• Real force
• Competition is healthy thing
• A push for change
Real force
Mr. Mann seems confused. His latest letter — “Boycotting the big box bully” (Letters, Dec. 26) — accuses Wal-Mart and other “big box” stores of force and unethical competition. He is not alone here; it seems many people cannot discern real force, which is monopolized by government, from aggressive marketing, which is the MO of entrepreneurs.
None of us has the choice of not paying for government or even the specific government “services” that we don’t want. We are literally forced to pay up or face the coercion and violence of one agency or another. Not only that, the government can, whenever it wishes, up the “price” it gets by simply raising taxes, levies or fees, leaving us no choice except to pay. This, Mr. Mann, is real force and constant threat of violence. This is what the mayor and his anti-competition bill is using against the so-called big box stores — force pure and simple. And remember, if he can use it against an entity with the resources of Wal-Mart he can far more easily use it against you.
Standing in stark contrast to the government model is the free market, a system characterized by the absence of force and threat of violence — a system which is one of peaceful, voluntary contract and exchange. When was the last time any of you was threatened for not shopping at Wal-Mart, or any other business for that matter? When was the last time that, upon entering the checkout line expecting to pay the tag price, a representative of the business held a gun to your head and forced you to pay more than the marked price?
Will Mr. Mann face jail time and financial ruin by boycotting Wal-Mart? On the other hand, what if he decided to stop paying his property taxes? Which entity would you rather deal with, the state or a big box store?
R.S. Weirs
Kapa‘a
Competition is healthy thing
Talking about big box stores — well, I’m for big box stores! Look what happened when Costco opened their doors and gas station. The price of fuel at all the stations dropped over 40 cents, from $3.49 to less than $3. Don’t tell me that the gas dropped because of the lower fuel prices on the Mainland. The stations could have cut their prices to $3.25 a long time ago to give the people a break. But no, they had to gouge the people until a “big box came to Kaua‘i.”
Furthermore, people from the Westside and from the Eastside are going to shop at their local store on a daily basis and travel into Lihu‘e once in a while, so what are the other stores worried about? Competition is a very healthy thing.
M. Kiyabu
Kapa‘a
A push for change
On Dec. 12, a meeting at the Anahola clubhouse occurred. The usage and lease on homestead lands for the bike path was discussed.
As I sat at the meeting to listen, officials from the County of Kaua‘i came to our community to share about the bike path and their plans for its usage. I was disturbed that none of the Department of Hawaiian Homes commissioners came. About 40 of the beneficiaries were present and seemed very upset and against their plans.
I questioned Kaua‘i Department of Hawaiian Home Lands island district manager Roland Licona if DHHL properly notified all of their beneficiaries on these land transfers by mail. His response was he received a notice and that he is here on his own time and is not getting paid. He also stated “it’s not his department to notify our beneficiaries.”
I then asked, “When did this project begin?”
His reply was 1994.
My question is: Why is it only now are they coming to the beneficiaries, 12 years after the county and people without homestead leases proposed these plans for this project? I inquired about the contract lease that AMFAC had, which ended in 2002.
Mr. Licona’s response was, “They have an agreement with AMFAC in which AMFAC Sugar is responsible to restore all lands and watersheds to original state prior to lease for homestead beneficiaries to cultivate. Kealia Kai has our water that AMFAC has diverted.
Are our tax dollars going to be used to clean up AMFAC’s mess? We, the first-comers, Kanaka Maoli, are being treated as third-class citizens under U.S. laws.
My point is, DHHL commissioners are in favor of leasing homesteads lands to the County of Kaua‘i for others to use while our beneficiaries are waiting 20 to 40 years on the waiting list to be given land! This is not what the 1920 Homesteads Act agreement was made for. Today, approximately 6,800 Native Hawaiian families reside on the Hawaiian Home Lands. Approximately 18,000 native Hawaiians, who are eligible to reside on the Hawaiian homesteads lands, are on a waiting list to receive their lease assignments.
I feel we don’t have efficient leadership towards our land issues. Why are they not filing lawsuits against AMFAC for breach of contract? Is this part of the scam from the overthrow the sugar plantations were a part of? Why are there no DHHL enforcement officers to uphold the 1920 DHHL Commission Act?
All meetings should have been conducted at the Anahola clubhouse on homesteads land, with the beneficiaries first. The DHHL commissioners’ responsibilities are to preserve and to protect our culture, lands, waters and any decision that would affect all beneficiaries’ future, under the 1920 Hawaiian Homestead act.
I’m one of 170 lessees that have been awarded a lease for Phase 6 that would be affected. Many other lessees were not present to give their input. Is this how our DHHL staff and commissioners represent the beneficiaries? If so then we need to get them out.
I would like to spearhead a Homesteads committee in Anahola, for the people and by the people as beneficiaries so we can make good decisions on our children’s future and land, water, mountain and ocean access.
Our committee:
• Will have the right to say as beneficiaries what’s good for our kamali‘i and ‘opi‘o;
• Put motion to the floor and vote on it as a community base;
• (Make) community decisions on water and land usage as homesteaders;
• Request for funds for a homesteads school recreational center;
• (Mandate that) nomination of DHHL commissioner for Kaua‘i must live on Kaua‘i and is a beneficiary;
• Request funds for Hawaiian homes enforcement officers to preserve and protect the policies;
• Monitor fishing and camping for homesteaders for a clean environment.
The time has come for us, the beneficiaries, to make a positive change. If any one is interested in helping, e-mail me at kekanepa@hotmail.com.
Let’s make at change for the future generations.
Much mahalo,
Kekane Pa
Lihu‘e
