• Nurses out on a limb • Resistance to change • Invasive indeed • We should all have a say Nurses out on a limb It doesn’t surprise me that the nurses are still out on a limb without proper
• Nurses out on a limb
• Resistance to change
• Invasive indeed
• We should all have a say
Nurses out on a limb
It doesn’t surprise me that the nurses are still out on a limb without proper support for patient care. Over the course of about 10 years, a bogus CEO hatchetman known to have lost millions of dollars in a Riverside, Calif. hospital was hired to oversee WMH. From that moment and subsequent marriage to HPH, Wilcox Hospital began and continues its spiraling downhill journey. What was a rural, prestigious employment opportunity became cancerous.
The CEO’s first assault was to bring in his team of cohorts, who then levied the attack on middle management. Those without credentials who had virtually learned by on-the-job training, years of practiced experience, were fired. Morale began to slide big time. The next attack pitted new against remaining middle management, then down to the associates all of whom were holding their ‘okoles and inadvertently fired for “cause.” In almost all cases, union “reps” stood at the side of the employer. The “cause” loophole prevailed against ILWU member associates. Now, the hatchet has fallen on the nursing staff. In the past, WMH has acquired quite a few excellent medical professionals, specialists, MDs, RNs, associates etc., most of them quickly saw the tactics being played out and left. The turnover spiral for everyone was aggressive to say the least. WMH’s mission statement per its Web site states that the ability “to serve the Kauai community with accessible, quality healthcare that surpasses expectations” and includes values of “Service, Integrity, Collaboration, Community, Innovation, Compassion, and Excellence.”
What a joke, but no one was or is laughing.
Resistance to change
The anti-ferry group has been getting a lot of newspaper ink of late. They are very vocal — but I feel that the silent majority of Kaua‘i residents are looking forward to an alternative means of traveling interisland.
The naysayers claim that they are not against the ferry — merely want an Environmental Impact Statement performed. I wonder — if an EIS were done, and if it were to find that the ferry posed no environmental hazard, would these people go away? I strongly doubt it. I think the EIS demand is just a cover for a resistance to change of any kind.
Invasive indeed
Another paranoid Superferry antagonist suggests that “you” might find a good opportunity to “slip a mongoose in your pocket on your way to Kaua‘i.” (Letters, Sept. 28)
Oh, but why stop there? Perhaps one could tuck a few coqui frogs in their socks too.
Hey, but we can fight back, we can stuff a few chickens under our T-shirts and invade the other islands.
My god, you people will say anything to try to strike up fear in the community to get your way. Take a look in the mirror: The invasive species are already here.
We should all have a say
As a life-long resident of Kaua‘i and a Kanaka Maoli, I am appalled by the audacity of the DLNR and its plan to not just put the Koke‘e cabins out for bid to the highest bidder worldwide in spite of the overwhelming response from our community against this proposal. But to build a hotel and parking lots in an area that has always been a place where we as residents of Kaua‘i could go for a day and enjoy the pristine beauty of Koke‘e, and get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life in the lowlands, is not only sacrilegious, but you are not fulfilling your responsibility as stewards of the land.
I have always believed that the responsibility of our government was to ensure that the quality of life for our people was tantamount, and that government was not and should not be a money-making enterprise. If our government cannot maintain its responsibility of providing the necessary services for our people through the current tax programs that are already in effect, then perhaps our government is not doing its job. To continually sell off the very resources that make us unique from everywhere else in the world is not only irresponsible, but down right criminal.
In ancient times it has been recorded that Kaua‘i was highly coveted by the other islands because of its natural beauty and abundant resources, and Kamehameha attempted twice unsuccessfully to conquer our beloved island. But through the wisdom of our King Kaumuali‘i, we were spared the bloodshed and as a result, we were allowed to continue our lifestyle under our king. However our king was lured away from our island and held captive by Kamehameha and Ka‘ahumanu on O‘ahu, and others not from here were allowed to come here and determine the fate of our island. Which was not always in the best interest of our people and our aina. History, it seems, is repeating itself, or should I say, nothing has changed. Because my understanding is that all revenues generated by these actions by DLNR will not stay here on Kaua‘i, but will go into the coffers of the state.
We do not want to become another O‘ahu or Maui. We would like to offer the world the beauty and splendor of our island, to share it with us the same way that we are able to appreciate it. But every grassy area that you pave for a parking lot, every hotel that you build on our island in areas that are noted for natural beauty makes us become no different than any other place in the world where money and greed dictates the future of Ke Akua’s creation.
If the democracy that we supposedly live in is real, then the voices of the people should be paramount. But if the voices of the people are to be heard, then when important issues such as Koke‘e are being considered, and public hearings are to be held, then all efforts should be made to let the people know so we may speak, rather than having obscure announcements published in our newspapers and going unheeded or unnoticed by many of us. What about television and radio? As stewards of the land, you have the responsibility to kahea to the people your intentions, just as our konohikis would do, so all may have a chance to voice our opinion.
- Jimmy (Kimo) Fujita
Kalaheo
