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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/14/2013 Public Hearing Transcript re: BILL#2490 PUBLIC HEARING AUGUST 14, 2013 A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to order by Nadine K. Nakamura, Vice Chair, Finance & Economic Development (Tourism / Visitor Industry / Small Business Development / Sports & Recreation Development / Other Economic Development Areas) Committee, on Wednesday, August 14, 2013, at 1:47 p.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Lihu`e, Kaua`i, and the presence of the following was noted: Honorable Jay Furfaro Honorable Gary L. Hooser Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura Honorable Mel Rapozo Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura Excused: Honorable Tim Bynum The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following: "Bill No. 2490 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 22-10.2, 22-10.4, 22-10.5, AND 22-10.6 OF THE KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO DOG LICENSES AND REGULATIONS," which was passed on first reading and ordered to print by the Council of the County of Kaua`i on June 26, 2013, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on July 5, 2013. The hearing proceeded as follows: ROBERT CREMER, JR.: At first reading, you heard my testimony and my testimony was about my background in hunting and stuff but now I am going into the legal standpoint about this. The reason I say it is illegal is that this Bill only targets dogs and its owners. It discriminates against dog owners. It is unfair against dog owners and it is unjust against dog owners. It is against dog owners rights of equality and fairness. Why not cats, horses, or other animals being charged a tax license like our dogs? You the Council better talk to your legal counsel before passing Bill 2490. We will gather and find legal counsel to bring this to Court, if needed. I feel harassed and targeted as a dog owner. Why is it that cats that run free through my neighborhood not pay tax licenses? Why do my dogs have to be on a leash when not in its kennel? Why it that a horse that is considered transportation and you can get a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) on if riding intoxicated not need a tax and license? I feel that if we are going to tax any animal, then we should tax and license them all. The way that we should do that is not at the County level but at the State level. A ten cent ($0.10) per every ten (10) pounds on all animal foods should be assessed. So, you may fund the budget of the Humane Society, a hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) shortfall to operate the Grand Wailea for dogs. We all live on an island and know. In closing, Mr. Bynum, since you are not here, for unknown reasons, this unrealistic Bill should have never been brought to on agenda until you have discussed it with the public. How much more time do I have? We good then. Thank you. PUBLIC HEARING 2 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 STEPHEN PERREIRA JR.: Aloha. I am here to testify against Bill 2490, the ridiculous license fee for dog owners. I have three (3) dogs. Two (2) hunting dogs that are kept in a kennel, one (1) shih tzu mix house dog, and I also have a cat that is allowed to run free with no license or no Leash Law. Recently, I thought to myself, "what is a dog license for?" By having a license what advantage does my dog have over unlicensed dogs, cats, or any other animal? The only reason that came to my mind was money to help fund the five (5) star Kaua`i Humane Society shelter for animals. So, with that unfair thought in my mind, as a cat owner I say, get rid of this ridiculous dog license fee and introduce a license fee for our cats and other animals to help reduce and balance the five (5) star Kaua`i Humane Society shelter project. To all you hunters and dog owners, including me, if Bill 2490 passes, I say to you, members of the Council "meow to my personal financial budget." Thank you. PATRICK KAUANUI: Good afternoon. I am proud to be here to be able to face all of you here face to face. I would like to get some clarifications, basically to find out what is this thing about. There are a lot of issues concerning this whole thing that many of us do not understand it. I say that because some people talk these kind words, the others talk this kind words...I mean, you know what I am saying right? We all have to be able to talk the same language — this line. What I found is that there are a lot of things are coming out that is for the dog pound. I am not against the dog pound, until today, I am against them because they lie a lot. They have a lot of money coming into them. They asked for four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) to feed their animals over there and they get all free food from all the stores. The stores give them all the broken bag dog foods — all free food. What happened to the hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) —you have to feed the dogs? Something is really being misused and then they bring the County into it, and then the County comes and asks the taxpayers to take care of the problem. The problem is not the taxpayers or anybody over here but it is the people who are running the place over there. They are making the problems for all of us. We should get everybody's head together as one. Let us all stay in the boat, not the boat tipping one way or the other. That is the problem we are having. I see this always happening. The boat goes one way or the other