• Traffic solutions • Kaua‘i aloha • Case and marriage • School woes Traffic solutions Ted Erum’s letter to the Forum (2/22) titled “Wailua accidents” was right on target except that 1) traffic signals along “blood alley” would only exacerbate
• Traffic solutions
• Kaua‘i aloha
• Case and marriage
• School woes
Traffic solutions
Ted Erum’s letter to the Forum (2/22) titled “Wailua accidents” was right on target except that 1) traffic signals along “blood alley” would only exacerbate the horrendous traffic problem through Kapa‘a and Wailua and 2) we must open our cane haul roads to lighten traffic on Kuhio highway as well as to have alternate routes WHEN accidents happen.
Think about this. If a tsunami or hurricane hit while traffic was stopped along “blood alley”, people would die for lack of other routes to use!
The Kapa‘a by-pass road was built in 9 months because someone at the state level of Department of Transportation had the brains and fortitude to say, “build it” and wouldn’t take excuses why it couldn’t be done.
The by-pass road from Hanama‘ulu to the Wailua river has been in the talking stages for 8 to 10 years. Estimates now are that it will take 8 more years before construction starts AND funds may not be available at that time to even begin the project!!
We have a crisis now with traffic jams and people dying on our roads so where is the leadership in our government to get our cane haul roads paved and give the people other routes to on? Gary Hooser is doing his part but he is only one person — where is our administration?
As former Garden Island writer Bill LeGro so wisely suggested, why not build a one way 2 lane highway going southbound to Lihu‘e and another one way two lane going northbound separated by a large buffer zone and thus making head on collisions impossible. This is done all over the mainland and it only takes someone with the initiative to get it done.
If we can find multi-millions of dollars of grant money to build a bike path that will do nothing for our traffic mess and isn’t a priority, then we can certainly fine the money to unclog our roads and save lives. 99% of Kauaians will always use their vehicles for work, shopping, and recreation so let’s live in the real world—forget bikes and other alternate transportation systems—the automobile is for the masses so let’s get more alternate roads built to accommodate them.
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
Kaua‘i aloha
People often speak of the aloha spirit, we have been blessed to have lived it! While living in Princeville our daughter became very ill, eventually we had to move back to the mainland due to medical bills,etc. While we wrestled with what to do, Shantel, from the Cliff’s front desk , became a role model for our daughter. Shantel is the “Aloha Spirit”, she made our daughter feel welcome and cared about.
Allison, our daughter, is thrilled. Shantel continues to be a part of her life, sending letters, postcards and gifts. We are so pleased that our child has Shantel as a role model. Thank you Shantel!!
I hope the wonderful things that Shantel has done will be brought to the attention of The Cliff’s management. She is a great ambassador for the Cliff’s and Kaua‘i.
Janet & Charlie Cooke
Eureka, Mo
Case and marriage
I almost fell off my chair when I heard Case saying on KPUA radio that he didn’t support a federal constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage because “He didn’t want to take the issue away from the states.”
Ed Case used all his power as a state legislator to try to prevent the state, i.e. the state legislature, from being able to make a decision on this issue. He wanted the decision of five Supreme Court justices who legalized same-sex marriage to become state law. Case fought vociferously to keep the voters from being allowed to vote on the issue, to keep the state legislators from making a decision on the issue. Case wanted the decision to be totally in the hands of judges who already ruled that homosexuals be allowed to marry. Case is not only pro-same sex marriage, he’s anti-democratic. Case is a judicial activist who believes all the important decisions in our lives should be made by judges.
JIM MCGUIRE
Kea‘au
School woes
Well, once again our majority legislators have proven that they will not deviate from the decades old rule that they have held over our state education system. God forbid they should admit that others may have a better idea on how our education system might be run. In fact, they won’t even allow the people to make that choice. After all, they are the only ones who know what is best for us and our children. This from a group who, I am told, send their own children or grand children to private schools.
Just because a group who are not of their political persuasion has a good idea for the administration of our failing school system, they are unwilling to let the voters decide. The unions don’t want change, it’s too scary. After all, control is everything. The vote for local control of our school systems in the United States is 49 to 1, is that what it’s all about, control?
Control at any cost?
Control the money; control the teachers; control the administration?
Who cares about the average kids? The wealthy go to private schools with the politician’s kids, so why change and lose control of a system, and how a huge amount of tax dollars are spent, or wasted? Isn’t it time to “throw the rascals out”? Find someone else to vote for. It’s time for a change. Do it for our kids, they need your help.
Keith Hutchens
Kilauea
