Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Tulsi Gabbard asked Elizabeth Warren to commit to ending endless regime change wars when they debated tonight in the fourth Democratic National Committee debate leading up to the primary election for President of the United States. Photo from CNN

THE ONGOING CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY TO IMPEACH PRES. DONALD TRUMP received support from Kaʻū's congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and the other 11 candidates on the the Democratic debate stage tonight. They talked about the U.S. losing credibility through Trump's backing out of the Paris climate change agreement, the nuclear deal with Iran, and by abandoning the Kurds in Syria.
     Gabbard warned, howevet, that should the U.S. House of Representatives impeach Trump and the Senate doesn't, the President will feel exonerated, further deepening the divides in the country.
    Concerning the Trump administration's recent abandonment of the Kurdish people who have backed the U.S. in the war in Syria, Gabbard said, "Donald Trump has the blood of the Kurds on his hands, but so do many of the politicians in our country from both parties who have supported this ongoing regime change war in Syria that started in 2011." She said that "many in the mainstream media" have been "championing and cheerleading this regime change war." She said the U.S. should withdraw in an organized way.
     Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who like Gabbard is a veteran of middle eastern war, disagreed with pulling out of Syria and abandoning the Kurds who have supported the U.S. lost lives and suffered injuries. He said that he is hearing from U.S. troops in Afghanistan as well, that they are ashamed they are abandoning those they promised to help. Buttigieg said it would be hard to look these people in the eye.

The fourth DNC debate for President featured Ka`u's congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on right and the 11 other candidates who all supported the impeachment inquiry for Pres. Donald Drump. Image from CNN

     Gabbard asked Buttigieg whether he wants to keep soldiers indefinitely, in endless war? He replied, no, but cautioned against abandoning allies like the Kurds. He  said that Trump's actions are taking away the honor of U.S. troops and that Trump's actions betray American credibility.
     Gabbard also asked Elizabeth Warrren to join her opposition to endless regime change wars.
    Before the debate Gabbard released a statement saying, "I'm running for President for a simple reason: because I love my country, and our people. It's the same reason I put on the uniform 16 years ago, the same reason I decided to run for Congress seven years ago, and the reason I'm proud to represent your voice on the debate stage tonight.
      "But make no mistake: Tonight's stage is set against us. The DNC has hijacked the primary process to take power away from the American voter. The 'neutral' media hosts of the debate have spent the past few days smearing our campaign, misrepresenting my record and message, daring to question my loyalty to the very country I joined my brothers and sisters in uniform to serve and defend against all enemies — foreign and domestic.
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PLASTICS AND MOST PAPER WILL NO LONGER BE RECYCLED. They will go straight into the general garbage shoot at all county transfer stations, starting Wednesday, Oct. 16. A statement from the county says, "Due to significant decreases in the global market for recyclables the County of Hawai‘i will no longer accept some of the types of materials collected in the Two-Bin Recycling Program at the Recycling & Transfer Stations. However, the County will continue its ongoing efforts to evaluate potential alternatives to remain environmentally and economically responsible."

Plastics and most paper products will go down the garbage shoot at Pahala and other transfer stations.

      Starting October 16, the Two-Bin Recycling Program will be downsized to collect only corrugated cardboard that is clean with no food or other contamination (e.g. pizza boxes) and brown kraft paper bags (e.g. paper shopping bags). Glass bottles and jars will continue to be collected in a separate glass bin (clean non-HI-5 containers such as wine bottles, pickle jars, cosmetic jars). No caps, covers or lids.
     Small clean metal cans (e.g. soup, canned meat & vegetables, pet food) will no longer be allowed in the Two-Bin Recycling Program; they may be recycled in the scrap metal bins at select Recycling & Transfer Stations. These changes do not affect the State of Hawai‘i's HI-5 Redemption Program.

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SWITCHING FROM HERBICIDES TO CLEAN COUNTY ROADS, sidewalks, trails, bikeways, drainageways and waterways passed the County Council's Committee on Agricultural, Water, Energy and Environmental Management today. With the 7-0 vote, the bill moves to the full County Council. It was introduced by Kona councilwoman Rebecca Villegas and supported by Greener Hawai`i and the Sierra Club.
      The bill calls for a four year transition to move county landscaping practices away from the use of Roundup and other herbicides. A Vegetation Management Transition Commission would guide the county. The bill would exempt the county's land that is leased out for agriculture.
     A statement from the two organizations says that "The safety of glyphosate herbicides (one common brand name is Roundup) and others used by the county became a much-discussed topic after a visit to Hawai‘i in June by Dewayne 'Lee' Johnson, who won the first lawsuit against Monsanto after contracting non-Hodgkins lymphoma from exposure to glyphosate as a school groundskeeper. He spoke at a community meeting in O‘ahu voicing concerns about the use of herbicides and pesticides by the DOE. Afterwards, Board of Education Superintendent Christina Kishimoto announced an immediate halt to use of chemical pesticides and herbicides on Hawai‘i school campuses."

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HOMELESS PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE ISLAND are welcome to find help at the Old Hilo Memorial Hospital, which is being renovated to serve them through $2.5 million in ʻOhana Zone funds from the state.  The Keolahou Shelter and Assessment Center held a soft opening, Monday, Oct. 7, and a formal opening and blessing is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 8. When the facility is fully operational, it will offer emergency shelter beds, case management and other resources, with the goal of improving access to needed services for those experiencing homelessness. It is a collaboration between the state, the County of Hawaiʻi, HOPE Services Hawaiʻi and other community partners.
     "Each person experiencing homelessness has specific needs, and this center is providing individual assistance to those who seek help," said Gov. David Ige. "Partnerships like this one allow us to improve the health and well-being of our community's most vulnerable members."
      There are 25 emergency shelter beds available in the initial phase. At full operation, the shelter will provide 50 emergency shelter beds for single men. The assessment center will allow individuals to connect with a case manager and other services. Individuals will be able to stay for up to 90 days.

Hilo Memorial Hospital is open as a homeless shelter for people from around the island.