• O‘ahu resident airs gripes • Observations on the meeting • Who’s paying for security? • What would Martin do? • Governor was class act O‘ahu resident airs gripes This letter is to the people of Kaua‘i. My friends and
• O‘ahu resident airs gripes
• Observations on the meeting
• Who’s paying for security?
• What would Martin do?
• Governor was class act
O‘ahu resident airs gripes
This letter is to the people of Kaua‘i.
My friends and I have been watching and talking about the Superferry and how the people of Kaua‘i are angry at us O‘ahu residents.
Yes, we have traffic, high-rise buildings, crowded beaches, crime, etc… and I understand you don’t want that. But we also have a lot of tax revenues, jobs, and more tax revenues. I believe our 900,000+ residents generate a majority of tax revenue collected by our state Tax Department. You 60,000+ Kaua‘i residents generate only so much. Therefore I believe it is in the best interest as an O‘ahu resident that you Kaua‘i people should also ask O‘ahu residents to stop being generous with O‘ahu tax revenues.
Also when it comes to jobs, please tell your children to stop coming to O‘ahu to find better jobs. Please send them to the mainland instead. Your children coming to O‘ahu to find jobs contributes to the congestion.
Finally my friends and I believe more of our tax dollars generated on O‘ahu should be spent on O‘ahu. If Kaua‘i doesn’t have enough tax revenues because O‘ahu stops being generous, my suggestion is to raise taxes on your island. Kaua‘i doesn’t want O‘ahu’s way of life but is it fair that you want and get O‘ahu taxes to support the Kaua‘i lifestyle?
Bryan Rabilas
Waipahu
Observations on the meeting
On stage at the Kauai War Memorial Convention Center Thursday evening was a class act starring Gov.Linda Lingle and a supporting cast of federal, state, and county officials who answered with dignity some tough questions about the controversial Superferry.
What a contrast they were to the far-too-many Superferry protesters who continually interrupted the town-hall-type meeting to hurl profanities and insults at the panel.
What type of Aloha is that?
While the foul-mouthed protesters were acting like spoiled children throwing temper-tantrums, panel members were very un-government-like by actually answering questions instead of dodging them.
The brats would ask legitimate questions then jeer so loudly that panel members would have to patiently wait to provide answers.
These brats need more than a spanking. They should be grounded by the U.S. Coast Guard until they learn some manners.
Jack Stephens
Lihu‘e
Who’s paying for security?
I was at the meeting last night, but I was one of the people who didn’t get my chance to speak because they ran out of time. I have a couple of questions that I really think no one even touched on and should be answered immediately.
How much does it cost the state and county to secure the harbor daily when the ferry comes into port? Supposedly they are going to make the voyage daily, so who’s paying? I hope the ferry has a big chunk of the expense. Or is it the people of Hawai‘i paying for it, while the ferry is going to be making the money? We, the people, need to know. According to the protestors out there, I really don’t think they’ll stop protesting. So again, how much much will we spend daily to secure the harbor? I hope we are not the ones suffering the expense for a mainland company to come in and cause more harm financially to our island and the state.
Mr. Baptiste, I really hoped we would have heard from you. Staying neutral shouldn’t be your position. The people of this island voted you in, and now this is how you treat our people.
Remember the rock you held in your hand in The Garden Island, that said “KULEANA.” I don’t believe you know the meaning of that word. Shame on you. Right now our island people are torn. As a mayor you should stand with the people and for the people.
Protestors I really am proud of you and your children for standing up for our island.
Bernadette Vea
Hanapepe
What would Martin do?
Kaua‘i Mayor Bryan Baptiste misrepresents the views and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he urges Kaua‘i citizens to “embrace the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” (The Garden Island, A4, Guest Viewpoint, Kaua‘i mayor requests: ‘Be kind to each other’).
The mayor quotes King’s words, “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means at which we arrive at that goal” to support the Mayor’s own advice, “I ask you to refrain from breaking the laws that are in place at this time.”
King was an anti-war and civil rights activist who advocated peaceful passive resistance as a tactic of civil disobedience to correct unjust laws. King openly advocated breaking the law through passive peaceful civil disobedience and was arrested often for following his own advice. Rosa Parks broke the law by refusing to yield her bus seat to a white man. Citizens of Kaua‘i are now being ordered by law to yield their use of public space to the Superferry.
The difference between breaking the law today compared to when King broke the law are the draconian penalties imposed by the government. King served relatively short jail sentences for his lawless actions. Today, King would face 10 years in jail, multi-thousands dollar fines, and a visit from Child Protective Services if his children were involved. The laws are much more punitive now than they were when King broke them.
At last night’s public dialogs Gov. Lingle left little doubt in anyone’s mind that the full force of the law would be liberally applied to anyone and everyone breaking it. Would Dr. King agree with and follow Mayor Baptiste’s advice, “to refrain from breaking the laws that are in place at this time”?
Ed Coll
Lihu‘e
Governor was class act
It is interesting that so many people have already made up their minds regarding our Governor’s visit to this island.
Even at the meeting on Thursday they, not all, didn’t want to hear her. Many just wanted to yell at her and make rude remarks. Yet she was cordial, she was polite to all, she listened politely to their questions, she tried her best to answer them, she let them question her till even some of the protesters were telling the questioners to “move-on.”
All in all our Governor was a CLASS ACT. Too bad some of the protesters weren’t.
Gordon “Doc” Smith
Kapa‘a
