• Ka Loko Dam conspiracy • Watching cars go by • Problem with statistics • Speaking for Spear • Field my dreams • Flying school bus Ka Loko Dam conspiracy Aloha: Governor Lingle, The Ka Loko Dam conspiracy has all
• Ka Loko Dam conspiracy
• Watching cars go by
• Problem with statistics
• Speaking for Spear
• Field my dreams
• Flying school bus
Ka Loko Dam conspiracy
Aloha: Governor Lingle,
The Ka Loko Dam conspiracy has all the elements of a TV mini-series; a setting in paradise, wealth, greed, criminal activity, political payoffs, a movie star, cover-up, and let’s not forget, the deaths of seven people.
Unfortunately, it’s not a TV mini-series, it’s real. On March 14, 2006, the Ka Loko Reservoir Dam breached and left seven people dead. The events leading up to the dam breach, and events after, are filled with corruption.
Where are the arrests?
How high is the conspiracy and cover-up?
Who has received political payoffs?
Are judges involved?
It has been about one and a half years since the tragedy and no one is to blame.
The special deputy attorney general, Robert Godbey, report (www.kalokodam.net/) cites James Pflueger for illegal grading and filling in the emergency spillway of the dam. Filling in the emergency spillway with graded earth places everyone below the dam in danger, especially during periods of high rainfall when the spillway is needed to drain excess water beyond the dam capacity. As I understand the events, the spillway was illegally filled in, there was excessive rainfall, the dam breached and seven people below the dam died. It that a crime?
The special deputy attorney general also cited former Kaua‘i Mayor Kusaka for using the office of the mayor to cover up the illegal grading. As I understand the events, illegal grading was discovered by the county, Mayor Kusaka intervened and stopped all actions by the county to halt the illegal grading, the spillway was illegally filled in, there was excessive rainfall, the dam breached and seven people below the dam died. It that a crime?
The special deputy attorney general also cited the State of Hawai‘i for failing to inspect the dam. As I understand the events, the State of Hawai‘i failed to protect its people from the criminal activity at Ka Loko Dam. Is this the reason why the State of Hawai‘i is covering up the Ka Loko Dam tragedy?
The Kauai County Council has spent about a quarter of a million dollars in legal fees covering their “okoles,” but not a dime in the pursuit of justice. Judge Watanabe has set the civil suits for late in year 2009, almost four years after the tragedy (that’s not justice, that’s lawyer crap).
When the mini-series does hit the screen, I wonder how many politicians and movie stars are going to be living in those multi-million dollar mansions in paradise at Ka Loko Dam?
Don Greer, Ph.D.
‘Ele‘ele
Watching cars go by
When I ride my bicycle in traffic I experience an omnipresent euphoric state of mind.
On any given day there are thousands of cars on Kuhio Highway between Safeway and The Coco Palms. Every night between 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. I ride my bike home to the Wailua River area.
The traffic is bumper-to-bumper which for a bicyclist makes for safe and comfortable driving on the shoulder.
The experience in passing car after car after car after car is mind-stimulating; the cars are at a standstill in their lanes and I am passing 36 cars every minute. The safest time to ride a bike is during peak traffic.
I am hoping everyone reading this buys another car or two and I encourage the convention and visitors bureau to never stop selling Kaua‘i. Last but not least, with the arrival of the Superferry, traffic will be everywhere. Then everyone should be able to bike safely anywhere on the island.
Like a surfer catching a wave, my wave is caught when my own power is more powerful than the giant refineries and petroleum companies.
I beg of everyone to do nothing to stop this wonderful traffic.
James “Kimo” Rosen
Kapa‘a
Problem with statistics
Brian Young’s “What about the infrastructure?” argument in yesterday’s letters on the island’s traffic increase; deaths versus births would make sense only if every kid born was equipped with a driver’s license. Figure if 35 people who have a driver’s license dies during the month and 35 babies are born; unless they are born with a driver’s license in their hand, there is no way they would add to the traffic problem for at least 16 years after their birth.
It’s not about name calling, it’s about a simple fact that more people are moving to the island than are leaving. As I stated in my letter, you can verify that by reading the Real Estate Transactions section of the Kaua‘i Business Report newspaper. I’m aware that local people are leaving the island to seek cheaper housing elsewhere, but I’m sure not at the same rate as people moving to the island. The local people are just doubling and tripling up in a house to afford to stay here.
My point is that the island is capable of only so much growth and where is the cap on that or the amount of tourists that arrive each day to the island. As far as the tourism industry is concerned, the more the merrier.
Francine M. Grace
Kalaheo
Speaking for Spear
Tex Spear was our doctor and friend the entire time we lived on Kaua‘i. He was respectful to me as a friend and as a woman. Never will I believe that he would trade sex for drugs. That just is not the sort of man he is. He is a good and caring doctor.
Linda Reagan
Corrilitan, Va.
Field my dreams
Wal-Mart … if you build it they will come.
Howard Tolbe
‘Ele‘ele
Flying school bus
At about 7:20 a.m. yesterday, I was driving on Kaneka Street by Chiefess Kamakahelei School. There were children on the sidewalk, so I slowed to 15 mph. Suddenly, a Yamaguchi school bus (No. 74) passed me doing close to 30 mph.
Don’t the school zone speed limits apply to school buses?
I would think that police, parents and school bus drivers would be the people most likely to obey this law. Unfortunately, the woman driving the bus didn’t seem to care. Shame on you.
Brian Christensen
Lihu‘e
