Letters for Sunday, November 16, 2008

• Details, details

• Hemp is a good alternative

• Now we need Superferry-change

• Keep your distance from ocean mammals

Details, details

Section 23.02(G) in the charter restricts the term of board and commission chairmen to one year and disallows a second consecutive term.

The chairman of the Salary Commission was elected in February 2007 and still occupies the chair. The chairman of the Charter Commission was elected in September 2007 and still occupies the chair.

One might expect that, even if commission members give so little heed to the charter, the Boards and Commissions administrator or the deputy county attorney attending the meetings would have called their attention to this detail.

The detail might not be worth mentioning if it were not symptomatic of the way a large number of responsible people in county government can feel free to remain ignorant of, or to disregard, a charter mandate.

• Horace Stoessel, Kapa‘a

Hemp is a good alternative

I would like to thank Ben Sullivan for his letter to The Garden Island on Nov. 13 (“Our cooperative,” Letters, Nov. 13). 

I was elated when he ran for the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative board. I cannot, with words, express my disappointment that he is not in a position of decision-making at KIUC.  We need people with his knowledge, dedication and interest in alternative energy who have authority to make decisions that are positive for the entire Kaua‘i community, not just the wealthy. I see no other person in all of KIUC or the Kaua‘i governmental bodies that has his qualities. The individuals in control have all the information they need, but they are not working for the people.

Consider the article on biomass on the front page Thursday (“Company seeks 37,000 acres for biodiesel,” A1, Nov. 13). Their trees will take about 7 to 10 years to grow. America is the only industrial nation in the world that does not grow hemp. Hemp would take one year, not 10, and use less water and fertilizer. The world, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp for over 90 percent of the world’s paper, sails, building materials, clothes, etcetera. 

I ask Mr. Sullivan, considering I cannot submit a letter to you at KIUC, if hemp was legal on Kaua‘i, would you say it’s a quality alternative versus corn, trees and rotted dinosaurs?

I have lived on Kaua‘i for all of my life, over 35+ years. I know my voice doesn’t count. I hope someday that will change.

Mr. Sullivan, whatever you run for, I will vote for you.

• A. Silva, Koloa

Now we need Superferry-change

Here I go again.

I wasn’t going to write any more Superferry letters, however, after reader Celeste Harvel’s letter “Wake up, Kaua‘i,” Letters, Nov. 14, I must counterpunch with “Wake up, Celeste.”

Celeste states the following:

“Many Kauaians rely on catching fish to survive. Do you think crowds of fishermen joining you on the pier will allow you to still get enough to eat? Do you want carloads of surfers crowding out our surf spots along with overcrowded roads with hundreds of cars arriving each day? What about overcrowded parks, more homeless people and the ease of transporting more drugs like ice?”

Air travel has been the dominant form of transportation for inter-island travel for years, any of the above nuances and predicaments can happen from an air traveler who rents a car and cruises around Kaua‘i. We are an island community and not having a ferry service is a joke. I guess people who fly on airplanes don’t fish, surf, ever break laws or are ever down on their luck?

Celeste looks into her crystal ball and sees negativity. I look into my crystal ball and see another viable form of mass transportation allowing us more freedoms. In fact, having the Superferry as a viable competitor may even bring travel prices back down and allow us to visit family and friends at reasonable prices again.

Nationally we have just elected a change-president, we now have a change-mayor and a changed County Council with four new members out of seven.

Let’s move into the 21st century and allow the constitutional right of free enterprise and welcome back with aloha the awesome voluptuous “Alakai” Superferry.

Superferry supporters, there will be a peaceful demonstration at 5 p.m., Dec. 3, at the Hanapepe Church of Christ in Hanapepe. At 6 p.m. the same evening there will be a book launch party for the “Superferry Chronicles” (an anti-ferry book) inside the church. Please come with a sign welcoming back the Alakai. I cannot do this alone, let your voice be heard. See you there.

• Kimo Rosen, Kapa‘a

Keep your distance from ocean mammals

Speaking of whale season and keeping your distance: Tour boats and Zodiacs that I’ve seen on the Westside travelling offshore towards Polihale, etcetera, just a reminder to keep your distance from these whales, dolphins and other big fishes that are in the area of your travel.

On Oct. 25, around 9:30 a.m., I’ve seen in front of PMRF a double-hull tour boat and three Zodiacs corralling some dolphins. All together (the boat and Zodiacs) came to a close circle of 20 to 25 yards in diameter with these dolphins trapped in the circle. At one point, some of the smaller dolphins were jumping out of the water between the tour boat’s double hull. Also, I’ve seen tourists trying to reach out of the Zodiacs to touch the dolphins.

If they (the tourists) had succeeded in touching one of the dolphins, who knows what kind of bacteria or virus they may have passed on to the dolphins upon contact.

These sea mammals are for people to enjoy and see from a safe distance not up close and personal. If you want to be close to dolphins and whales go to Sea World in San Diego, or Sea Life Park on O‘ahu, or some other marine life park. Also remember, for your safety, these are wild creatures. Like in Yellowstone Park you wouldn’t go up to a herd of buffalo or near a mother bear and its cub.

Anyway, you get the picture.

• Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele