Peafowl are invasive species and should be removed

I read with interest the letters from Ginny Piu and Pamela Burns, the president of the Hawaiian Humane Society, condemning the acquittal of my client, Sandra Maloney, for killing a peacock (Star-Advertiser, Letters, Jan. 25).

The animal cruelty statute prohibits only "beating" an animal such as a peacock and "to beat" is defined as "to strike forcefully and repeatedly."

Mrs. Maloney hit the peacock only once and she did so in the manner that she had been taught while living on a farm to kill fowl in a humane way.

The American Medical Veterinary Association even recognizes that a sharp blow to the head is the humane way of killing such birds.

Further, Mrs. Maloney acted as she did after living with years of being unable to sleep from screeching peacocks and after the Hawaiian Humane Society, the police, her condominium board, the city and the state refused to do anything about the ever-growing peafowl flock in Makaha Valley.

Peafowl are a threat to our fragile ecology because they are an invasive species. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is concerned because peafowl could become the next coqui frogs if some action is not taken.

There is no place to move these birds and, therefore, they must be killed before they wreak havoc on Hawaii’s fragile ecology.

Lottery would be a tax disguise

Most people lose their money when they buy lottery tickets. Although that is the reality, wishful thinking leads people to buy them anyway. All of us tend to engage in fantasies, but it is wrong for politicians to encourage us to buy lottery tickets so that the flow of money will go into the government’s coffers.

Of course, much of the profit goes to the out-of-state gambling interests chosen to run the lottery.

The money the state receives is just an expensive form of taxation in disguise. It is not honest to pretend otherwise. In the end, we will need to care for those who suffered from the losses caused by the gambling, which can become highly addictive.

Social Security is for the needy

There is an easy fix for Social Security:

Eliminate the salary cap at which payers no longer contribute; raise the earliest payout age to 70 — we now live much longer; and place an income cap on recipients (Bill Gates and Warren Buffet don’t need the money, but they should be paying into the fund based on their total income).

Social Security should be a safety net program, not an entitlement for all.

McKenna choice was a good one

David Shapiro’s criticism of Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s choice of Sabrina McKenna for the state Supreme Court is baseless ("Abercrombie shuts out public in judicial selection process," Star-Advertiser, Jan. 26).

He argues that because former Gov. Linda Lingle made the list of candidates approved by the Judicial Selection Commission public before making her nominations, that provided more transparency, and that Abercrombie should follow the same practice.

Shapiro failed to mention that the Judicial Selection Commission is made up of a cross-section of the public as well as attorneys who actually know the candidates. He neglects to note that the commission goes through a thorough vetting process.

Perhaps the former governor simply lacked the ability to make tough decisions without first testing the winds of public sentiment — inappropriately I might add — as she did with the controversial civil unions bill.

The selection of our judges should be based on qualifications, not popularity. Abercrombie has demonstrated by his decision to nominate McKenna, who is well respected her peers, who know her best, that he is decisive.

Who is the threat in Asia Pacific?

Would Charlie Ota or anyone else explain to me what is meant by "achieving" and "restoring" and "maintaining political and economic stability in the Asian Pacific"? ("Military presence in Hawaii serves many goals," Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Jan. 24).

The most I could gather from his commentary was that the military presence in Hawaii was keeping "economic sea lanes and airways free." But I don’t understand: What or who is threatening our oceans and airways? North Korea?

I’m not against the military. I’d just appreciate some straight, factual answers. If anything, it seems to me that having the naval base and Army airfield here was what attracted the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941.

Governor’s plan hits poor hardest

The Star-Advertiser applauded Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s State of the State address as an "auspicious start" ("Abercrombie starts boldly," Star-Advertiser, Our View, Jan. 25).

Yes, Abercrombie is being straight about the severe budget problems our state faces. But what is auspicious about the governor’s plans to cut services and funding for programs vital to Hawaii’s poor?

The governor tells us that "everyone must be prepared to contribute," but it is precisely the most disadvantaged among our citizens, those most in need of government services, who will be sacrificing the most.

Meanwhile, what "contributions" is he demanding from the wealthy and super-wealthy in Hawaii?

The administration strategy seems to be to ride out the economic crisis on the backs of poor people and state workers. This is simply unacceptable.

Bill about poi is appreciated

Mahalo to those willing to hear Senate Bill 101. Allowing the preparation of poi using traditional methods to be recognized as a cultural, spiritual tradition exercised for subsistence in our own revered way shows a continuous shift to honor Hawaiian culture.

As a wahi pana is the heartbeat of the land, so it is with the steady beat of the pohaku kuaei aeai and papa kuaei aeai, paaei aeai/poi preparation implements that also lend to the heartbeat of the ‘aina.

To have the sound of poi preparation through board and stone throughout our countryside wahi punahele is an aloha nui loa example of humble sovereignty for me.