Toss out the Kailua Village parking bill and start over
I strongly urge the County Council to scrap Bill 132 and start from scratch. Yes, the Kailua Village parking issue needs to be resolved now. However, this proposed legislation is not the solution.
The county will likely be taken to court because these price controls are an illegal government taking. This means the problem will continue to mushroom while it is litigated in court.
This is why Mayor Kimo Alameda needs to convene a meeting with all of the impacted parties, such as parking operators, landowners, store owners, etc., to formulate a real solution to this issue. These solutions include giving real property tax relief to the landowners in exchange for reduced parking fees.
The county also needs to step up enforcement in the public lot on Kuakini Highway. There are quite a few vehicles abusing the privilege of parking in that lot. I believe a maximum time limit on parking there needs to be imposed. This problem will get worse when the county expands this parking lot in the near future.
The county officials can’t continue to stick their heads in the sand and continue to let Rome burn. The mayor and the County Council need to collaborate with all stakeholders for a solution.
Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona
Raising fighting cocks in
91直播 should be banned
It is time — way past time, actually — to outlaw the raising of fighting cocks. Cockfighting in 91直播 is, ostensibly, illegal, though most of us are well aware of what a joke that is.
So, why is the raising of fighting cocks so prolific? There is no other purpose for raising these roosters than for cockfighting.
Someone who raises chickens for food and/or eggs does not keep roosters unless they want the eggs fertilized, and then they may keep two or three. But not the breed of fighting cocks.
The 91直播 Legislature declined to increase penalties for cockfighting because they claim it’s a cultural tradition. Not all cultural traditions are worthy of being accepted, appreciated and protected.
Cockfighting is one of those that is not worthy. It is animal cruelty, a blood sport. And these days, it’s not just a back yard event with some good ol’ boys (and girls) getting their jollies watching animals slash and kill each other and betting on it. It’s a big business operated by cartels bringing in hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of untaxed dollars.
Anyone who drives through Puna District can see numerous fighting cock “ranches” where 10, 20, 50, 100 fighting roosters are tethered by their legs or in small pens. These are not secretive places off back roads where the cockfights happen. They are right along main roads.
And not all the cocks are used for cockfights here. Many are sold to people on other islands or in other countries, shipped via the U.S. Postal Service.
These rooster farms are also noisy and smelly and bring down the value of nearby homes.
Gabrielle Kenton
Keaau