way and somebody is always sinking. What I see right now about our dogs is...yes, we need laws for the dogs and animals but laws are made for all. If I am wrong, you can correct me. Laws are made for all. If it is made for one (1) animal then all animals should be taxed too, like everybody else. Even if we eat the animal, we still have to tax the animals. Many of us live off the land here. Many of you live here many, many years and you know that we live off the land. If the ships do not come in, how do we live? We cannot live without the ships coming in. So, we all have to turn to the land. We have beautiful land. How many gardens do you see growing? Nobody is growing gardens. Why? The ships are bringing them in. If the ships stops, the hurricane comes, what...everybody is fighting and jumping on the helicopters. My point is, we need to get the heads together and really look into the situation like money...you are talking about money. There are a lot of money talk and everything... Ms. Nakamura: Excuse me, that was your first three (3) minutes, and you have an additional three (3) minutes. Mr. Kauanui: I just hope the County Council can understand where the hunters are coming from. Not only the hunters, basically the public because the whole public is involved in this. It is their tax money that is involved and what it is coming about today. I thank you for your time. Thank you for listening to me. Anybody got any questions for me before I run away? PUBLIC HEARING 3 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 Ms. Yukimura: I do. Thank you very much for coming to speak face to face. I just wanted to...I think you remember when the County used to have dog catchers. Mr. Kauanui: Yes. Ms. Yukimura: I just wanted to explain that we have this responsibility to take care of dogs. If we do not like what we see in Thimphu and Bhutan, in the City, there are these packs of dogs that are just running around. Mr. Kauanui: Right. Ms. Yukimura: It creates actually a public problem and nuisance. That is why the Legislature said, "Counties, you shall contract or you take care of the dogs yourself." So, there is an operation that needs to happen to keep public, health, and safety. That was contracted to the Humane Society to do and we only pay them for that portion called "animal control." So, it is picking up stray dogs, jailing them... Mr. Kauanui: Yes. Ms. Nakamura: Councilmember Yukimura, do you have a question? Ms. Yukimura: Yes. So, we have to pay for that and that is one of the reasons we have dog licenses. Are you opposed to dog licenses per say or are you opposed to the change in the law that makes hunters pay for...actually removes the place that allows hunters to pay less per dog? Mr. Kauanui: I am opposed for that portion that you just came up...the last portion. Ms. Yukimura: Okay. Mr. Kauanui: Okay. Ms. Yukimura: Yes, you do not want that changed. Mr. Kauanui: I just want it to become better for the hunters and every year it is not getting better, it is getting worse for all of us. The people there lie like hell. We pay, each of us pay a minimal of four hundred fifty dollars ($450) per dog to run them hunting. Why? We are using Global Positioning System (GPS) on the dogs. Okay? We buy collars that are twenty-five dollars ($25) to fifty dollars ($50) for one (1) collar to help the dogs from getting killed. That is a lot of money that is coming out of our pocket and then what do they do? The tourists go up there and pick up the dog, they see them thinking it is a stray dog, pick the dog up, take the dog to the pound, and when I go to the pound they say, "I do not have your dog." Couple days later you go there and find out your dog is over there at the pound. Where are my collars now? The collars are gone. We are losing thousands of dollars on the collars and the GPS that we pay for. The GPS minimal, a good one is about four hundred and fifty bucks ($450) just for one. Two hundred fifty dollars ($250) is the least that is reasonable to... you would be able to find your dogs. We are doing that because we do not want our dogs running wild. So, we do it PUBLIC HEARING 4 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 to find our dogs every time and not letting the dogs stay up in the mountain and somebody gets bit from our dogs. We put GPS so we know where the dog is every minute that it is out of our cages. Ms. Yukimura: Thank you very much for explaining that. So, you are saying that when you get the dog back from the Humane Society, the collar is gone and you are assuming that the Humane Society took the collar? Mr. Kauanui: Yes, because if the person who turns it in, they supposed to get the name of that person, right? If you turn in a loss article — any place, the Police Department or what...they are going to take your name, where you found it, all of this... right? That is what they are supposed to do but they do not do that. That is why if you go there and ask them, "where did the dog come from?" They say, "We picked up the dog from Kalihiwai." "How long was the dog here?" And they say, "The dog was here nine (9) days, so we spayed the dog." I said. "How can you spay the dog in nine (9) days when I loss the dog on Saturday," and I am there on Monday and they spayed my dog already. My dog cost me fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500) as a pup. Ms. Yukimura: So, you are also concerned that when you get your dog back, it has been spayed, and you are being charged for it too? Mr. Kauanui: Not the part about being charged for the spaying. The part is that they spayed my animal