•Climate change questions • Just enforce the law •Surely you jest •The secret window Climate change questions The dyed-in-the-wool socialist who wants to be Hawai‘i’s next governor says KIUC “must face climate change” (The Garden Island, July 1). Can he,
•Climate change questions
• Just enforce the law
•Surely you jest
•The secret window
Climate change questions
The dyed-in-the-wool socialist who wants to be Hawai‘i’s next governor says KIUC “must face climate change” (The Garden Island, July 1).
Can he, or anyone at KIUC, present any objective, scientific evidence that man is causing climate change, or that man can do anything to affect climate change, which, the last time I checked, was going on long before man was ever on the planet?
Can anyone at KIUC explain why it is that CO2 levels are going up, while at the same time, global temperatures are dropping?
While we’re at it, can the would-be governor, or anyone at KIUC, tell us which comes first: a rise in CO2 levels, or a rise in global temperatures? And can either party explain why Co2, which is what we exhale, and what plants use for food, is a “pollutant”?
If it weren’t for CO2, the whole planet would be a sand dune, devoid of life, wouldn’t it?
Maybe the would-be governor can also try to convince us that the “climate change” issue is less about the environment and “dependence on imported oil,” and more about societal control and raising taxes, especially when the U.S. has an abundance of domestic oil reserves, which members of the would-be governor’s party won’t let us touch?
I can recognize political nonsense when I see it, and I see it in every comment of the would-be governor.
Kent Gibboney, Kapa‘a
Just enforce the law
While your Sunday editorial (“Kuleana: knowing our roles,” Forum, July 19) is spot on as to what Mr. Castillo’s responsibility to the law is, your contention there could be “absurd results” in upholding the 20.02(d) only applies if you absurdly abuse the plain language of the charter
When the phrase “appearing on behalf of a private interest” is applied it dose not include simply appearing — as one’s self — for a personal matter such as applying for a driver’s license. There is no problem with the law there.
And there is great danger in your contention that because people “do good” they should be exempted through a charter amendment.
It doesn’t matter whether one is “doing good” or appearing for a nonprofit, the potential for a quid pro quo that the law foresees exists nonetheless.
When Ms. Lenthall appears before the County Council on behalf of the Kaua‘i Food Bank and asks for money, and then turns around and rules on the ethics of a County Council member’s actions, her position is compromised and such a person should not be serving on a board or commission, “good work” not withstanding.
There are tens of thousands of Kaua‘i citizens who can serve on boards and commissions without violating 20.02(d). We don’t need to keep seeing the same few dozen conflicted faces over and over.
The law is a good one — do not change 20.02(d) — but, as you say just enforce it.
I’ve written extensively on the subject and the BOE in general at parxnewsdaily.blogspot.com.
Andy Parx, Lihu‘e
Surely you jest
“Among the projects being considered is a ‘horizontal bore’ into Wai‘ale‘ale from a valley adjacent to the ‘Blue Hole’ area mauka of Wailua, which could provide substantial water to the greater Lihu‘e area using gravity instead of electricity, Craddick said in an interview at his Lihu‘e office.” (“2020 vision,” The Garden Island, July 8)
This has got to be a mistake. Taking the water out of the mountain at that altitude is a fool’s game. Lots of water now but no water in the future.
It is supposed to take the water 25 years to trickle down into the drinking water supply we are using today. You go up and start taking water before it reaches the natural ground water reservoir nothing will trickle down to replace it.
Soon enough no water in the mountain and no water in the natural ground water reservoir. This would lead to no water in the future.
If this is the type of ideas the new guy Craddick has, then we already need a new, new guy at the Water Department.
Sharon Pomroy, Anahola
The secret window
I’d like to know which window I can report to at the Hawai‘i Motor Vehicle Bureau where I can get permission to operate my truck without a valid safety check sticker, without insurance, and without a license or registration.
Come on, I know you’ve got one, because just about every third car or truck I see on our roads has an expired sticker, which usually coincides with no valid registration sticker, too.
And, when did it become legal to operate motorcycles and motorscooters on public roads without license plates? On any given day, I can see at least 10 motorcycles or scooters with no plates operating on Kaumuali‘i highway.
So how about it, Hawai‘i. Which window at the Motor Vehicle Bureau can I get one of those “Get out of jail free” cards for my truck? No insurance hassles, no license, no registration fee, no safety check fee… Hey, I want to save a bundle, too!
Tom Cheney, ‘Ele‘ele
