• Broken promises by the Legislature • Population cap only way to sustainability • Eye-opening meeting • Just a visitor’s observation Broken promises by the Legislature From the Territorial Government to the present, politicians elected to serve their communities have
• Broken promises by the Legislature • Population cap only way to sustainability • Eye-opening meeting • Just a visitor’s observation
Broken promises by the Legislature
From the Territorial Government to the present, politicians elected to serve their communities have consistently overspent. This forces them to come up with “creative” ideas to supplement their shortfalls when the economy eventually sours.
They wouldn’t have to look far if they simply managed ceded (Native Hawaiian) lands properly. For example, politicians have leased ceded lands to their friends for as little as a dollar a year. Thousands of acres of land have been leased out by the state to businesses with these kinds of insider deals. And they wonder why these lands aren’t generating revenues.
A previous governor suspended landing fees at the airport, which sits on ceded lands, for two years because he said it would allow airlines to bring in more tourists. We all know that didn’t happen. It was just another sweetheart deal. Can you imagine the revenue that the state lost in those two years?
There is no question the state has mismanaged ceded lands. However, this rationale should not be used as an excuse to sell such a precious resource. Just a year ago, legislators voted to preserve ceded lands. Now they’re trying to sell them. How can we trust these people?
What we need are people in government who can be responsible leaders and balance budgets. That way, they wouldn’t have to raise taxes, look to gambling casinos or sell ceded lands. We should be looking to agriculture to grow more of our own produce instead of importing 95 percent of what we eat. We’ll never replace tourism, but our current economy shows how it can let us down.
This election year, let’s elect responsible leaders who will make the tough decisions needed to get our economy out of the toilet. We do not need more politicians to think of more creative ways to tax us or squander our resources.
Rowena Akana, Trustee, Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Population cap only way to sustainability
In scientific terms, ecosystems have a defined “bioload.” This is the number of individuals an environment can sustain.
If the population exceeds the bioload abilities of the ecosystem, the environment becomes fouled. In a closed system, like an island, this is a finite number.
In Bob Rosen’s letter of Feb. 24, “It’s time to do something,” he voices an understandable frustration, but a basic misunderstanding.
He is concerned about the pollution in Kaua‘i waters. He wants to find a remedy so tourism will increase, new developments can proceed, and new residents will continue to show up. In other words, he wants to ignore the scientific reality of bioload.
The increased human activity on Kaua‘i is the direct cause for the increased pollution of our land and waters and no amount of measuring or technology can fix it. As our island population grows we will be exceeding the islands bioload capabilities.
Like it or not, pollution will increase and clean water and sustainability will be unattainable.
Bill Lane, Koloa
Eye-opening meeting
I attended my first KIUC Board of Directors meeting on Feb. 23. What follows are my own personal observations and recommendations.
I believe the board should not devote any public meeting time for religious ceremony (invocation). They are demonstrating a prejudice for one religious faction over others.
It appears to be a common practice to skip reports listed on their agenda and “double down” same at some future meeting. One director did it not once, but three times!
If a topic of interest is posted on the meeting’s agenda, members may have made special arrangements to attend. When directors are allowed to skip their reports until a future date, membership disenchantment is sure to follow. At minimum, changes to the agenda should be announced somewhere at the beginning of the meeting.
I have to ask why only $30,000 was budgeted for legal fees attributed to a recent new rate review case? The “over-limit attorney invoice” amount requested during the meeting was over 100 percent higher. Someone at KIUC is not up to speed on estimating legal services.
Finally, it appears there is some serious disagreement brewing among some directors that claim “private caucus” meetings are being held discussing KIUC business but leaving others completely out of the loop and getting paid for it. I say if you expect to get paid for holding a meeting regarding KIUC business, you’d better conform to your own KIUC policies and procedures.
It was also revealed that the Sunshine Law doesn’t apply to the KIUC BOD.
Vincent Cosner, Lihu‘e
Just a visitor’s observation
As a visitor to Kaua‘i this week, I am surprised by the amount of litter and roadside trash.
With very hefty fines being mentioned on signs, why is it so bad?
On the Mainland, if a company “sponsors” a stretch of road, it is in their best interest to keep it clean. Not so here.
I have seen rubbish fly out of the back of many a pickup this week and no one stops to pick it up. Is there no pride left?
Even on the beaches I see cigarette butts, plastic bags, spoons, shoes, just junk.
Maureen Adams, Merrimack, N.H.