and now I cannot get my breed back. Now, I got to start a new breed. This breed, I paid twelve hundred ($1,200) for this puppy. This is what all the hunters here are complaining about today too, about things like that. Ms. Yukimura: Okay. Thank you for educating us. Ms. Nakamura: We are going to need to take a tape change shortly. After the next speaker? Okay. KEN CHARTERS: Good afternoon. I just have a couple comments that I would like to offer to the Council in support of Bill 2490. The first comment is basically when I learned the amount of the current fees, I was really shocked that it was so low. I looked into it and discovered that it has been twenty-seven (27) years since those fees were established. I doubt very much that there are reasonable argument to be made given all the changes in the economy without going into all the great details, I cannot think of a reasonable way to argue if those fees are still adequate. I will support those changes in the fees. Ms. Nakamura: Please pull the mic closer. Mr. Charters: The second comment is in regard to the special dispensation for multiple dog owners by the hunters. Now, I have personally nothing against hunters, nothing against hunting but I do not understand is why they get a special dispensation for ownership of multiple dogs. If I choose to go out on my own and raise ten (10) to fifteen (15) dogs whether I am hunting or not, particularly if I am not hunting, I find it rather discriminatory that I would not be offered the same discount, if you will, and getting licenses for all of those dogs. Those are the two (2) points that I wanted to propose to you and for serious consideration. I suggest that you move ahead and support this Bill. Thank you for listening. PUBLIC HEARING 5 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 There being no objections, the Public Hearing recessed at 2:05 p.m. The Public Hearing reconvened at 2:07 p.m., and proceeded as follows: Mr. Furfaro: For those in the public today, public testimony according to our Rules, we can take up to six (6) minutes at the discretion of each Council Chair for their Committee, they can take it at increments of three (3) minutes and then have you come back for a second three (3) or they can extend straight through six (6) minutes. That is at the discretion of the Committee Chairpersons. If there is anybody who had spoke already and felt they could not get their second six (6) minutes, would you please just raise your hand. Okay, Robert. We got two (2). Gentlemen, the Committee Chairwoman will ask you to come back after we go through the first round of everyone. Okay? Ms. Nakamura: Next speaker. JULIE WERNER: I am here to urge you to pass Bill 2490 and make Kauai County dog license fees equal for all dog owners across the board. As I understand it, the current licensing fees are six dollars ($6) for unaltered dogs and two dollars ($2) for altered dogs and ten cents ($.10) for a replacement tag. These seem ridiculously low. If I have one (1) dog, I am going to pay six dollars ($6). If I have six (6) unaltered dogs, I will have to pay thirty-six dollars ($36) and there is probably going to be puppies all over the island. If a hunter has one (1) dog that is unaltered, they will pay the six dollars ($6) also but if that hunter has six (6) unaltered dogs, they are only going to pay an additional ten dollars ($10) to license those other five (5) unaltered dogs and there will still be puppies all over this island. You would be wise to eliminate Section 22-10.2(b) in its entirety. It appears that the County of Kaua`i has been discriminating, if you will, against dog owners who are not hunters. When Bill 2490 is approved, all dog owners will be paying exactly the same licensing fees every two (2) years. That seems fair to me. Does anybody have any questions? Thank you for your consideration. CHERYL KANZLER: Good afternoon. I am in support of Bill 2490 the proposed licensing fee. If we all take a step back and try to take the emotion out of this issue, it really makes a lot of sense. Currently the fees are discriminatory to towards those with multiple dogs who have not been spayed or neutered. Bill 2490 levels the playing field so all people will be paying the same fees. If you have an unaltered dog, everybody pays this fee. If you have an altered dog, everybody pays this fee. It does not make sense that one (1) group pay less money than others. There are more than one (1) special interest group on this island, if you will, if I choose to raise service dogs and I want to take them to the hospitals or care facilities, and I do not want to alter them because I want to breed them and those dogs will create a certain line of personality traits that I want, should I pay less because I am doing a service too. We know the hunters are doing a service for this island. They are taking care of pigs. If I choose to do a service for this island with my dogs, should I pay less too? Pretty soon everybody will have a service dog of some sort and nobody will be paying the proper fees. We should all be paying the same fees. It is not fair. If my neighbor has four (4) dogs who are unaltered, he pays less money than I do if I have four (4) small dogs that are unaltered because he chooses to raise hunting hounds and I choose to raise little baby smaller dogs. It does not make sense. I am not sure about the legality as it is right now. Is it legal for the Bill to be the way it is now with the licensing fees for different groups. That is all I have to say. Thank you very much. PUBLIC HEARING 6 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 Mr. Rapozo: Maybe if the people testifying could address this issue of registering cats because I think as we talk about discriminating practices, it seems like cat owners do not get charged anything. Cats are a big problem on this island... Ms. Kanzler: I am all for it. Yes, register cats, absolutely. I have no issue because I think we are all in here together and that we all need to pay something to have pets here. The Humane Society is working so hard, we should all contribute in some way and yes, cat owners should pay something too and maybe unaltered cats, you should pay more for. We all know there is a huge feral cat problem on this island. Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. Ms. Nakamura: Are you saying that you would prefer one (1) rate for both altered and unaltered? Ms. Kanzler: No. I am saying that there should be a larger fee for unaltered dogs — a higher fee, yes. But what I am saying that the way it is right now, if I have hunting dogs, I pay less money than if I am raising service dogs, is what I am saying. Ms. Nakamura: Thank you very much. KURT BOSSHARD: Thank you for letting me address you. After watching the testimony from the last hearing on this Bill, I felt compelled to come here today. I am opposed to this Bill and suggest the Bill be amended such that hunting dogs pay no registration fee if they are used to eliminate pigs. I saw Mr. Hamada laugh at for defending the pig owners at the last hearing. I also heard Mr. Bynum say that this was not really his Bill although he introduced it because it was really written by the Humane Society. I am aware that as of 07/01/2013 the Governor signed into law six (6) more laws pushed by the Humane Society most of which threatened pig hunting. The assault on the hunter is taking place at the Federal, State, and County level. This Bill is just one (1) more nail in the coffin of pig hunting. This Bill which is basically a tax on testicles, one (1) of many, that drive up the cost of the hunter. There are many other increases and fees that the hunter pays such as weight registration for his truck, real property taxes, gas taxes, closed off hunting areas, have create unreasonable gun laws, overbroad animal dog bite and cruelty laws, and other road blocks to the hunter. You have given the Humane Society police powers which they should not have; rights of entry on to the hunters property under certain circumstances. The reason this has happened is because the Humane Society is an overwhelming advocacy group that has an agenda to stop all hunting because they consider it cruelty to animals. This is an international movement which is aligned with (inaudible) not only are hunters in the cross but the farmers are as well because farmers doing their own medical work is seen as cruelty to animals to many of these advocates. To the Humane Society and the designer dog crowd, animal cruelty is when you feed your dog none organic food and put them to bed without their comforter. The dog people had been given what was supposed to be a bikepath for transportation, now is their walking path. That was a hundred million dollars or will be when this is all over. We had enough money at the County level to pay that kind of money for a dog path. Now, the hunters do not ask for that kind of subsidy and you then you got the Humane Society over there with their running area and all that type of stuff. The hunters PUBLIC HEARING 7 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 are taking care of their own stuff and they are taking care of the pig problem. I do not see as representatives of the public that you would not be aware that there is a large pig problem on the island and if it was not for these people taking the pigs out, you would be hiring more State workers to do it. We cannot afford State workers searching for pigs. Ms. Nakamura: That is your first three (3) minutes, you have three (3) additional minutes. Mr. Bosshard: Thank you very much. These hunters are totally effective. At what inconvenience are they causing the public? They should be getting a bounty on the pigs because when you legislate them out of existence, which you will do, this is just one (1) small nail; you are responsible for the pigs off of properties that I am associated with. My friends and I have probably three hundred (300) pigs off. Three hundred (300) pigs, what would that be today? None of this had any charge to the County and all of the pigs were in residential or close to residential areas. I own goats. I have had goats that have been bitten by dogs but that does not change my opinion about the need to encourage hunters to do these activities. If they were not as modest as they are you would be having an award thing over here for doing this public service without charge. As far as Mr. Hamada goes and with some of the prior speakers said, do you want people who have survival skills in your community so that if the...hits the fan that they would have some survival skills to feed you? Everybody's fundraiser has smoke meat at it and we all enjoy that. We take advantage of it. We ask for it and then we do these kinds of things that make it impossible to do their job. When it hits the fan, do you want to poodle guy from the bikepath as your next door neighbor whether it is a criminal next to you, or a hurricane, that type of thing...or do you want a pig hunter? I choose a pig hunter because I want to survive and they know how. We need more of those people in the community, not less. I call this a war on testosterone. It is not limited to dogs. Law