Letters for Sunday, April 8, 2007

• We have found it

• On worsening karma

• Response time needed

• Let’s pork-free fund troops

We have found it

Today is one of those days when it feels good just to be alive. Blue skies, azure seas, bright green mountains, a magical ‘aina, and a spirit of aloha combine to make Kaua‘i the best place to live in the world.

It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day struggles to earn a living and preserve our freedom to choose a lifestyle of our own. Our island is far from perfect, but there is no such thing as Utopia. Even if a Garden of Eden were to exist, life there would probably be very boring. Sure we complain about the traffic in the Kapa‘a corridor but we can see much worse traffic on the Honolulu newscasts. All professional politicians worldwide are corrupted by, and addicted to, power and the money needed to hold on to that power. Ours are better than some, worse than others, but do not begin to compare to the Robert Mugabes and Idi Amins of the world. Other than in totalitarian regimes that restrict it by force, activism and protest are found worldwide. We seem to have more than our share of groups that want special treatment for themselves and laws against anything that they don’t like — but not the attendant violence found elsewhere.

My first visit to Hanalei was via sailboat in 1971. It was love at first sight. Much has changed in the ensuing 36 years — some good, some not so good. Even after 16 years of residency I can still look around and get the same ‘chicken skin’ feeling that drew me to Hanalei in the first place. Sometimes we really do need to stop and smell the hibiscus and mock orange.

Lucky you live Kaua‘i.

Hanalei

On worsening karma

In response to the April 1, commentary, “On the Kingdom of Atooi,” we totally support and agree with the stated position of the Ali‘i Nui. We feel that the longer the travesty of the 114-year illegal occupation goes on, the worse the karma becomes for America and all those who continue to exploit the Hawaiian Nation.

We helped to organize,, and participated in, two Aloha Marches to Washington, D.C., in 1998 and in 2000, and a Boston Ti Party in the summer of 2000.

Those peaceful protests were orchestrated and led by Butch and Mikala Kekahu and the Koani Foundation of Anahola. It was profoundly moving to march alongside the Kanaka Maoli and non-Hawaiian supporters from many states in America as well as from Hawai‘i, all with Aloha Nui Loa in our hearts, and to actually carry the Ku‘e Petition to the U.S. Capitol … chicken skin.

For those who doubt that the genocide and the illegal occupation took place, and that it continues to this moment, pick up and read a great book called “Overthrow — America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawai‘i to Iraq,” by Stephen Kinzer.

Until America comes to terms with its dark side, we will all continue on in self-defeating turmoil and heartbreak. Does anyone need more evidence than what has been happening to beloved Kaua‘i, or what is happening in Iraq?

In solidarity with all Hawaiian hearts and minds.

Kapa‘a

Response time needed

There is scheduled a Kauai Planning Commission public hearing Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., concerning the Westin Prince-ville Ocean Resort project on the western bluff overlooking Anini at the end of Wyllie Road.

Unlimited Construction Services will be seeking a Use Permit and Class IV Zoning Permit for use of 3 acres on the western end of Princeville Shopping Center’s 19.2 acre Lot 20 (TMK 5-4-24-20) located north of, and connecting to, Kuhio Highway, east of Hanalei Police and Fire Station and connecting to Hanalei Plantation Road by a dirt/gravel access.

The seven-months-after-the-fact permit application seeks to legitimize and increase Unlimited Construction’s use of approxmately 3 miles of Hanalei Plantation Road and “so called Princeville back roads” to service their currently unpermitted overflow employee parking and construction materials accommodations on Lot 20.

Unlimited’s transit staging area for such overflow (beginning around 6 a.m.) parking and construction materials occurs — and is being proposed to continue to occur — alongside Garden Island Disposal’s minimum of three days (beginning around 5 a.m.) per week garbage transfer and compacting operations, the latter being a compensation-free activity to which Princeville Phase I residents and visitors seem to have become accustomed even as new owners of Lot 20 may or may not be.

For those who are now, or expect to be negatively impacted, either directly or indirectly, by the Kauai Planning Department’s potential grant of use and zoning permits for on-going and proposed activities involving the as yet undeveloped half of Lot 20, west of and adjacent to Princeville Shopping Center Lot, please speak up Tuesday, April 10 at the Planning Commission public hearing in Lihu‘e.

To promote the health, safety and well-being of our family, our neighborhood, and our community, the Commission is being petitioned by our family to deny permits for Unlimited Construction’s continued use of Lot 20, as such use is proposed to be expanded in Unlimited’s attorney’s permit application assigned Zoning Permit No. Z-IV-2007-21, Use Variance No. U-2007-16. Should the commission be indisposed at Tuesday’s hearing to deny Unlimited the commission’s approval of Unlimited’s application, the commission should at least postpone its decision, and grant a continuance on the matter since no notice of either the hearing or the applicants intentions was provided us in a timely and lawful manner allowing us a reasonable amount of time as had the applicant to prepare for this scheduled hearing.

Hanalei

Let’s pork-free fund troops

The following is a letter sent yesterday via e-mail to senators Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye and representatives Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono:

My wife and I strongly urge you and the rest of our Democratic senators and representatives to abandon the craven cut-and-run strategy in Iraq. Radical Islam declared war on the United States decades ago. Despite hundreds of American casualties, we were blind to that fact until 9/11.

President Bush’s strategy of taking the battle to the enemy rather than waiting helplessly for their next attack is working.

Yes, it is slow, bloody, and expensive but we are winning. And there have been no attacks on American soil since 9/11. That is a victory of sorts in itself.

As surely as night follows day, if the Democratic leadership forces a premature withdrawal from Iraq, there will be chaos, countless civilian deaths and a new “Islamofascist” stronghold in what was Iraq.

It will be a very dark night, indeed.

As a senator/representative who surely remembers history, we hope you will return to Washington sooner, rather than later, and send a clean, no strings, pork-free funding authorization to President Bush so our heroes in Iraq can go on winning.

Kapa‘a