Solving cat problem
Thank you for drawing attention to the serious problem of feral cats on Hawaii Island in your Oct. 25 story. The County Council should focus on positive solutions that contain feral cats for their own benefit, as well as for the benefit of residents and endangered birds.
Feral cats are one of the world’s most harmful invasive species and have contributed to the extinction of 63 species worldwide, including 33 species on islands. These introduced predators are one of the biggest threats to birds such as Palila and ‘Ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel).
Feral cats also spread toxoplasmosis, which can be deadly to people and wildlife. The parasite that causes toxoplasmosis is spread in cat feces, and infections in Hawaiian birds like ‘Alala (Hawaiian crow) and Nene (Hawaiian goose) suggest growing environmental contamination.
Programs that maintain feral cats roaming outdoors, whether sterilized or not, do nothing to prevent unwanted impacts to vulnerable native species, nor do they help curb the spread of diseases. The re-abandonment of these cats is also inhumane.
The County Council should promote solutions that work to find homeless cats loving, “forever” homes, and to help pet owners sterilize, safely contain and microchip their pets.
For more information, please visit American Bird Conservancy’s Cats Indoors campaign at www.abcbirds.org/cats.
Grant Sizemore,
Director of Invasive Species Programs American Bird Conservancy
Chris Farmer,
Hawaii Program Director American Bird Conservancy
No help, no response
The undersigned residents of Leilani Estates have communicated with Mayor Harry Kim and his office on numerous occasions and have received little or no response since the volcanic eruption occurred.
My major issue with the mayor’s administration is that the values of all property in Leilani Estates have been devalued to zero by the assessor’s office, and no building permits for any structures are being approved by county authorities.
The mayor and other government officials have floated ideas about not allowing any one to live in Zone 1 and Zone 2. People have asked for clarification, but no answers have come to this. This looks like the beginning of a land grab of our property by the county so that they can create a tourist attraction out of the devastation we have suffered.
I have communicated multiple times, once in person, with Mayor Kim and have not had any response that addressed my concerns. There is information from various sources that the problem of getting building permits is not with the Building Department per se but with the Planning Department. We hear that the Building Department would approve permits but are not getting any forwarded from the Planning Department. I ask, is that under orders from the mayor?
Other people’s issues are with the way Civil Defense and the mayor were arbitrary and inconsistent in their proclamations to the volcanic disaster, the unintended consequences of their poorly thought out responses, and the lack of responsiveness by the administration to residents’ concerns over the entire five-month period.
Will the mayor respond?
The mayor wants to support the tourist industry, helicopter operators and agriculture, but doesn’t seem to care very much about the residents and voters of this island.
Pete Wilson (author), Bo Breda, Richard Skidmore, Libby Oshiyama, Clayton Roberts, Michael Steele, Kim Larson, Penny Overbeck,Timothy Stanton, Cheryl and Gary Kaupp, Carolan Cash, Gregg Niceley, Audrey and Michael Meyer, Carol Cardwell, Susy Hoppe
Leilani Estates