Leaders need to get on board with HIHS change
Mahalo for the continued articles regarding the ongoing problems and high kill rates by the Hawaii Island Humane Society.
I attended the County Council meeting in November and it was very disturbing to read that HIHS Board President Adam Atwood felt that all the issues were resolved. HIHS and those speaking on behalf the the animals who cannot speak for themselves each got three minutes to speak. If Mr. Atwood thinks that the problems at HIHS can be solved in six minutes and refuses to attend another meeting it is just another sign of the multitude of issues with HIHS.
Why does HIHS refuse to work with those who are trying to help? The 50 percent kill rate of dogs at the Kona Shelter is undoubtedly the lowest of the three shelters on island and I am sure that is why it was chosen. If the rescues had not gone underground and continued to pull dogs and cats, the 50 percent rate would have also been much higher. Shelters across America are going to no kill even on Oahu. We can do it, too, by working together. We can only do this if HIHS openly examines their current way of archaic thinking and gets into the 21st century.
The employees at HIHS are not the problem. They are only doing what they are instructed to do by those in charge. It is time for a change. Our elected officials need to get involved and get on board for change instead of blindly renewing the HIHS contract without accountability.
Irene Eklund
Naalehu
Stop hitting us with increased costs
Gov. Ige’s push for increase motor vehicle registration is a crime. Does anyone want to pull out the history records? When Gov. Abercrombie became governor he raised the vehicle registration by $25 and the county followed by $12 and some cents.
Other states that put an increase on automobiles do it at the beginning of the ownership of the vehicle. While the vehicle ages the costs in owning it through the DMV should be lowered not raised.
Do you know a 1988 Toyota Corolla costs $176.51? Since 2008, our vehicle costs have increased over $45. Does the governor, state House or Senate care about the people of Hawaii?
That’s all you do is keep slapping Hawaiians with more costs instead of helping our state get out of poverty. We are making more poverty instead of fixing it.
Coreen Nelson
Naalehu