• Nearly run down on water • Keep more open government • The truth can set him free Nearly run down on water A few days ago a dear friend of mine was almost run down by a water-ski boat
• Nearly run down on water
• Keep more open government
• The truth can set him free
Nearly run down on water
A few days ago a dear friend of mine was almost run down by a water-ski boat on the Wailua River. She was stand-up paddling up the river (a great form of exercise) when she realized that a ski boat was about 100 yards away from her and zooming straight at her. Fortunately she was near enough to the side of the river that she was able to scramble-paddle into the hau bush, and the boat missed her by a few feet.
I can think of six activites that take place regularly on the river: the Smith’s boats; kayakers (by the hundreds); crab fishermen in putt-putts; stand-up paddlers; swimmers at the small beach area; and water skiers.
It really is a beautiful recreation area. The fast-moving skiers, however, add an element of danger which will one day lead to a tragedy unless some kind of regulations are put into place.
Among the skiers, there are professional charter outfits and some “old-timers” who are acutely aware of everything that’s happening on the river, they are first and foremost safety-conscious, and they are not the problem. The problem is that, as I understand it, anyone can get a ski boat, knock down a few beers, and start speeding up and down the river. Is there a solution that will prevent this?
The most obvious is increased patrol, but the DLNR’s response will be that they are too understaffed to provide effective patrol. Another solution would be an enforceable licensing and competency requirement, with signage at the launch ramp providing notice of this. Once again this enforcement will require some manpower. But … after all, we do pay our state taxes.
I hope this matter will be addressed before needless and terrible tragedy strikes.
Monty Downs
Wilcox Hospital ER
Keep more open government
A huge mahalo and congratulations to Ed Coll for his outstanding letter in The Garden Island Forum, “Council changing law?”
Citizens of Kaua‘i, please read Ed’s letter if you haven’t already done so. Maybe you don’t have time to familiarize yourselves with our charter and section 3.07E that Ed talks about. But please, believe that 3.07E gives the people of Kaua‘i more open and transparent government than all other Hawaiian Islands and must remain in our charter the way the writers of our constitution so wisely intended it to be.
Although no one from the public requested it, a member of the Charter Review Commission took it upon himself to propose the elimination of the protection in Section 3.07E and also to amend Section 20.02D to allow commission members to represent private interests. These changes will be on our ballots for the November election.
In other words, the “powers that be” are the only ones who want these charter sections eliminated giving absolutely no benefit to the public.
Be sure to vote no on both of these charter amendments — 3.07E and 20.02D. Keep more open government, not less. And be sure and vote for the new candidates who support our charter the way it is written.
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
The truth can set him free
The Liberal Left is scared, and they should be.
Sarah Palin’s entrance into the election was a stroke of genius by McCain that I did not think he had in him. Palin will mobilize the Christian right like never before for until now the Christian right did not have a righteous choice. Now we do.
However, what bothers me is the commentary by Gene Lyons in The Garden Island (“Miss Congeniality, stage right,” Media Voices, Sept. 15) that once again attacks Gov. Palin with the same old liberal talking points that we have heard since she entered the electoral race. First of all comparing Palin to a Muslim fundamentalist once again shows how out of touch with reality the liberal left can be. A Muslim fundamentalist follows the Koran which teaches that anyone who is not a Muslim is to be killed. A Christian fundamentalist on the other hand follows the Bible which teaches that we should love our enemies and do good to those who hurt us. Because God is not mocked, what you sow, you shall reap. Secondly, comparing Bible prophecy to “Tarot-card reading, crystal-ball gazing or examining the entrails of sheep” once again shows this uninformed person has no knowledge of the 100 percent accuracy of Bible prophecy. Can these other methods claim the same accuracy? To the very day that Jesus would enter into Jerusalem as well as to the very day that Israel would once again become a nation, Bible prophecy has been correct 100 percent of the time. Even as you read this writing, Bible prophecy is being fulfilled in the Middle East, in America, in Iran, and in the rise of the European Union. This 100 percent accuracy in foretelling future events is God’s signature as only God is outside of space and time.
What Gene Lyons needs is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Then and only then will he know the truth and the truth will set him free.
Peter Saker
Lihu‘e
