• What’s so funny? • Imagine Democratic mayors and governors • Final word on dominion What’s so funny? First let me KONGratulate The Garden Island newspaper for continuing to become more local in its coverage and responsibility. It not only
• What’s so funny?
• Imagine Democratic mayors and governors
• Final word on dominion
What’s so funny?
First let me KONGratulate The Garden Island newspaper for continuing to become more local in its coverage and responsibility. It not only furthers our sense of community while joining us as one, regardless of our positions, it unifies us in our existence during these times of selfishly guarded and gated souls. I especially appreciate the talk show aired on KONG AM570 that you also present to the island.
Now to the meat of the matter. It’s about a cartoon my wife pointed out to me from this past Sunday on the Forum page; the one about the weather, and its meaninglessness here on Kaua‘i, and the supposed carelessness about how it might be approached on KONG, Kaua‘i’s leading radio station.
Get a grip Mr. Doodles. Wake up and smell the roses. And while you are at it, feel the tradewinds, or the lack of wind, and their related patterns. The “no burn” days and asthmatic attacks. Is the Hanalei Bridge open? Will I be stuck in traffic due to the floods and mudslides on our Westside, or related traffic accidents due to puddles and slick corners and potholes? How about the high surf and rescues by our lifeguards, the related traffic accidents; the hurricanes and how they bring us together; the loss of lives, from Anahola and the dam floods over the years.
Maybe you are oblivious to it all. But weather changes on Kaua‘i mean a heck of a lot to us as longterm residents than you might imagine. Are you snowblinded by those sunny days that the visitors long for?
We at KONG take great efforts in communicating weather and its related relevance. We at KONG are proud to be Kaua‘i’s civil defense station that everyone relies on. I take it personal when you place a KONG call letter on such an ignorant statement within your clever cartoon.
Poke fun on other fronts, but not the weather front Mr. Doodles. Other than that guys … keep up the good work. Didn’t mean to rain on your parade.
Andy Melamed
Hanalei
Imagine Democratic mayors and governors
In response to Sunday’s letter (“Imagine Republican legislators,” Letters, Jan. 13):
In the last election, Hawai‘i voted for a Republican governor.
Gov. Linda Lingle and Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona were re-elected because up to that point, they had not done much wrong.
Of course, we should know by what history can teach us. Incumbents not only get re-elected most of the time, but they also plan their real damage for their second and last term of office.
Lingle and Aiona have tackled key problems facing our state including the Superferry.
Mayor Bryan Baptiste has sold off and given the green light to numerous huge developments for the wealthy in Kapa‘a, Koloa and Po‘ipu.
Here are some of the tough problems that Hawai‘i, and America in general, faces:
Let’s take an honest look at what has been accomplished in the last six years, and what has not. And let us not make any excuses for a job poorly done because all employee’s are judged on the job they did, and not the excuses they made up.
• Education
Even though Hawai‘i has the highest cost of living in America, Hawai‘i teachers come in the middle on wages, thereby giving the best teachers in America incentive to go elsewhere to earn a decent living for their families.
The teacher to student ratio is in the lowest third, which means that we have not hired as many teachers per student as over two-thirds of the other states, which would give the students a better chance of learning and excelling.
Lingle and Aiona took on Hawai‘i’s public education system, which is now ranked, 48th in the nation.
When they came into office, Hawai‘i’s ranking was 45th, so they actually helped to lower our ranking even more after five years in office to 48th.
Will Aiona make our schools last place if elected as governor when Lingle leaves office?
• Tax relief
Lingle and Aiona have worked six years to lower Hawai‘i’s aggressive taxes.
Anyone who owns their own house or condo can attest to how well they did in that area, with the help of Baptiste.
Gasoline is the highest in the nation, thanks in part to the state tax put on gas.
Who is saving more money now, at a higher rate, then before Baptiste, Lingle and Aiona?
• The homeless and affordable housing
How much has rent gone up since Baptiste took office?
Since Lingle and Aiona took office?
Baptiste claimed he would build over 700 affordable housing units by June 2007.
He made this claim right before his “re-election,” and then promptly went on to build multi-million dollar home sites for the wealthy.
There has been a huge increase in the amount of homeless people since Baptiste, Lingle and Aiona took office. We all know this, just look around. In fact there are so many homeless, that we are afraid of them moving over from O‘ahu.
And a lot of them have turned to “ice” for help, probably because that was the only help for them to be found.
• Health and dental benefits
Democratic leaders were the first in the nation to pass the 1974 mandatory health benefits for all people of Hawai‘i.
Republicans will find a way to cancel out this law if they are voted in.
• A vision for Hawai‘i’s future
Lingle set forth a bold set of initiatives to transform Hawai‘i’s economy.
Mission Accomplished.
Hawai‘i has the opportunity for success if moderate independents and Democrats are elected to address these tough issues.
Otherwise we reap what we sow.
Dennis Chaquette
Kapa‘a
Final word on dominion
Response to “More on dominion,” Letters, Jan. 13:
It is written: “… the time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.” Rev. 11:18
Terence Healy
Kilauea
