• PMRF hearing • If adults smoke, so do children PMRF hearing Over the years I have attended more than a few public hearings and meetings where testimony from the public has been requested so citizens can voice their opinions
• PMRF hearing
• If adults smoke, so do children
PMRF hearing
Over the years I have attended more than a few public hearings and meetings where testimony from the public has been requested so citizens can voice their opinions on one issue or another. Repeatedly we hear from the officials both elected and appointed how important it is that citizens come and participate in the process of their government. They laud those who do and plead for more of us to come forward and be heard.
However, in the majority of meetings and issues to which I have devoted my attention, there is a sad sense that the Planning Commission, the County Council, the Board of Land and Natural Resources, whatever governing body it happens to be, is going through a charade of listening. They have already made up their minds behind closed doors as to the policy results; now they are just making an appearance of following the letter of the law.
Most recently I had this experience at the Monday hearing before the BLNR concerning the 6,000 acres in the Mana Plain which the Navy says it needs as a buffer zone in order to perform nefarious weapons testing. What’s required is just such an “isolated” location as the far western shores of Kaua‘i provide.
The Navy must have learned something from the first meeting at the Kalaheo school cafeteria. There, not one speaker in a hundred was in favor of the proposal; so on Monday six GMO/industrial farmers who have leased land in the six thousand acres and other employees of PMRF and family members spoke in support of the Navy. There were no independent Westsiders in favor of the proposal. In fact, the majority of testimony despite the impression given by the report in this newspaper was overwhelmingly opposed to the plan.
Evelyn de Buhr
Kilauea
If adults smoke, so do children
Editor’s note: during the month of May, eighth graders in Kapa‘a Middle School health and science classes joined members of Tobacco-Free Kaua‘i, Malama Kaua‘i Smoking Cessation Project, and hundreds of families to pledge to protect children, young adults, family and friends from the health risks of second-hand smoke. While we cannot use their names here, the following are some of their thoughts:
Second-hand smoke has affected my life by causing and irritating my asthma. Because I have asthma, when I play soccer I have a harder time breathing so I have to use this breather thing before my games and my asthma pump after.
Second-hand smoke has affected my life by making me cough. I have asthma and when my relatives smoke around me I always cough. I hate that. So when they smoke I wish they would go outside, because smoke is bad for your health.
Second-hand smoke has affected my life because people that smoke don’t really care where they smoke. I think they should make smoking illegal, because people are getting ripped off and they are dying from the chemicals in the drug.
