• Beyond compare • Taxes in iambic pentameter • Power broker • Good times had • Stop light suggestion • Long-distance hello Beyond compare Although I frequently admire the ideas put forth by Juan Wilson, his commentary to put more
• Beyond compare
• Taxes in iambic pentameter
• Power broker
• Good times had
• Stop light suggestion
• Long-distance hello
Beyond compare
Although I frequently admire the ideas put forth by Juan Wilson, his commentary to put more Kauai Police Department officers on Segways and bikes misses the mark (“KPD policy: Part two — patrolling,” Island Breath, June 7).
Comparing Kaua‘i’s situation to Baltimore or small-town Kansas just does not hold water.
Crime on Kaua‘i does not happen in one central area like it would in a large city — it happens all over the island. With perhaps a dozen officers on patrol at any one time, how can we afford to have a large portion of these unable to respond quickly? How long would it take two officers on Segways to patrol all of Kapa‘a town? 10 minutes? Then what? Do it again? If we’ve got officers on bikes in Lihu‘e and Segways in Kapa‘a, and now we have a violent incident in Ha‘ena, how many extra minutes of response time will it add to have the guys down south go back to their patrol car and start heading to where the crime is happening?
Segways and bike patrols might make sense in downtown Chicago or Baltimore, but here in Kaua‘i we need our law enforcement to be able to get around faster than that. Plus, unlike these large impersonal cities, we here in Kaua‘i already do have a type of “community policing” in effect — we watch over our neighbors and they watch over us. Not to mention, in one day the tourists on the island use as much gas as KPD does in an entire year.
John Patterson
Kapa‘a
Taxes in iambic pentameter
Monroe Richman’s arsenic prescription for taxes (“Arsenic is quicker,” Letters, June 8) reminds me of a poem by Dorothy Parker, titled “Resume”:
Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren’t lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.
I’ve lived in high tax areas and low. Places with good government services and bad. Measured on a “bang for your buck” scale, the worst of those places were better than the best cemetery.
Bob Ray
Koloa
Power broker
I’d like to correct a statement that’s been bugging me from your article about the solar power users who stay attached to KIUC to use their power when it’s needed (“KIUC reaches net metering limits,” A1, June 7).
These users do not use KIUC as a “battery.” On the days that they “make too much” they send power onto the grid and KIUC sells it as if they generated it. In exchange for this when the users need a little power, they buy it from KIUC. It’s not stored; it’s generated by KIUC at that point in time.
Why KIUC feels that a charge of some kind is due for this process is unclear. Like everyone else “on the grid” solar users buy it when they need it, they just have the unique ability to make a little for their neighbors.
Rick Christmas
Waimea
Good times had
My wife Cathy and I just returned to the Mainland after spending a wonderful 10 day anniversary celebration on Kaua‘i. I possess neither the talent nor the vocabulary to adequately describe the beauty which is Kaua‘i. It is truly one of God’s greatest masterpieces.
I’d like to acknowledge the staff and the patrons at Rob’s Good Times Grill in Lihu‘e. They exemplify the aloha spirit. Being a person who loves to sing I found the karaoke at Rob’s to be the best on the island. We were made to feel welcomed from our first visit.
Mahalo to them and to all of the wonderful folks of Kaua‘i for making this one of our best visits ever.
Art Messenger
Magalia, Calif.
Stop light suggestion
The new stop light in Kilauea town seems to be working fairly well and most importantly drivers appear to be aware of it and respond appropriately. I just have one more concern as to why there is no right-hand turn lane into Kilauea town approaching from the south — I do not understand why that has been blocked off with the white “agility” posts.
Seems to me it would be more important to encourage smoother traffic flow and allow the cars to turn right into Kilauea unhindered then give precedence to parking on the highway outside Menehune Mart which winds up creating confusion and danger and at least one accident last week. As convenient as parking on the shoulder of the highway to run into the mart may be, for safety purposes on that section of highway it should likely be discontinued. Kudos to the county for getting this accomplished as quickly as they have. Now we just need a little more fine tuning.
Petrina Satori-Britt
Princeville
Long-distance hello
I know this is a little different than what you would usually recieve but my name is Aaron, or Keoni Medina, and I am currently deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraq Freedom. I would like to use this opportunity to say hello to my mother Lei Aloha Kuhaulua, to my grandfather Benjamin Kuhaulua Jr. and everyone within the Kuhaulua family. I love you and miss you all and I am doing well. I am truly sorry for using this method but if you could please print this as it is near impossible for me to call home.
S.Sgt. Aaron K. Medina
379 Security Forces Sq. (deployed)
Southwest Asia
