• It’s a liability issue • Reasoned discussion instead • American tradition • War games conjecture • Shame over Superferry meeting • More cost comparison It’s a liability issue The BLNR decision on the Kaloko Ditch last Friday was not
• It’s a liability issue
• Reasoned discussion instead
• American tradition
• War games conjecture
• Shame over Superferry meeting
• More cost comparison
It’s a liability issue
The BLNR decision on the Kaloko Ditch last Friday was not about the state wanting to “kill the livelihood of these farmers.”
It was about a situation where we have an absent lessee in violation of his lease for sometime now. A lessee who is responsible for the diversion of Kaloko Ditch into the Kaloko Reservoir and providing the farmers irrigation water.
The decision of the board to terminate Kilauea Irrigation Company’s lease protects the state and the people of Hawai‘i from liability should a disaster occur during this coming rainy season. The decision further incites discussion amongst the farmers to look for a solution to address their irrigation plans for the future. DLNR has made a commitment to facilitate a meeting with the farmers, the county and the agriculture department to help the farmers help themselves.
Every member of the land board appreciates our local farmers and does not wish to harm their efforts. We strongly believe that the Kaua‘i people, with their resourcefulness, will find a solution for continued irrigation of Kilauea farm lands.
Ron Agor, Kauai Member BLNR
Lihu‘e
Reasoned discussion instead
Let us analyze Dave Camp’s description of the Republican Party as “angry white men” (“Strawman arguments,” Letters, Sept. 29).
I am the President of Republican Women of Kaua‘i. Thus, I am not male or angry, perhaps a bit frustrated by mean-spirited name-calling instead of reasoned discussion.
Before you “cast the first stone” ponder such calm reasonable discussion from Michael Moore, Moveon.org and the Superferry protesters.
A prime example might be an angry white male who stormed out of the recent meeting shouting at high decibels “F— you, Linda Lingle.”
Suzanne Woodruff
Kapa‘a
American tradition
The Superferry protests are part of the great American tradition of civil disobedience. Back in 1773 John Adams, a leader of the American Revolution, organized colonialists to protest “taxation without representation” at the Boston Tea Party, where citizens dressed as Indians boarded British ships to dump 342 chests of tea into the water.
In 1849 Henry David Thoreau wrote in ‘Civil Disobedience’ that “all men recognize the right to refuse allegiance to, and to resist, the government, when its tyranny or its inefficiency are great and unendurable.”
John Lundin
Lahaina, Maui
War games conjecture
It seems to me that the reason our federal government was so willing to lend $200 million of taxpayer money to the parent corporation of the Superferry group conditional on bypassing the EIS, is that our military has an interest in conducting war games (maneuvers) on the outer islands. I’m sure that it will be great fun to use the lava fields of the Big Isand for target practise. And Kaua‘i offers superb jungle terrain for refighting Vietnam. And when the games are over, our troops can let off steam in the local bars. It will be great fun for all.
Clearly our governor got in over her head with this scam.
Aran Sendan
Kapa‘a
Shame over Superferry meeting
What a surprise. The open forum hosted by the governor’s office turned ugly with Kauaians spewing obscenities and crude remarks.
If I wasn’t embarrassed enough by the antics that took place down at Nawiliwili, the crowd at the Convention Center solidified it.
But that’s not my beef. The thing that just boils my blood is to see Councilmember JoAnn Yukimura and Sen. Gary Hooser leading this charge. Both of these individuals should be ashamed of themselves on how they have handled this. Both of these “leaders” have publicly called for protests to occur. I’m not saying it isn’t your right to protest, but these two, especially Yukimura, have called for civil disobedience. Nowhere is that appropriate for elected officials to incite this. If Yukimura claims she only wanted peaceful demonstrations, her naivete is scary. She even went on the radio and spoke directly to Ron Wiley advocating civil disobedience and stated that breaking the law in this matter was “OK” as long as it was peaceful. Since when is it OK to break the law in any way? Does she really believe all the thousands that would show would just hold hands and sway to drums? The photo of JoAnn on the cover of The Garden Island appearing pained over the crowds demonstrations is laughable. What did you expect? JoAnn, the 1960s are way over.
You invited the masses and encouraged the anger. That is a recipe for disaster, and you are very fortunate that nobody got hurt. Try to think ahead a little bit, the calls for civil disobedience put our men and women of law enforcement in extreme danger. Is that what you want on your shoulders?
The irony is, I was initially against the Superferry for all the same reasons you touted, yet, now with all this hogwash, I find myself actually wanting them to succeed.
How’s that? Yukimura and Hooser are clearly in way over their heads. Please step away from this and let the professionals handle it. To the governor, to the admiral — my sincere apologies.
Thank you for making the effort to open up dialogue.
Brian Flournoy
Kapa‘a
More cost comparison
Several times I have read that one of the reasons supporters of the Superferry believe it to be important to Hawai‘i is that it would provide an affordable means for families from O‘ahu to visit their relatives on Kaua‘i.
I decided to compare the cost for a family of four to travel from Honolulu to Kaua‘i for a weekend by traveling on the Superferry with the cost of flying and renting an automobile in Kaua‘i. The costs were obtained from the Superferry Web site assuming two adults with two children between ages 2 and 12 as well as a standard size automobile.
The airfare costs were taken from an airline Web site and the car rental cost was obtained from Expedia.com.
I assumed a departure from Honolulu around noon Friday and departure from Kaua‘i around noon Sunday. The results are quite interesting: The cost of the Superferry trip is $732 and the cost of the air trip, including the car rental, is $506.
Thus, visiting relatives by way of air travel is more affordable ($226 less). Also, the air trip means that the family will spend about 5 hours less total time traveling than if they had taken the Superferry — that’s 5 hours more for the families to spend together.
Peter Nilsen
Princeville
