Puppy mill bust well deserved

I am secretary of the Boxer Club of Hawaii and an advocate for the ethical breeding of purebred dogs. I would like to thank Hono­lulu Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and the team at the Hawaiian Humane Society for bringing 153 animal cruelty counts against Bradley International Puppies.

I volunteered at the Hawaiian Humane Society the weekend the 153 dogs were rescued and saw firsthand the severe neglect these poor animals endured. The dogs arrived with matted fur and rotting teeth and were overall disgustingly dirty.

I can only hope we will set the example for the nation that Hawaii will not tolerate those who abuse defenseless creatures. A harsh punishment is in order for this "puppy mill." This will hopefully deter others looking to seek fast cash by breeding animals in substandard conditions.

Theresa Donnelly
Secretary, Boxer Club of Hawaii, Honolulu

Scraping by but with dignity

I totally agree with Annette Rivera, and I am glad that she started off a voice for us as a mislabeled people ("Some who receive state aid have jobs," Star-Advertiser, Letters, May 29).

I am a single mother of one. I have a job and child support, and the only resource I have is food stamps. Despite my limited funding, I do not get any financial assistance nor do I want to.

My residence is a transitional shelter, yet I am not ashamed of it because at least I am not living in my car.

I cannot afford the outrageous rents, and no one wants to rent a room to a single mother with a "challenged" child. I cannot get into housing and my options are bleak, yet every day I hold my head up high and journey forth.

What really gets me is that when people complain about welfare recipients, it is mainly in relation to non-U.S. citizens. I have seen far too many locals getting turned away while an open hand is given to any non-resident who has just arrived.

Danell Avila
Barbers Point

Welfare system grossly abused

Annette Rivera misses the point as to what should be at the core of the debate regarding our system of public assistance (see mention in previous letter).

The question should not address the necessity of the system itself; rather, its gross abuse and mismanagement, to the detriment of the society that it is designed to serve.

Either those who hold the reins of power in the state recognize those dependent on the public treasury as a valuable constituency and therefore promote their numbers, or they are simply too lazy to assume the huge task of taming their monster, instead opting to shift that burden to the rest of society by continually flipping the taxation switch.

In either case, we are doomed to existence as a largely welfare state.

Joan Rank
Waialua

Cause of obesity not a mystery

I was shocked by the recent announcement that the University of Hawaii has been given a $24.8 million federal grant to study childhood obesity.

Maybe UH-Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw is too young to remember, but the fast-food flood started in the 1950s with Ray Kroc’s McDonalds and White Castle.

There are cheap solutions to this problem.

First, Mama, get back in the kitchen.

Second, allow your child only two fast-food meals per week. Drop them off 15 blocks or so from the fast-food establishment and have them walk/run there to make their purchases.

And, as most people know, soda has no nutritional value at all.

Barbara Silva
Mililani

Don’t use ag land for solar

I do not agree with Senate Bill 631, SD1, HD2, CM1 regarding solar facilities being built on agricultural land. I think there should be more restrictions on where they can be built.

Agriculture A, B and C lands should not be used for anything but agricultural purposes. The high quality agricultural lands are needed to improve food security and self-sufficiency for Hawaii. Agriculture D and E land constitute 87 percent (or 3.3 million acres) of the lands in the state, which is plenty of land available for solar facilities.

Protecting agriculture land was the No. 1 concern of the 1960 Constitution. We have failed to do that. In the last 50 years, we have lost 50 percent of of our prime farmland. Permitting solar energy facilities on B or C lands might remove lands with high capacity that can be used for intensive cultivation for future agricultural activities.

The governor should veto this bill.

Alice Liggett
Honolulu