• It’s not the rain, it’s the roof • Alt route a fallacy • Fair and Balanced • Driving relaxed It’s not the rain, it’s the roof We love a good metaphor as much as the next person, but let’s
• It’s not the rain, it’s the roof
• Alt route a fallacy
• Fair and Balanced
• Driving relaxed
It’s not the rain, it’s the roof
We love a good metaphor as much as the next person, but let’s make sure the metaphor fits before we wear it.
Describing our school problem as “rainy day”–solvable by use of the “Rainy Day Fund” is off the mark. We don’t have a rainy day problem. We have a flooded basement, broken window, leaky roof problem and it is not appropriate to use the RDF under these circumstances.
The Friday furloughs were originally seen as the solution to the growing budget deficit caused by the size of the demand placed on our dwindling supply of funds. Now the furloughs are seen as the problem. A reduction in instructional days for our students is neither the problem nor the solution. It is a symptom of a dysfunctional system and a dysfunctional approach.
Using the RDF (robbing Peter to pay Paul) does nothing to solve the problems of poor decision-making, a bloated budget, misplaced priorities, a poor flow of information, and a refusal to involve more people in the discussion. This latest response on the part of officials is another example of the same operating procedure. Like the furloughs themselves, it is short-sighted rather than long-term, reactive rather than proactive, and riddled with unforeseen consequences.
There are other ways to find the money to restore instructional days.
There are other ways to implement furloughs (if need be) in a more constructive manner.
We know it will rain again. Let’s fix the roof.
Wendy and Jim Hoglen, Kalaheo
Alt route a fallacy
The true glory of the already opened multi-use path is it’s proximity to the ocean.
Rather than being “pono,” the suggestion of relocating the Wailua Beach section is merely a phony alternative tactic. The phony alternative method is designed to make you look unreasonable by not considering the opposition’s points; afterall, they’re offering an alternative!
The so-called alternative canal path is no such thing when you study where the canal road empties into Kuamo‘o Road. It is unsafe.
This spot is on a blind curve next to a narrow bridge. Kuamo‘o remains narrow towards Wailua Beach and there is no safe space to walk or ride a bike. Drivers coming from, or heading to, a long, winding, tedious drive to the Homesteads average 45 mph at this spot. Luddite style activists have not addressed this obvious danger because they cannot address it.
Another thing activists cannot do is actually and specifically explain how recreational use becomes desecration or cultural disrespect. What about the volleyball court that is already there or the routine parking of cars on this beach? Sunken poles hold up the volleyball net the same as they would the path. If you carried the desecration-prevention argument to its logical conclusion, you would need to close Wailua Beach and surround it with barbed wire.
This phony alternative is disingenuous, dishonest and designed simply to bring path work to a halt. It is a Luddite style fallacy dressed up as something else.
Pete Antonson, Kalaheo
Fair and Balanced
Mahalo Gordon Oswald for a well written truth-and-fact missive (“Pot calling the kettle black,” Letters, Nov. 18).
But don’t be surprised when one of those “Libs” or worse yet, one of those “Lefties” says the reason Fox News Channel has such a large audience is because TV is meant to aim at those who want inane entertainment, so FNC does that the best.
What a shame that so many of those Lefties are so uninformed about the truth about politics and world affairs. They only want to watch or hear things that enhance their viewpoint. They probably never even watch FNC with an open mind.
Fortunately there are more and more Lefties who are watching FNC and realizing that they really are “Fair and Balanced.”
Too bad that many are afraid to watch FNC for fear that their Lefty mindset is all wrong and they just don’t even want to realize that they have been wrong all of their adult years.
Doc Smith, Kapahi
Driving relaxed
Wow, the 40 miles per hour limit from Wailua to Hanama‘ulu has made a huge difference — at least for me.
I am much more at ease driving and don’t feel threatened anymore. My body feels relaxed when I am behind the wheel and as far as I know, we haven’t had any serious accidents.
Lilian de Mello, Kapa‘a