after law is passed under similar circumstances; tightening down the driving laws of restraining order, the spouse abuse, there are more and more police. There are more and more young men are put into a state of probation. You got young men being medicated with ADHD drugs at record levels. If it applies to the dog breeds that male dogs get taxed five (5) times what female dogs do then why do we not have human beings pay taxes along those lines? Men are creating a lot of these problems. A lot of it has to do with...you know what? So, to be consistent I suggest that we tax men at a higher level...if that is...because I do not see the rationale basis between you jacking up the fees to these guys five times, six times, seven times... Ms. Nakamura: That was the end of your time. Can you say one (1) more sentence. Mr. Bosshard: I suggest it is only Boston Butt at all future political fundraisers. Ms. Yukimura: I have a question. I totally agree with you that the hunters are performing a very important service to the community but I do not understand where you are getting that the Humane Society has an agenda to stop hunting. Mr. Bosshard: They introduce Bill after Bill that puts these people in the cross. This July 1st, the Governor signed Bills that would make it a felony if you had multiple dog abuse which I can tell you that the Humane Society PUBLIC HEARING 8 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 feels that how these fellows train their dogs and how they keep them is dog abuse. There is no question in my mind. There were four (4) other laws that applied to hunting. One of them was that you could not use snares in certain areas and... Ms. Yukimura: This Humane Society in Kaua`i...because I think they are all independent... Mr. Bosshard: Do you know anybody at the Humane Society who would condone pig hunting? Mr. Furfaro: Point of order. This is not a subjective/objective discussion. This is testimony on the Bill. Kurt, I have known you for a long time. We played baseball together and I enjoyed those times but this is going to a Committee. You can have that discussion in Committee. ELAINE DUNBAR: Good afternoon. I am sorry that I missed the beginning of this. I wanted to ask Council if they have received the budget and accounting from Kaua`i Humane Society? Did everything look like the...can I ask questions? Ms. Nakamura: No. You may present your testimony. Ms. Dunbar: From the beginning the Kaua`i Humane Society has been a money picker and it seems like they are always standing there with their hands out. They do not have any motivation to go out there and raise money on their own. They just keep looking for the feeders — the handouts. It is sickening. This Bill...I am really disgusted. I just cannot believe that it is becoming almost a reality. What kind of gratitude is this that these people has feasted their faces on every luau, baby party, graduation, birthday, funeral — you name it on this island and where does that food on the buffet line comes from? It comes from the hunters and their dogs. The same people that complain about the pigs digging up their flower gardens. What is going to happen then? They can just flower gardens off. This is a society that has built up multibillion dollar industry around clothing for pets and we are going to consider their arguments on this Bill? Did you receive my testimony? Ms. Yukimura: Yes. Ms. Dunbar: I will not read through the whole thing because it is kind of lengthy but I want to read a couple parts of it. Bill 2490 has everything to do with the inability of Kaua`i Humane Society to pay their bills which is the issue and has nothing to do with licensing. They are delinquent. They are not doing what is needed. They are going around buying trucks, they have salaries, and they have all this going on. How many times I have asked for a little help from the Humane Society and they cannot even get out from behind their desk. I had to beg on my knees almost for a bowl of Clorox to clean out the bowls in the doggie park. I said, "I will do this for you because I know you are short on employees. Let me go and do this because the dogs are drinking scum every day." "Oh no, we cannot let you take the Clorox." Finally, I convinced her and she gave me a tiny little bowl of Clorox which I walked all the way from the main gate over to the buckets without spilling it and scraped out what I could. I am going to bring my own Clorox next time. She did not think I was capable of using Clorox. PUBLIC HEARING 9 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 Ms. Nakamura: Elaine that is your first three (3) minutes. You have three (3) additional minutes. Ms. Dunbar: The way this fee is structured impacts hunters more than other dog owners. So, being perceived as targeting is justifiable. The fee hikes are disproportionate and the statement fair and equitable across the board to all people that own dogs is incorrect. Fifty dollars ($50) for unspayed or unneutered dogs affects mostly hunting dogs and the brunt of the hardship will be born by hunters that use their dogs to provide food. By their own admission Kaua`i Humane Society (KHS) spokespeople do not know anything about hunting or hunting dogs. KHS should not be solving cash flow and budgetary failures by impacting a Hawaiian tradition. This is where we go into argument with what I just heard today. They do not have a breath of a chance. This is a Hawaiian tradition. What is the greater harm here? Not allowing the Humane Society to generate a few exhaustible funds via the unreasonable fee increases or threatening