• Back to the drawing board • The end of the world as we know it • Vital school programs Back to the drawing board A public meeting was held in Lihu‘e on DLNR’s “Plan B” for our small boat
• Back to the drawing board
• The end of the world as we know it
• Vital school programs
Back to the drawing board
A public meeting was held in Lihu‘e on DLNR’s “Plan B” for our small boat harbors, state parks, and state forests. The good-sized crowd didn’t agree on everything, but they did agree they wanted almost none of what DLNR proposed.
The one thing I remember there being agreement with was the concept of a shooting range in the state forest. Such a range would give our hunters a chance to practice their marksmanship so they can practice true gun control — hitting what they aim at!
As a new boat owner, I am very much concerned about the sorry state of the small boat harbors. The Legislature hasn’t adequately funded their maintenance in decades and the bill for the deferred maintenance is coming due.
But as a boater in a tight economy, I am also concerned about the proposed mooring rate increases. The cost for dockage along a catwalk in a small boat harbor is scheduled to more than double.
Even more disturbing, the cost of anchoring my small boat, say in Hanalei Bay, would skyrocket from a reported $30 to over $1,000 per month! $1,000 per month to anchor (on my anchor!) a boat that cost me $5,000? Is the DLNR trying to completely eliminate private recreational boating in Hawai‘i?
A second concern (for both harbors and parks) is whether funds generated from Kaua‘i parks and small boat harbors would be used to maintain (dare we hope improve?) our parks and small boat harbors.
With a Legislature that hasn’t seemed to have yet met a special fund they didn’t want to raid, can we trust them not to raid our state park improvement fund? Our small boat harbors fund? Can we set up a mechanism so a special fund will be used only for the intended purpose and not the pork du jour?
Sorry, DLNR, but it is time to go back to the drawing board, coming up with a plan that doesn’t keep local people from using our state facilities. But keep the shooting range — a small fee could make it self-supporting.
William Georgi, ‘Ele‘ele
The end of the world as we know it
Regarding the recent forum on climate change at KCC: Again we see scientists who take the opinion that global warming is manmade, fearmongering to get their point across.
Stating that Kaua‘i is going to lose all of its beaches and implying that the recent flooding is a result of climate change is just more sensationalist alarmism. The Garden Island has not seen fit to report the recent hacking of the Climate Research Unit in the UK which shows clearly collusion and attempted obfuscation of any debate on this issue. This may be the largest scandal in the history of science.
Every scientist, no matter how prominent or legitimate, who dares to question the rhetoric of manmade climate change is subjected to ad hominem attacks rather than rebutted scientifically. This is a crisis of politics and money overriding science.
Any scientist who has ever done any work for an oil company is derided as a hired hack, but Al Gore, who has made $300 million on this swindle, can fund all the research he wants and this is seen as legitimate.
The treaty being contemplated in Copenhagen will be the end of the U.S., as our sovereignty is given over to a global governance structure and our economy is finally completely sunk in the process.
The real danger to our children is not the unproven manmade climate change, but the intentional destruction of the U.S. with the environment as an excuse.
Please research these things and wake up.
Rick Goding, Waimea
Vital school programs
I recently learned of the possible shutdown of the Gifted and Talented Learning Center Programs, which include Kaua‘i Performing Arts Center and AVID from DOE funding for next school year.
Parents on this island have been fighting a battle to keep the schools open on Fridays. This news is like pouring salt into already wounded spirits.
Without programs such as GT, KPAC and AVID, our kids are falling even further behind Mainland schools. GT programs are desperately needed in schools. We need places for kids who want to thrive, to thrive and have access to a challenging environment that pushes them to succeed.
All of these types of programs are vital to the success of students not only during school years but well beyond and into adulthood. Success should not be shunned. It should be cultivated.
Being one of the smallest islands, we are sadly lacking in varied cultural outlets and Kaua‘i Performing Arts Center helps fill that void. Lack of exposure to the arts fosters an environment without creative problem solvers.
We cannot shut art, music, and theatre down in hopes of making children attain higher academic scores. Music and math go hand in hand. English and theatre also go hand in hand. These shows inspire the kids in them and the audiences who watch them to dream and hope.
Hawai‘i’s current education system is in shambles. Shutting these programs down sends yet another wrong message to our children. Be proactive, because once gone, these programs are lost forever.
Lisa Pollak, Wailua
