• Time to move on • Mahalos for Fair Housing support • Not so fast, Mr. Samu • Shark! Time to move on I read with amusement the outcome of the $1 million Hawaii Superferry EIS. The report declares that
• Time to move on
• Mahalos for Fair Housing support
• Not so fast, Mr. Samu
• Shark!
Time to move on
I read with amusement the outcome of the $1 million Hawaii Superferry EIS.
The report declares that the cumulative effects of the Superferry would significantly and adversely affect traffic within the vicinity of Nawiliwili, Kahului, Kawaihae and Honolulu harbors. No kidding, that’s like saying if you build an airport or shopping center there will be more traffic.
The statement concludes on a positive note that the vessel would increase the capabilities and response times of first-responders and relief efforts in the event of a disaster.
The Superferry has paid her dues for an EIS that has showed us virtually nothing that common sense alone could have figured out.
I am looking forward to seeing Sen. Gary Hooser and all other politicians that were opposed to the Superferry without an EIS at the champagne ribbon cutting re-launch party of the voluptuous Alakai ferry.
It’s time to move on, and to all who were opposed to the Superferry, it’s time to find something else to pass the time and vent your anger, and to all who supported the Superferry, looking forward to sailing with you in the very near future, maybe we can even do a little whale watching en route to Honolulu.
• James “Kimo” Rosen, Kapa‘a
Mahalos for Fair Housing support
This is a thank you letter to everyone that helped with the Kaua‘i Fair Housing Coalition’s first meeting on Jan. 8 at the convention hall.
Incredibly huge mahalos go out to: Tim Bynum, for loaning us a projector; Alfred Darling, for setting up the PowerPoint equipment and helping with the breakdown; Pua Vidinha, for being huge moral support, helping to create the PowerPoint presentation, loaning the laptop, helping stock the cooler and running the presentation; Eddie Sarita, for being generous with the room at the convention hall; Honey and BC Charles, for moral support, pictures, flowers, a nice shirt and lots of hugs; my kids, for putting up with their mother; KKCR, for allowing announcements and opportunities to speak about our issue; KONG radio, Ron Wiley and other DJs, for announcements and speaking about the news story; The Garden Island, for their incredible amount of support for this effort, Nathan Eagle, Coco Zickos and Michael Levine as well as that intrepid photographer we all know so well; Sen. Gary Hooser’s office; JoAnn Yukimura; OHA; the county Housing Agency; KipuKai Kuali‘i; Mark’s Place, for ice for the coolers; Kaua‘i Business Services for ink and copies; my good friend Lanegra, for getting the ball rolling on the projector and help.
But most importantly, I want to give a huge mahalo to the people of Kaua‘i who came out to listen, share and discuss.
Stay tuned, there will be more.
• Anne Punohu, Kaua‘i Fair Housing Coalition
Not so fast, Mr. Samu
The Garden Island has, in the past few years, published a number of letters from Janos Samu which castigate the U.S. government’s national security policy. The most recent (“And the charade continues,” Letters, Jan. 6) condemns the government for not supporting a proposed UN resolution “requiring an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip conflict between the Palestinian people and Israel.”
While Mr. Samu has incorrectly stated the nature of the conflict (it is actually between the Israelis and the terrorist organization Hamas), it is his assertion that our government’s action was a “deliberate action to allow further bloodshed and prevent saving innocent lives” that calls into question his qualifications to offer credible opinions on U.S national security affairs.
It is customary for Mr. Samu to portray the U.S. government, its actions and its leaders in pejorative terms. In his Jan. 6 letter he states that the government is not “peace loving” because it “deliberately takes away the chance of peace in an area of conflict, thus supporting an outrageous action (by the Israelis).”
He asks “Are there enough peace-loving Americans left who can stop their government and order their representatives to do what the people want?,” or are they “succumbing” to those “continuing to support the unjust wars around the world that the United States is involved in.”
Mr. Samu concludes by alleging that, in our government’s eyes, “Israel cannot do anything wrong” and that “the doors are open to a few more billions of dollars in foreign aid to Israel, in military hardware, to maintain good American traditions.”
Mr. Samu lives in America and, unlike in his Native Hungary where he grew up under a Communist government, he is free to express his political opinions and thoughts on most any subject. However, his frequent contributions to The Garden Island raise the question of whether he has the expertise to make credible comment on U.S. national security affairs. His background would not suggest so. He has written that he became fascinated by linguistics at the age of eight, and that this led to a life long study of languages.
To support himself, he attended a “hotel school” in Hungary and worked as a front office manager in various hotels. He was allowed into the United States in 1973 as a “political refugee” and continued to study languages while supporting his family by working in hotels. Eventually, he achieved his goal of establishing a company offering translation services.
Apparently, this company has evolved into a very sophisticated operation and provides translation services in many languages. However, Mr. Samu has no evident academic or work experience in foreign affairs, national security policy, diplomacy, academia, government or any other field that would give him the expertise to provide credible opinions on U.S. national security affairs.
• Myles Fladager, Koloa
Shark!
Jan. 6, I went for a swim workout in the lagoon in front of Lawai Beach Resort. I swim laps from the Beach House to Heroins’ surf break, and back. I swam to about even with Acid Drop, and noticed under me a large form, water unclear, which turned out to be an eight-foot grey shark.
It circled once, then came right at me mouth opening. I turned over on my back, pulled my legs in, and kicked it really good on the nose. It turned off, and I decided to swim in.
There were lots of tourist swimmers in the lagoon, and DLNR guys were there hassling the dog owners. I asked them to call in the swimmers, but their reply was, “nothing we can do.”
Gray sharks hang out, stay in the same area, this guy lives here. Although not particularly dangerous, sooner or later, we will have a serious incident with this shark.
I am not in favor of shark culling, but something should be done.
• Joe Metzger, Kalaheo
