• Use a little sense • Personal sovereignty • Kudos • Water issues worldwide • Conspiracy theorists Use a little sense I become so irritated when I read letters like the one from Joseph Figaroa (“No vacation rentals on ag
• Use a little sense • Personal sovereignty • Kudos • Water issues worldwide • Conspiracy theorists
Use a little sense
I become so irritated when I read letters like the one from Joseph Figaroa (“No vacation rentals on ag land,” July 24).
While it is noble to want to retain ag land for ag use, as is my desire, the problem isn’t the “evil vacation rental home owner.” Among other things, the problem is that the state of Hawai‘i has allowed ag land to be chopped up to sizes unusable for ag use.
My vacation rental sits on a 100 by 140 foot lot on ag land that has been legally chopped up by various owners. With a house and septic system, obviously, this land is too small to be ag-productive.
Whether or not this house is used as a vacation rental, the land has been made unusable for ag use. So the issue becomes one of private property rights.
These rights were implicated to me when I was issued a transient accommodation certificate and when the state accepted all my “illegal” taxes paid to them. Somehow, many people, including Figaroa, have become convinced that the culprit destroying ag land is the vacation rental when it is actually the laws passed by your Legislature whom you elected.
And contrary to Figaroa’s letter, all houses built on Kaua‘i need legal permitting — where did he get his false information that they are illegally built?
So please get your facts straight and try to use a little sense in this issue, as the four council members who are supporting this measure have done.
Tony Albertoni, Oakdale, Calif.
Personal sovereignty
Thank you for your “First Amendment freedom” editorial on July 25. I think the fact that the concept of rights conveyed in the First Amendment was relegated to the status of an “amendment” tells a lot about the mindset of people of those times, that political power was in the hands of those who established it.
It was not in the hands of the common people.
Today, such top-down political structures appear to be on their way out as more individuals are demanding personal sovereignty which will require a political structure accommodating rights as the people themselves, determine them in contractual/constitutional agreement.
Triaka-Don Smith, Lihu‘e
Kudos
I would just like to go on record to express my immense gratitude to whoever took the initiative to cut the grass, guinea grass, and/or buffalo grass growing along the Hanalei River near the Hanalei Bridge.
We have a beautiful, historical river which we have not been able to see from the road for the last eight or so years because the vegetation has been allowed to grow up so high. And I’m sure there are many others who are equally delighted with the cutting and return of the river view.
I’m not sure whether to thank the county, state, or a wonderful altruistic individual, but thank you, thank you!
In the 1980s and 1990s we could always see our lovely river as we drove along beside it and derived such pleasure. We’ve really missed not being able to enjoy this special view in these past years. It was a little sad to have a historical river but not be able to see it unless you were actually on the river in a boat.
We’d really love to see more of the tall grass cut and therefore having a longer stretch of the river view. Maybe cutting along the banks once every month and a half would help keep it at a more manageable level? And not such a daunting task! I’m sure it’s hard work when the grass is so high and we want whoever is responsible to know how much we truly appreciate it.
Candi LaCour, Hanalei
Water issues worldwide
I am a retired water professional and was interested in your story about Kaua‘i Springs (July 19). As Mark Twain said, “Whisky is for drinking and water is for fighting.”
Is the source of water publicly owned? If it is privately owned it would be the owners to use as he sees fit.
The article says the bottler is “water mining.” This term is usually used where the water being extracted is not being replenished. It seems to me there is sufficient rain to keep the aquifer from being over drafted and a renewed resource.
We are having major battles over water here in California. It appears water is and will continue to be a point of conflict worldwide.
Best of luck on resolving your water issues there.
Bill Thomas, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Conspiracy theorists
It looks like Rolf Bieber was taken in by the gang of alarmists at islandbreath.
Apparently their protest was not getting the media exposure they thrive on, so they made up their own conspiracy. Somehow, they transformed a group of young soldiers or sailors on holiday into a conspiracy.
It appears that the young men stopped by Salt Pond and snapped a few photos of the scenic area, and then were confronted by the protesters who accused them of whatever came to mind.
When the military members chose to leave, the protesters made sure to get a photo of their “unmarked vehicles” otherwise known as rental cars.
Steve Hansen, Kekaha
