A new consulate here fine with us

It’s natural to wonder about the rationale for a full-scale Mexican consulate in Honolulu, given the relative small size of the clientele pool. Most people of Mexican descent here are U.S. citizens, say those who made the proposal this week.

However, even though the whole issue with undocumented workers is less relevant here, there seems to be a disproportionate number of allegations of illegality against people of Mexican ancestry, according to the Migration Policy Institute, which announced the proposal for a consulate, joined by the University of Hawaii College of Social Sciences.

If the Mexican government is willing to foot the bill for a new consulate here, it’s hard to argue against it. Still, it’s sad to see wrong assumptions being made about a group in Hawaii, where people should be familiar with cultural nuances.

This brazen theft really got our goat

Farming and ranching have never been easy, but pernicious thieves that steal crops and animals throughout the islands make it ever more challenging for the folks who are trying to make a decent living while they feed the rest of us.

The latest example is the brazen goat theft last week in Kahuku, where more than 20 pregnant, purebred Boer goats were apparently duct-taped quiet and spirited away under the light of the full moon. The owner of Kahuku Goats, the 250-acre North Shore farm that was robbed, offered a reward for the arrest of those responsible and the return of the goats, six of which were family pets.

A 25-year-old Waialua man was arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the theft.

Let’s hope the goats return home safe and soon.