to atrophy a Hawaiian customary tradition of subsistence of hunting with dogs. I would like to read PASH (Public Access Shoreline Hawai`i) "retention of a Hawaiian tradition should in each case be determined by balancing respective interest and harm once it is established that application of a custom has continued in a particular area where practices have without harm to anyone been continued referenced to Hawaiian usage in sections ensures their continuance for so long as no actual harm is done thereby." This knocking on doors...that is whole other story in itself but they want to sneak it into this licensing Bill. By creating a vehicle that will impair a multigenerational lifestyle hunger will increase and Kaua`i Humane Society patrons will be responsible for the adding to erosion of the culture. This picture does not enhance the idea of sustainability of cultural sensibility. So, when the hundred thousand dollar goal... I do not even know what they are asking anymore...if it is a million or a hundred thousand dollars...maybe last week it was...is reached and then when it runs out and all dogs on the island are registered with the new fees; what then? Are you going to raise the fees again? The two (2) suggestions that I have put in my testimony to help raise ongoing funds, how would I get to the Humane Society, I am sure they would not want to even look at it but how could I do it through the Council? At the doggie park, I sat there at different hours and different days of the week...I cannot take my dogs anywhere anymore because it is all fenced off and there are signs everywhere, so, now I am forced to go to the doggie park. I want to figure out how I can get that idea across. Thank you. Ms. Nakamura: I think that is the last registered speakers. Are there anyone else who did not register but would like to testify? Seeing no one, this public hearing is... Mr. Furfaro: Do you want to have Robert speak again? Ms. Nakamura: I am sorry, yes, we will have the first speaker. Mr. Cremer would like to speak for an additional three (3) minutes. Mr. Cremer: For me this is a very emotional thing. It is not something that I feel...just to come here and talk because I want to talk and be in public. I never spoke before unless it was something of passion with me and that is the only reason I come here. My father lived on mountain pig meat. Whether you guys want to say that we do not need hunting anymore, you people in the community who say you are not against dog hunters or whatever you are, you guys do not realize what this is about. This is my life and my livelihood. My grandson talks about hunting at two and a half years old. He says, "papa, I like go hunting PUBLIC HEARING 10 AUGUST 14, 2013 BILL NO. 2490 with you. Where the pig?" No take this away from us. You may say you are directly not taking it away from us but indirectly you are going to take it away from us because I cannot afford fifty dollars ($50) for an unneutered dog. For me to own a neutered dog and not be able to continue my dog line of hunting for twenty-five (25) years that I breed, no sense having them. It is not a poodle where I can go buy a poodle and the poodle going jump on my lap and I can pet them. This dog is genetically bred to hunt. I can breed the dog and it will hunt. The bloodline that I run, I can swear to you that. Four (4) years these dogs have been bred. Bubba (inaudible) was the first guy that brought these dogs in. Old man (inaudible), he is gone today, he cannot talk but he would love to talk right now. So, I going say something. How is this tax and licenses being regulated right now? It is not regulated to par. I can tell you guys that one third (1/3) of the dogs on this island is taxed only — one third (1/3). If we could get regulation and get everybody — eighty percent (80%) to eighty-five percent (85%) get license on their dogs, we would not need to increase nothing. How are they going to regulate the dog that stays in the guy's bedroom twenty-four (24) hours a day? Who will regulate that? I going have to pay fifty dollars ($50) when his dog stay over there in the house and only come out at night when he walk the dog out in the evening? They do not regulate it. The only way the majority of the dogs get licensed and taxed on this island, and the Humane Society can tell me, "no," is if the dog is impounded or they use the park, somebody that has a pet that going pay a certain amount, or one complaint where the Humane Society go there and say that you have a problem over here. If your neighbor is consistently complaining like Sue Haines would complain at me up on Waipoule Road. Sooner or later, I taxed all my dogs to stop the Humane Society from coming because they said that was the only problem we have — "your dogs are not license." Fifty dollars ($50) a dog and you going tell me to play God and tell my dog that he cannot have puppies. We are put on this Earth to multiply — read the Bible. Whether it is a dog, animal, or anything. Remember that. Read the Bible it says that we are put on Earth to multiply, go and multiply. Thank you. Mr. Furfaro: What is the process for the hunting license? Mr. Cremer: I pay ten dollars ($10) every year. Mr. Furfaro: That is State regulated? Mr. Cremer: Yes. Mr. Furfaro: That is all the questions I have, thank you. Ms. Nakamura: There is one (1) more... No? No one else would like to testify on this matter? There being no further testimony on this matter, t• • .ublic hearing adjourned at 2:32 p.m. Respectf. submitte , I� Al EDU ! ! e NI, /R Administrative Assi: ,nt• • the County Clerk :dmc