Letters for Monday, January 28, 2008
• Dangerous stretch
• Survey says
• Superferry survey top billing?
• Columnist’s piece appreciated
• Park could have music venue
• The weakened state
Dangerous stretch
Another fatality by the golf course. When will the people in charge take action to protect our lives? We can be perfect drivers and still get taken out by a blown tire or reckless driver (plenty of them around).
Why not widen the road and put in a concrete divider? There’s even room for turning lanes if done right. Put a culvert in the ditch, cover it up and pave it over.
There’s room on the makai side too, it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time before something will be done with our “planned growth.”
How many will die until it does? Who will take responsibility for those deaths? Somebody better step up to the plate.
Nicholas Moore
Kilauea
Survey says
Now there’s a surprise for you (“Chamber members support Superferry,” A1, Jan. 24). The Kauai Chamber of Commerce supports the Superferry.
Surprise.
Come on editor, quit printing the headlines that are based upon cooking the books.
Only 20 percent of the chamber members actually voted, and of that 20 percent only 79 percent supported the ferry.
Residents of this island: Read the data, not just the headlines. The headlines promote our dearly beloved governor’s agenda: Push the Superferry by any means possible. Use power, influence, threat, intimidation … the end justifies the means; even outright lying and/or deception of our residents. When force doesn’t work on these Kauaians, just wear ‘em down with lies and use of influence. Make them question their own judgment. Maybe they will give up the fight to keep their island as their home.
Lee Hill
Lihu‘e
Superferry survey top billing?
I am wondering why the front page of the paper — top of page headline no less — would go to the Chamber of Commerce stating “members support Superferry?”
After reading the report I see that buried in the last line of the story is the fact that only 80 members responded to the survey.
So 64 members support the Superferry and that deserves a front page top headline? Must have been a slow news day.
Joshua Atkinson
Kapa‘a
Columnist’s piece appreciated
Thanks to Walter Lewis for pointing out that Jonathan Chun, chair of the Charter Review Commission, is also a representative of the Koloa Creekside developer who is suing the county (“Our hobbled Charter Review Commission,” A4, Jan. 27).
That is a blatant conflict of interest and Chun should immediately resign from the Charter Review Commission.
And, why does Chair Chun need advice from the County Attorney (who presumably would represent the county in the lawsuit) as to the appropriate procedure for allowing communications from the public to be provided to other members of the Charter Review Commission? It doesn’t take a lawyer to figure that one out.
Just make copies and hand them over to the other members. Or, like George Bush, Chun can insist that it is a matter of national security and that the communications cannot be shared with his fellow commission members.
Linda Estes
Koloa
Park could have music venue
We think turning Coco Palms into a park is a great idea, but please consider leaving (or rebuilding) a music venue at the old hotel location.
One of the great things about the old Coco Palms was the numerous Hawaiian music performers that used to play in its restaurant and ballroom venues.
Kaua‘i needs a quality indoor/outdoor venue for the arts similar to what the other islands have (see O‘ahu’s Waikiki Shell and the Maui Arts and Cultural Center), a venue with the capabilities to host both local and world class performers.
As the owners of Ohana Productions, we know the amount of quality events that have bypassed Kaua‘i because of the lack of a suitable venue.
Music is the heart and soul of the Hawaiian islands and Hawaiian people. Build a great venue and you not only give the island a chance to see world class performances, but you also encourage the keiki to play music professionally.
Please restore some of the historical majesty of Coco Palms — a place we all loved to go as kids. Transforming the abandoned Coco Palms hotel into a state supported park and outdoor music venue is one of the ways the island’s leaders can turn tragedy into triumph, and also continue that landmark’s legacy of music for generations to come.
Noah and Genevieve Evslin
Waimea
The weakened state
There has been some interesting news lately. The feds will give taxpayers “rebates” and encourage them to spend it to create jobs? Is this not the equivalent of giving heroin to junkies to try to make them quit?
The Media Voices by Diana West in the Jan. 25 Forum poses some interesting questions. Talk about a quagmire.
Yes, folks, let’s continue to spend billions a month to spread “freedom and democracy” in countries where shariah law supersedes constitutional law. That’s exactly how I want my tax dollars spent.
Then there’s great news that the feds won’t allow California to enact more stringent emissions standards for cars than feds allow (bad for the auto industry).
In the same issue is a small piece about California allowing a man to be fired from his job for legally partaking of medical marijuana.
Hmmm …
Is there a thread here? Sorry to inform you but there are no more states’ rights. Federal law now supersedes state law in almost every area. Wanting to make lemonade from lemons, could we just send our state legislators home and save all that money and hot air?
Michael Wells
Kapa‘a