• Pleas should be on council • Proven leadership for Kaua‘i • Close it all • Make Hawai‘i business-friendly Pleas should be on council There are still some outstanding new candidates running for County Council along with the five incumbents.
• Pleas should be on council
• Proven leadership for Kaua‘i
• Close it all
• Make Hawai‘i business-friendly
Pleas should be on council
There are still some outstanding new candidates running for County Council along with the five incumbents.
However, for me, the one person who could immediately sit in one of those seven council chairs and do an outstanding job is Bruce Pleas.
I have watched this young man attend and testify at many council and committee meetings and he always brings a lot valuable information to the table. He crosses all his “T’s” and dots every “I” and never gives unsubstantiated testimony. In fact, many of his suggestions have been incorporated into bills and ordinances that the council has passed.
He is a pillar of strength in his Westside community and the people lean on him for direction and advice.
He is truly a dark horse in the race for one of those council seats but no one in that race including some incumbents is more qualified.
• Glenn Mickens, Kapaa
Proven leadership for Kaua‘i
Kaua‘i has always seemed poised to become a truly magnificent place, not for preserving its legendary natural beauty, but by becoming a model for humans living sustainably with the land.
JoAnn Yukimura is a candidate who will move Kaua‘i forward. She has such a profound vision for this place, for making it a model community where we all can live and prosper. She has dedicated her life to this pursuit through the easy and difficult times. Her passion for the island and its people is evident to all who meet her. She is so involved in so many activities it sometimes appears there must be two of her on-island. She does not just “talk story,” she is part of the story. When she brings people together she always makes sure that diametrically opposed views are represented. She helps them realize the important features of each other’s views and then together they create a collaborative response. Most of the times, all are satisfied, but sometimes, like the TVR (transient vacation rental) bill, lingering resentment remains. (She is still working on getting amendments to this bill passed for agricultural lands.)
I find in these cases, people do not realize the effort JoAnn puts in behind the scene to get a compromise that is better than what is initially offered.
One thing about JoAnn running for mayor is that her important strong voice will no longer be on the council. We definitely need JoAnn in a prominent role to help us improve Kaua‘i. This is even more critical as the “economic tsunami” approaches Kaua‘i. Do any of us really believe an inexperienced leader should lead us through the most troubling times since the Great Depression? I want a visionary, intelligent, committed, experienced leader in these times and that is JoAnn.
• Neil Clendeninn, Hanalei
Close it all
The idea of closing an area off because people died there is ludicrous.
Some guy killed himself driving like a maniac so shouldn’t we close that dangerous road? This island is full of potential danger. Falling coconuts? Dig up all the dangerous coconut trees. Sharks in the ocean? Kill them all because they are dangerous. And nobody can go in the ocean any more because people drowned there last week so everybody out.
My friend got hit by a surfboard so we can’t have any more of that dangerous surfing.
Stupid, isn’t it?
People need to start taking responsibility for their own actions. How about educating people to the possible dangers of certain areas? Signs? Handouts at the hotels? No, we can’t do anything that might make someone think that this is an unsafe destination. Remember, dollars first. If you want to close a swimming area, how about Hanama‘ulu beach? You know, our most polluted beach that hosts daily surfing lessons? What do you think?
• Roger Olsen, Hanama‘ulu
Make Hawai‘i business-friendly
We live in a socialist state.
Yes, most of us believe Hawai‘i is a democratic state and that is only when we go to vote. We will vote for anyone that runs on the Democratic ticket. Does not matter who they are or what they are.
Mickey Mouse, Pluto or Garfield. We will vote for them. But in reality when you give it some thought we are run by Democrats who believe in socialism.
We take from those who have worked so hard for what they have and give to those who do not choose to. We are a welfare state.
Like Barack Obama, who anticipates that he will be the next president and has vowed that he will take from those that work hard to earn what they have and give it to those who do not work, do not care and want the government to support them. Socialism.
Our cost of living is out of this world. Our gasoline price is among the highest in the nation. Mainland prices have dropped a dollar while ours have dropped pennies.
Our interisland flights cost more than if you were to fly from Chicago to Florida. Matson is lowering their fuel surcharges because the price of oil has dropped. But what about Young Brothers? What about Hawaiian Airlines? And what about the service stations through Hawai‘i. They keep their prices high because they know they can do it.
Look at our schools. They are losing funding for many of their projects. Yet our Democrats in our state are giving themselves a whopping pay raise. Our children graduate from school and they have to move to the Mainland if they want to find jobs.
We have no jobs here. Why? The answer to that is socialism.
Our elected officials have no interests in providing work here. They are against businesses opening up as we are one of the worst states to do business in.
If you want to create a business here you have to have an impact study. Takes years. Then you need county approval. Heck, you need county approval to change your garbage disposal in your kitchen. Yes, it is our fault because we have made this happen.
I am an independent voter. Sometimes I vote for Democrats and sometimes Republicans. Depends on who is running for office.
But the majority of voters in Hawai‘i will vote Democrat because their ancestors did the same. We vote for people who lie to us, cheat us and represent only themselves.
Our state constitution is very clear. When you have a surplus you return that surplus to the taxpayers. Well, our elected officials do not agree with that. They took your hard-earned money and give it to those who did not earn it.
Like Obama, take from those who have and give to those who do not or do not want to work.
I do not blame those who have not but I blame our elected officials. Those that we keep putting in office who will do nothing to create jobs. Will do nothing to bring businesses to Hawai‘i. Why not? As long as they can control, then socialism will be alive and well in Hawai‘i.
In a couple of weeks voters will head to the polls and elect someone for office. Will we elect the same? Well, if history repeats itself the answer is yes. I hope you, the citizens of Hawai‘i, will wake up.
We need a change. We need to stop the socialism which Obama and our elected officials want. We need to protect our constitutional rights which those in office are taking away from us.
Some of you will agree, socialism is a good thing. Take away from the hard-working public and give to those who sit under the coconut tree waiting for the manna to fall from the sky.
But do not blame the rich who worked hard for what they have. Blame your Congress for not doing what they should have done years ago. Open up to business so that those who do not have will be able to find work and earn a decent living.
Something for you to think about.
• John Gallipeau, Honomu, Big Island
