• Hillary stands for change • Hope of Obama • Grumpy Humphrey, listen up • Bunker fuel bill neglects other islands Hillary stands for change Hillary Clinton was working on the articles of impeachment for Nixon when Barack Obama was
• Hillary stands for change
• Hope of Obama
• Grumpy Humphrey, listen up
• Bunker fuel bill neglects other islands
Hillary stands for change
Hillary Clinton was working on the articles of impeachment for Nixon when Barack Obama was in elementary school. She has devoted her life to politics and believes in the political machine as a vehicle of change. She is the best candidate for president. She voted to authorize the use of force, a vote based on misinformation and one that preceded Obama’s election to the Senate. There is no way of knowing how he would have voted. Since this vote, Clinton has worked to pass legislation to ensure health care for returning soldiers and to improve their equipment on the battlefield.
Sens. Clinton and John Edwards were the only Democratic candidates to participate in a conference on global issues and sustainability in Los Angeles. Obama was noticeably absent. Clinton is partially funded by corporations and lobbyists. This is preferable to the nuclear and coal interests funding Obama. I believe our planet is in dire straits. I am discouraged by my fellow women. Obama is handsome, charismatic, and maybe he even exudes an aura (I have seen him in person), but these are criteria for prom kings not presidents.
If we want to stand for change, why not do something unprecedented and be the 13th country to vote a woman into leadership. You are voting for Hillary, not Bill. Don’t punish her for his indiscretions. Get involved, send money, write letters, hound super delegates. Stand for change. Or do you want McCain in the White House?
Jennifer Noble
Santa Fe, N.M.
Hope of Obama
What was with the desperate scare tactic printed in The Garden Island from a Hillary Clinton supporter in New Hampshire (“Obama a Republican pawn?” Letters, Feb. 14)?
She had the audacity to insinuate that Republicans were secretly financing Barack Obama’s campaign. Obama is the only candidate in my lifetime that is not taking money from special interests.
According to Michael Moore’s movie “Sicko,” Hillary Clinton has taken more money from pharmaceutical companies than any candidate Republican or Democrat. I voted for Bill and Hillary Clinton in 1992 on the promise of national healthcare that never materialized. If you remember they ran as a team. That was my first and last vote for a Clinton. I wonder if the money from the pharmaceutical companies had anything to do with that policy failure, hmmm. Clinton keeps talking about experience being the difference between her and Barack Obama. If you ask me, the less experience the better. We don’t need anymore people with experience in our utterly corrupt lobbyist system of government. It’s time for a new way of thinking, it’s time for President Obama.
Jason Nichols
Koloa
Grumpy Humphrey, listen up
John Humphrey would appear to be one of the “grumpy people” who writes needless letters (“Much Ado About Nothing,” Letters, Feb. 11).
As a visitor to Kaua‘i from Northern Canada, my opinion is apparently unwelcome. But, Mr. Humphrey, maybe you can learn from an outsider’s suggestions. My husband and I love to visit this island and treat the land and people with respect. The one rather shocking situation we find is the lack of aggressive recycling.
In our little backwater town of 3,000 people we are able to recycle everything but styrofoam — and we do. Our province of Alberta has an active recycling campaign called “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.”
Here it is very difficult to recycle. We almost needed a map to find the bins in Kapa‘a, and what they accept is very limited — only some paper, cardboard, and No. 1 and No. 2 plastic which eliminates plastic bags (allowing many of them to blow around in the wind), tin cans, blister packaging, etc.
Neither the condo where we are staying, nor any hotel I am aware of, encourages on-site recycling. Everything goes into the trash. Next stop the landfill.
We would like to help you keep your island beautiful and think you could maybe learn from other states or countries with realistic programs in place to reduce the amount of trash produced daily.
Barbara Byers
Fairview, Alberta, Canada
Bunker fuel bill neglects other islands
This letter is in regards to the Senate Bill 2526/House Bill 2919 submitted by Sen. Gary Hooser, and deals with the bunker fuels used by the cruise ships at our harbor.
I have read the bill and have a number of concerns. First, I have read plenty of text on bunker fuels and the effects on humans as well as our environment. Because of the complaints from those in the Niumalu valley area who are directly affected by the soot and smoke from the ships, and the potential hazards to the rest of the environment, why is it that this bill only affects Kaua‘i (within a five-mile radius)?
The ships cruise the island chain year-round. It seems there’s always a few of them docked on O‘ahu doing the same thing they do here — only they are affecting tens of thousands of people in that tourist area on a daily bases.
Maybe some of the residents here are just lucky that Hooser can pull the right strings? The Democrats are on the rampage, right? Also, it figures that our politicians who come up with these bills would never had thought of creating a “balance” between the ways of cutting emissions and protecting the tourist economy for thousands affected in the cruise ship industry.
For instance, the same emissions problem is being felt all over the world. On the East Coast, millions of dollars are spent on huge ship terminals that house up to 10 ships at a time. Most of them idle for 10 to 12 hours, burning as much as 15 to 20 tons of bunker fuel each. You can just imagine the effects this has on the surrounding areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The EPA has funneled grants to the terminals to do something about the emissions problem. By cutting down the cruise ship dock fees, the cruise lines are able to afford a cleaner burning fuel and cut the emissions in some instances by 90 percent.
Cruise ships can be a great value for vacationers and a great punch for the economies of the world. They can go anywhere and don’t rely on us. We rely on them. We need the people who cruise to come see Kaua‘i and spend the dollars.
I feel we need to work anyway we can to help clean up their fuel and create a better situation for all. We need to strike a balance that protects our health, environment and the business people directly and indirectly affected by this unique tourism business.
Steven Martin
Kapa‘a
