Letters for Saturday, February 6, 2010

• You can’t control nature • It’s about taxation, not safety • Televised budget hearings • Time to clean house

You can’t control nature

I just read the article about the tombolo returning to Po‘ipu Beach on its own after 10 years. (“Tombolo returns to Po‘ipu Beach,” The Garden Island, Jan. 28) Then they explain how the government is going to work to try and keep it there.

It seems that every time people try to affect the natural ebb and flow of sand on the beaches, that their efforts end up being a waste of time, not always, but mostly. Nature does what it wants and always has.

If you read the entire article, it becomes clear that the government has a lot planned in trying to control nature, yet nature took the tombolo away and brought it back all by itself, but people are still going to try to control it, then take credit for it and spend tons of money along the way.

I lost track of all the different entities involved and all the planning and research they’ll be conducting to try to reach their goal. There are many more worthwhile things to spend time and money on, especially when nature will decide in the end how much sand will be on that stretch of beach.

The tourists come here and rave about the “natural” beauty. Why then spend all the time and money that is being talked about to try and change that? I know it’s important for the hotels and community appearance, but it reminds me of the debacle with fixing the road to Polihale that volunteers repaired so quickly, but the state said would be expensive and take so long.

Jack Custer, Lihu‘e

It’s about taxation, not safety

The ban on using electronic devices while driving is not about safety and has more to due with taxation. (“Radio vs. push-to-talk,” The Garden Island, Feb. 3)

There was a study done that shows using an electronic device while driving does not reduce the number of accidents. (“Study: Ban may not reduce crashes,” TGI, Feb. 3)

Now with this information in mind, why would council members be pushing a ban like this? It is simply another way to ticket people and provide more revenue for the county.

I agree that texting while driving is dangerous and I would understand a law banning that, but how would you enforce it? I think the most effective way to handle this issue is through providing the public with information and encouraging people to use hands-free devices, not by enforcement.

I also think that seatbelt laws should be treated the same way. People under 18 years of age should be required to wear seatbelts but if you are an adult you should have the right to decide whether or not to use one. As foolish as it may be to not wear a seatbelt, it should still be left up to the individual, not the state.

As wacky as this may sound, in this country if you are ignorant enough to not wear a seatbelt, you should have the right to fly through your own windshield should you get into an accident.

I think that is a far more effective deterrent than a $92 ticket.

Dan O’Flaherty, Koloa

Televised budget hearings

Televising all Kaua‘i County Council budget hearings is long past due.

Particularly, to those council members who took interest in my testimony, please make it incumbent upon yourselves to offer televised budget hearings via an agenda item/bill to afford what is deserved — more public access to all council’s budget hearings.

If however, you are opposed to such action please let your reasons be known in open deliberation.

It is my opinion that in our current fiscal climate the public is especially interested in how its tax dollars are spent.

Please do what is correct by your people. Forward and approve the relatively modest expense to further educate a public eager to view your important budgetary work.

Rolf Bieber, Kapa‘a

Time to clean house

We read with dismay that the county attorney is requesting an additional $50,000 in legal fees to pursue their appeal in the case of Kaua‘i Springs versus the County. (Government Meeting List, Jan. 31)

Kaua‘i Springs has been operating under a court injunction, issued in the fall of 2008. They won their case resoundingly on all counts, and yet the County of Kaua‘i continues to waste taxpayer money on legal fees pursuing the appeal process.

The result is it continues to negatively impact a small mom-and-pop Kaua‘i business’s ability to raise or borrow capital, and provide local jobs in a business climate where jobs are at a premium.

Maybe the people on Kaua‘i will finally rise up and follow Massachusetts, and clean house in this upcoming election.

Peter and Linda Baldwin, Koloa