• Hold government accountable for mistakes • United Way to forgo annual gala • Time to inject efficiency in county government Hold government accountable for mistakes Every time the government can’t manage our economy and our money we all suffer
• Hold government accountable for mistakes
• United Way to forgo annual gala
• Time to inject efficiency in county government
Hold government accountable for mistakes
Every time the government can’t manage our economy and our money we all suffer — the state worker, the county worker, police, nurses and the rest of the hard-working people of Kaua‘i.
How does the government fix this? By laying off, furloughs and the cutting back of workers, pay cuts or cutting the retirement money and benefits.
If the senators, congressmen and people who make the laws are serious about the economy then prove it. Let them take the layoffs, furloughs and cut back on the highly paid officials, but most of all take pay cuts.
How about being realistic — most of us make $30,000 to $40,000 a year (with two jobs). Shame on you guys who only think of your own pockets.
Let’s start with the governor and work our way down from there.
I am getting tired of pulling the government out of trouble and so are the hard-working people of Kaua‘i. Let’s hold the government accountable for its mistakes.
Rodney Medeiros, Hanama‘ulu
United Way to forgo annual gala
For the past three years, Kaua‘i United Way has held an annual elegant Hidden Treasure Gala event.
Unfortunately, the challenge of today’s economy and the sobering realities that our community is now facing has lead to the decision to postpone our event this year.
We believe it is time to return to our core values of community and family first, by raising money that can be used directly for our 27 nonprofit social service agencies, rather than incurring expenses for a lavish party.
Many of us are coming to recognize that embracing the less-is-more philosophy must translate to the fundraising arm of our community and we want our donations to make a significant difference. It is the “back-to-basics” call that has lead our dedicated committee to forego what has worked in the past and to move to a new model of generating funds.
We ask the community to join with us — to live united — and accept this call to action and help us to support the critical work of our participating agencies that make life on Kaua‘i better for us all throughout 2009.
Donations may be sent to P.O. Box 1087 Lihu‘e 96766. For more information, call 245-2043.
Marion Allen and Marisa Hurley, Co-chairs of Kaua‘i’s Hidden Treasures Committee
Scott Giarmin, Executive director. Kauai United Way Board of Directors
Time to inject efficiency in county government
Bravo, Walter Lewis, for your outstanding article ( “Are cultural influences in our best interest?” Forum, Feb. 21).
Your statement that “the paramount feature of cultural impact on our governmental processes is its tilt toward maintaining the status quo and retarding innovative change” is so vividly true.
Another astute resident put his description on our type of government when he called it, “an opaque paternalistic patronage system” — both opinions pull no punches and call a spade a spade.
Along with so many other truisms, Walter points out that “mavericks” on our council like Gary Hooser and Mel Rapozo (you too, Shaylene) voted to have a performance audit done on our various government departments, specifically public works which is our largest budgeted operation.
Even though the council did approve $500,000 for this audit four years ago and Rapozo and Iseri-Carvalho continuously pushed to have it done, it has never happened. Mel said many times that the audit wasn’t to get someone fired but to basically streamline the system and eliminate any waste that is uncovered.
But, again, as Walter said, this audit “would likely expose inefficiency and perhaps corruption and that would not be acceptable to the culture.”
Please, citizens of Kaua‘i, take heed of the wise words and actions that come from Walter Lewis and so many other dedicated government watchdogs on this island.
These people are fighting for you, all of you, to keep Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i. Support them and get involved with whatever it takes to get the “right” people into our government.
Support those on the Charter Review Commission who are fighting to get a county manager system going to put efficiency into our government.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
