severely limits managed feral cat colonies.

Judy's feral cat advocacy is in direct opposition to the Sierra Club's stance, which correctly views the critters as the invasive species they are.

Meanwhile, even as Kauai Humane Society Director Penny Cistaro celebrated her retirement party last Friday, Basil Scott, leader of the Kauai Community Cat Project, is getting in a few last licks. He's now pushing a Change.org petition that calls for altering the county's contract with KHS:

We, the undersigned, call on the County of Kauai to change the wording of the current county contract with the Kauai Humane Society from ‘animal control’ of the population by ‘disposal and disposition’ to ‘animal- friendly, pro-life’ wording in order to stop the needless killing of animals.

Come on, Basil. I know you're a fanatic, but do you really, truly believe that anyone at KHS is engaged in “needless killing of animals?” It's such a nasty slap in the face to the folks who make the hard decisions every day while Basil rags on them from the totally unaccountable sidelines.

Because here's the reality, Basil, whether you and Judy want to accept it or not: There simply are not enough homes for all the animals on this island, and some of them are too wild or too aggressive to make suitable pets.

The county has never paid its fair share, and the KHS has been subsidizing the shelter for years. So unless you personally plan to take in all the unwanted animals, quit making humbug for people who are doing the best they can with extremly limited resources.

Maybe Basil should step up and run the shelter if he thinks it's so fricking easy. He could even bring in his good buddy Gary Hooser, who is going to need a new job come December.

And anyway, as Civil Beat reports, nearly 70 percent of those polled on Oahu favor eradication of feral cats, not maintaining managed colonies. I imagine the sentiment is similar, on the neighbor islands.

Meanwhile, attorneys are preparing for next week's Honolulu trial against KCCC Warden Neal Wagatsuma, who is accused of retaliating against a female staffer by firing her after she reported he was subjecting female inmates to psychological violence, sexual abuse and sexual humiliation in front of male prisoners, as well targeting inmate Alexandria Gregg, who was subjected to the degrading treatment.

According to court records in the complaint filed by plaintiff Carolyn C. Ritchie, a former social worker at the jail:

Plaintiff alleges that, in 2009 and 2010, she observed that: the work furlough program for the Life Time Stand ("LTS") housing section of KCCC was limited to men; Wagatsuma psychologically abused female inmates by video-recording "counseling sessions" of female inmates, in which he forced inmates to discuss private sexual matters and watch the screening of sexually violent rape films; and these video-recorded sessions were publicly displayed and shown to other inmates.

Plaintiff made repeated verbal and written reports to DPS Mental Health supervisor Mark Mitchell ("Mitchell"), specifically that: the grillings were cruel and unusual; the work furlough program was discriminatory; Wagatsuma violated inmate rights under [HIPA]; and DPS denied basic mental health services to female inmates.

Wagatsuma allegedly made the women stand in front of male prisoners, including convicted sexual offenders, and describe in excruciating detail all the incidents of childhood sexual abuse and rape they had experienced. The men were allowed to question the women. 

The warden also showed extremely graphic and violent pornography to inmates as part of his deviant homespun therapy model, and reportedly required the female detainees to hold up provocative, sexual photographs of themselves as he called them “whores.” He also questioned them about

Wagatsuma maintains Ritchie was filed for just cause after breaking rules.

In dismissing some counts within the orginal complaint, U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi wrote:

It is not clear to the Court, in particular, from the pleadings that making internal reports of psychological abuse of inmates is, in fact, part of Plaintiff's job duties. While the Court recognizes that the inmates' general psychological health was her responsibility, reporting abuse at the hands of her superior is likely not, and certainly not reporting it to outside agencies.

So whose job is it, exactly, to file a report when the warden is abusing inmates?

The state also reportedly investigated Ritchie's complaints and told Wagatsuma to stop his rogue “therapy.”

But isn't subjecting the women sexual abuse victims in his custody to degrading and humiliating treatment a fireable offense? Isn't practicing therapy without a license a fireable offense?

Why is the warden being allowed to remain a position where he can continue to victimize people?

No doubt Wagatsuma has, in the past, done worthwhile things at the jail. But he went way over the edge with this latest perverted gambit. It's time to move him out of a position where he has direct control over women, especially those who are incarcerated.

18 comments:

John Kauai said...

Sounds like he is a Donald Trump supporter.

After all, as Eric Trump says "that’s what happens when alpha personalities are in the same presence."

Anonymous said...

Paragraph 16 not finished?

Anonymous said...

Joan "So whose job is it, exactly, to file a report when the warden is abusing inmates?"

Uh the Warden's?

Anonymous said...

Joan "Why is the warden being allowed to remain a position where he can continue to victimize people?"
uh because he has not been found guilty in a court of law?

Anonymous said...

Joan "I imagine the sentiment is similar, on the neighbor islands."
Imagine would be correct. Oahu was in favor of the superferry but if you "imagined" the neighbor islands agreeded you would have been wrong.

Anonymous said...

Joan "There simply are not enough homes for all the animals on this island, and some of them are too wild or too aggressive to make suitable pets."

Same with people. Not enough homes. JUst house every homeless person and give them a few comfort cats.

Anonymous said...

He's guilty and everyone in the know knows it. One of the sickest fakahs on Kauai. He's in the same Rapist Boat with Tare Low and Joseph Bonachita.

Anonymous said...

You're at your funniest when you begin sputtering about one outrage and then end it on something else entirely.

Anonymous said...

Kauai cannot change the KHS contract the way the cat crazies want.
Kauai gets funding from the Federal government and that requires that Kauai adhere to the Endangered Species Act.
The ESA require the County to protect endangered sea birds - the same ones being destroyed by the out-of-control feral cat population on island.

Anonymous said...

Joan:

This is one of the reasons why we need science in our diets:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/25/health/banana-extinction/?iid=ob_lockedrail_bottommedium

Anonymous said...

8:23 a.m. How do you know the birds are being destroyed? (yes by cats) but not to the point where there's only a few 100 left.

They're promoting the baby birds, shutting the lights down. But what's the bird population? what's the 3 year report on the population?

I've got a hunch that the count is up, and it's significant enough.

I'm not saying play ball at nights, I'm saying the money is significant enough that works out for a bunch of people who want's to protect the cash cow.

I'm saying the news reports the "feel good" stories.

Follow the state vehicle and get the count for yourself.

I see a whole bunch of birds on the ocean, feeding for a living. and it still isn't about the fear mongering story about the food source is being destroyed.

show the statistics. the true count.

Anonymous said...

Although I personally cannot vote for Joann Yukimura - she is obviously the one candidate who is most aligned with the Sierra Club's ideals and environmental agenda. I'm (thrilled) shocked Sierra Club didn't endorse her. I did hear it the crazy cat people's doing.
Its curious how shame two shame throwing feral cat people could prevent that organization from endorsing the one politician that aligns with its cause.
Its like if two loudmouths got the National Organization for Women to endorse Trump. Backwards world.

Anonymous said...

Already plunked for Hooser as Joan suggested back in 2009.

Anonymous said...

""We have decided," he said according to The Associated Press, "that rather than confront disagreements, we'll just simply annihilate the person who disagrees with me. I don't think that's going to work in a republic, in a civil society."

Clarence Thomas - today's new moderate.

Anonymous said...

8:04 a.m. keep on plunking for Looser. Typical! Use the local guy and when time comes it's him or the local guy, dump local and take care of himself.

Use um, then lose um. not for the same reason but looks like a Kent thing too.

Keep on plunking for the liar, community divider and BS artist.

Funny though, so far the local guy came in 2 places higher then the looser.

Go figure Plunkers!

What's the point here! it's not about who get's in, but it's about every person for themselves! Typical jerk! Looser style!

Anonymous said...

Yukimura is GARBAGE. She's TRASH for the average person and for her to think that 70K min wage for county employees is doable, shows how out of touch she really is. Go back to swinging naked on vines at the Taylor Camp and STOP your legislative bills to help your family and friends profit.

Anonymous said...

Great reporting Joan. Its awful what happened to those female inmates. Has Civil Beat improved in reporting in your eyes Joan or are they still the same with all their problems?

Anonymous said...

Civil Beat not even picking up this warden sexual abuse drama?! Whoa they do suck.