• For the fallen soldier • On choice in the Republic • Homeless suggestion • Locals like big box • Try absentee next time For the fallen soldier To Jasmine and her baby daughter Jada: My family shares to you
• For the fallen soldier
• On choice in the Republic
• Homeless suggestion
• Locals like big box
• Try absentee next time
For the fallen soldier
To Jasmine and her baby daughter Jada:
My family shares to you our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy for Richwell’s passing away for the love of country — the USA.
Wishing you the best and we are so excited to see you and the baby soon.
Victor Doria family
La Mirada, Calif.
On choice in the Republic
Your headline (The Garden Island, Nov. 15, A1) reads, “Commission seeks input on big-box law.”
If they really mean this, all they need to do is go down to the Costco parking lot. Parking places are hard to come by and half the cars looking for a space have bumper stickers touting the incumbent mayor and County Council.
The ongoing campaigns against “big box” stores and the Superferry seem to be very well financed.
Where does the money come from?
My guess is that it comes from those large businesses that might be affected by competition — the local freight companies, Matson and Young Brothers barges, the airlines, the big grocery chains and others with endangered monopolies. Look what happened to fuel prices when Costco opened.
The claim is that this will “save” mom and pop businesses. In the first place, there are not very many such places left. There are regular stories about small businesses closing because the children do not want to keep them open. Those that remain have survived the arrival of big supermarket chains — and will continue to offer convenience rather than price. If you really want to protect them, pass a law against 7-11 and other convenience chains.
Among those companies that stand the most to lose from a Wal-Mart Superstore are Foodland (an O‘ahu company) and Safeway (a California company). How protecting them from competition will make Kaua‘i a better place, a more rural place, escapes me. I have to assume that the money going into these campaigns is not only paying for advertisements but also goes towards “buying” our elected government.
The reality is that if the majority of people on the island really do not want these places, they will not shop there. The big box retailer will have spent a great deal of money on this island building their store. Then, when no customers arrive, they will pack up their goods and slink back to wherever they came from to cut their losses, and we will have a big new building to house the homeless. That is the American way of deciding what businesses people want. In the People’s Republic of Kaua‘i — choice is a bad thing.
Stan Godes
Hanalei
Homeless suggestion
I have made this suggestion before. Maybe if I keep on hammering it home, someone will make it happen.
A temporary quick fix for the homeless would be this: Use “eminent domain” to acquire a few acres from Bette Midler’s property on the Kapa‘a bypass road. Put up a chain link fence around it, not to imprison those who choose to use the facilities, but to keep them safe. Have an open gate in the front. Place a large tent for single homeless men, another large tent for single homeless women. Then many smaller tents for homeless families. Build a basic hygiene facility, not the “Taj Mahal” variety that one sees at road rest areas on the Mainland. Provide a gardening area for those who might enjoy producing their own vegetables. Provide a food service facility similar to what the military uses in “the field.” Make sure that there is bus service that goes near the entrance.
Would this solve the problem of affordable housing? Of course not, but it would be an affordable way to keep the homeless safer, cleaner and better fed until the real solution is achieved. Habitat for Humanity could do this instead of one of their homes they build. That way a lot of people could live safer while the H-for-H continues to build one home at a time.
These types of facilities could be on several locations around the island. Even a beach area could be designated for those homeless who insist on living on the beaches of Kaua‘i. Where would the money come from? Perhaps the hotels and other tourist companies could pitch in, along with the county providing some help. The military might be happy to donate tenting facilities.
Please! This is a serious suggestion; those who have the power to make it happen, please, at least consider this suggestion. Improve on it as you may. But let’s do something even temporarily to help the working homeless.
Gordon “Doc” Smith
Kapa‘a
Locals like big box
They have built them … we have come. I went to Costco the few days after it opened. Wow, most of what I saw were the real local people of Kaua‘i.
The County Councilmembers are worried about the smaller mom-and-pop stores going out of business?
They already are going out … and because we the people here on Kaua‘i have to feed our families and live here. Change happens. Regulation is too late. It should have been done prior to the big box stores coming in. They are here and I believe the majority of the Kaua‘i population is benefiting. Not only savings on day to day items but jobs — with benefits. A mom-and-pop store employs the family and maybe a couple of workers here and there with nowhere near the benefits.
Hey, are these ma and pa stores owned by families of the one’s opposing big box stores? I bet if we did some digging … they are … as we all know, if you are born and raised Kaua‘i … you are somehow related to the old-timers … thanks for letting me share.
Kilauea resident who drives to Lihu‘e for big box discounts.
Suzi Gillette
Kilauea
Try absentee next time
Two strikes for the lady with woes about getting to the voting polls on time, “Maybe try Kaua‘i,” Nov. 14. As one who is “quick to blame the citizens of this state for their voter apathy,” I had a smile on after reading, “Maybe try Kansas,” Nov. 13.
But someone should have told her about voting by absentee ballot next time. Unlike many, at least she tried to vote. Voter apathy targets those who don’t even try.
Those were tragic stories about the killing of pet pigs “Kipu” and “Porky.”
If it happened on my property, there would be a couple of humans on the ground as well.
So coqui frogs are cute. Please go to www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/coqui/ for more information.
Vincent Cosner
Lihu‘e
