• Rest in peace, Joe • Honor our keiki • Lands held in ‘trust’ • Questionable KIUC spending • Judge tipping • Military need Rest in peace, Joe I am writing in response to a letter in the July 16
• Rest in peace, Joe
• Honor our keiki
• Lands held in ‘trust’
• Questionable KIUC spending
• Judge tipping
• Military need
Rest in peace, Joe
I am writing in response to a letter in the July 16 newspaper titled “Be reponsible drivers” by Rusty Baker.
I agree with you, Rusty, about driving safer and respecting other drivers we all have to share the road with. What bothered me the most was when you wrote, “The 24-year-old driver only killed himself, but he hurt a lot of other people — he’s just lucky he didn’t kill anyone else but himself.”
My heart goes out to those who were injured in the accident, and I’m glad they are alive today. Joe would have been glad too. He would have been devastated had he killed someone else. Joe was a loving, kind-hearted and genuinely good person. He wasn’t a “trouble-maker” or just some hot-rod racer who thought he owned the road. He did make a horrible mistake, but he was a dear friend of mine and not a day has passed in the week since his death that I have not shed tears for him. Even now as I write this, the tears are falling. And when I read that he was “lucky” to have “only killed himself,” the tears rushed out too. I love Joe, as many people did and still do even though he is gone. I understand the need to inform others on safety, but if you knew who he really was, you wouldn’t be saying he’s “lucky” to be dead. Rusty, I just wish that when you wrote your letter, you used better words to describe your frustration. For me, you have ripped open a whole new wound, and for others who knew him and have read your letter; rest in peace, Joe, we all still love you.
Crystal Braun
Lihu‘e
Honor our keiki
I was saddened to read of the theft at Kapa‘a Middle School this past weekend (“School equipment stolen,” A1, July 16).
The amount of damages ($3,000) and equipment ($17,000) stolen in these already trying times for schools is staggering. When my son, who starts school there in a few weeks, read the news he too was angry. A core part of his studies is working on computers. Many island families do not have resources to have this type of equipment in their own homes. Without these valuable resources at school, our children may be left behind in their future endeavors.
It is hard to comprehend how anyone could think of taking resources away from our precious island keiki. Children are the future of our island. Someone knows who committed this crime and they should step forward for the honor of our keiki.
Lisa Pollak
Kapa‘a
Lands held in ‘trust’
James Thompson (“Opposition is broadly based,” Letters, July 17) needs to re-read Joe Crocona’s letter (“Ignorance is bliss,” Letters, July 16).
I for one cannot see how he could misconstrue Joe’s letter to the editor as “Kaua‘i’s opposition to the Superferry is somehow tied to the Reinstated Government of Hawai‘i.” Joe clearly made no such statement but did correctly and simply state that “the Port of Nawiliwili is on ceded lands, and belongs to the Kingdom of Hawai‘i.”
The so-called ceded lands are those that once supported the Hawaiian monarchy and government before the overthrow in 1893. Those lands were subsequently ceded to the U.S. government until statehood in 1959, when 1.4 million acres were transferred from the federal government to America’s newest state to be held “in trust.”
Personally, most of the environmental/development problems we are faced with here in Hawai‘i today is because of the de facto government currently in control of the islands. Again, in my opinion, none of these issues will be appropriately resolved until the de jure government is once again in place. Reinstate the nation.
Pueo Makuaole
Kekaha
Questionable KIUC spending
KIUC is adding insult to injury. In addition to charging the highest rates in the country, they spend our money on questionable “community service programs.”
Our electric co-op funds the syndicated program “Democracy Now” on KKCR. A charitable description of this program is far left-wing and America-bashing worthy of Rev. Wright.
I am not advocating censorship of this program, but financial sponsorship should be voluntary. KIUC is a monopoly leaving customers with no other choices.
When KIUC was organizing, I was put off by a set-aside for charity. My interest was purchasing electricity and leaving charity to the individual. KIUC also spends on advertising and an annual party. Sound practical management would be a community service.
Suzanne Woodruff
Kapa‘a
Judge tipping
With Kaua‘i always on my mind, and at 86 years old with nothing else to do, I was thinking about May 27, 1944 when I married a local girl at the First Circuit Court in Honolulu. The judge who married us was judge Wilson C. Moore. It took a few minutes and when it was over the judge said to me, “Now that I did something for you, have you got something for me”
I gave him a $2 tip. I hope he picked a winner with it. He was not a local but, then again, back on Kaua‘i you had Uncle Tony Kunimura getting free gas for his private car and God only knows what else he was grabbing. He really topped the judge. NYC is no better or worse, but I’ll take Kaua‘i.
William Pedoty
New York, N.Y.
Military need
Previously, we elected a commander in chief, Lyndon Johnson, with zero military experience. Result: 50,000 body bags out of Vietnam.
Hiring a non-military person to run the military during a war is like hiring a plumber for open heart surgery.
Don Paul
Kalaheo
