• South Shore under siege • Temporary excise tax increase? • Try a full-service restaurant • Competition is good South Shore under siege If you have driven on the South Side lately, you will certainly have noticed a feeling resembling
• South Shore under siege • Temporary excise tax increase? • Try a full-service restaurant • Competition is good
South Shore under siege
If you have driven on the South Side lately, you will certainly have noticed a feeling resembling a police state.
We have all seen episodes in the past where there has obviously been some kind of police mandate, resulting in an enhanced police presence for a few days or weeks with more people being pulled over for speeding or even checkpoints which are debatable constitutional.
This episode has gone well beyond anything that would resemble benefiting the community and has resulted in an alienation of the local community who is just trying to go to work or the beach and mind their own business. I wonder why the local police would ever consider such a show of force a positive action because everyone I have spoken with, views the presence as an invasion of personal space and an actual infringement on individual freedom.
I’m sure there is some justification like, “it is for everyone’s safety” or, “if you aren’t doing anything wrong, you don’t have anything to fear,” but we all innately know this isn’t the case. The police can pull you over for any subjective reason and if you try to tell your side of the story, it is often seen as a hostile response resulting in a ticket for you.
I suspect generalized actions by the police, like the one currently taking place on the South Shore, is the reason why most people don’t look at the police as helpful public servants but actually view them as people to fear because of the unpredictable experiences we have with them, even when doing nothing wrong. It takes a long time to grow to trust people, especially people who hold ultimate power over you.
I suspect it will take many years of honest service to earn back the trust of local South Side residents after this current abuse of our public resources.
To serve and protect or to harass and annoy?
Grant Bowen, Koloa
Temporary excise tax increase?
Temporary excise tax increase? Somebody said they said she said, so I’ve looked everywhere in the news and can’t find a word about it. Am I dreaming?
If it happens, this is closing the barn door after this cow is long-gone. This HI DOE state employee has canceled phone land-line, TV, selling everything on Craigslist, canceled retirement fund, chose cheaper med coverage, avoid grocery stores and Walmart like the plague, never go to restaurants or movies or Starbucks et al. I shop at the Animal Shelter Thrift Store, so my little speck of money is going to the dogs.
Nine months ago HGEA Randy Perreira said increase excise tax. Legislature won’t even talk about it. 4.0167 sacred cow.
Will I reinstate all those canceled services and go back to normal spending now?
A sensible increase in excise tax in the first place, instead of furloughs and layoffs, would’ve kept the money circulating and spread the pain and drain more evenly, and your kids would be in school on Fridays and I’d be out shopping.
State furloughs + layoffs = less spending = less tax revenue = more deficit = eventual consideration of temporary excise tax increase = 0. If Lingle increases it now, it’s a drop of water on a very dry desert.
Perhaps if Hawai‘i had a more supported educational system maybe our legislators would’ve been able to do the math, before it was too late (of course you cannot teach “common sense”).
Donna Alalem, Kapa‘a
Try a full-service restaurant
This is another head-shaker for me. Mr. Kimo Rosen’s last letter (Number One, Feb. 23) recommending a cheap Chinese “take-out” place as the solution to Kaua‘i’s lack of quality restaurants left me with a bad taste in my mouth (pun intended). I have eaten at No. 1 BBQ and yes, their food is OK. But, I’m just so curious as to what eateries and how many Mr. Rosen has visited as to come to the blanket conclusion that most all restaurants have lousy service and over-priced food. For some reason I have a hard time equating a pre-cooked, takeout, fast-food meal in a disposable Styrofoam box for $5.99 as the same dining experience as a nice sit-down, someone comes over to serve you from start to finish as the same thing. I dunno, maybe it’s just me. My wife and I frequent many of Kaua‘i’s fine restaurants like Kintaro’s in Kapa‘a on a regular basis. I’m always amazed that we receive consistently fantastic service from every single employee and the food is consistently very good at extremely fair prices. Every single person I observe there moves with a purpose. As far as tips go, well I don’t tip much at any over-the-counter meal as I’m sure Mr. Rosen doesn’t either but I do tip well if the service and meal warrants it. So Mr. Rosen if you haven’t been to a sit-down restaurant in over two years you may want to give it a try again. Kaua‘i has a lot to offer and you may be pleasantly surprised. Happy eats!
Stephen Shioi, Kapa‘a
Competition is good
Mr. Scopacasa: In response to your letter about your frustration and disappointment in working with Sears (Sears suckers, Feb. 19), Sears was the only choice we had on Kaua‘i when I moved here 30 years ago. Now we have other choices such as Home Depot.
Need I say more? Competition is good, check out your choices. We also have some great small independent small engine specialists around the island.
Petrina Satori-Britt, Princeville
