• Groundskeeping • Redistribution of wealth? • Mayor’s authority • Grove Farm actions not good for island Groundskeeping The gateway areas from Wal-Mart to Hanama‘ulu are looking worse than ever. These areas are being maintained by a
• Groundskeeping • Redistribution of wealth? • Mayor’s authority • Grove Farm actions not good for island
Groundskeeping
The gateway areas from Wal-Mart to Hanama‘ulu are looking worse than ever. These areas are being maintained by a contractor. In the last few months, I have watched more than 30 trees die. I don’t think they are dormant.
The bouganvilla was scalped to sticks, and the peanut groundcovers are now mostly weeds.
This is a costly area to pay for upkeep and the first impression that we all get when we get off the plane.
If this is what the contract calls for, then great, but, as is often the case on Kaua‘i, someone is not doing their job, they need to start.
My guess is the person in charge of inspecting the job site is responsible for the degrading conditions.
And since it is a contract, it should go out to bid every year or two.
John Robinson, Kalaheo
Redistribution of wealth?
I recently received a letter and forms from the county tax department regarding an adjustment to my property tax bill.
With that, I also received a form explaining the $6 service fee and the $6 per month pick-up fee for the new 90-gallon trash cans the county has provided.
I’m aware of the fees. The notice was sent to make sure that the billing to my property taxes was correct.
The main reason for the notice was to alert me that if I fell in a certain income bracket, my fees would be reduced by 50 percent.
It just didn’t make sense that if other people create and put out the same amount of trash that I put out on trash day, and just because they fit a certain income bracket, their trash fees are half of mine.
I guess the county is adopting the Obama socialism plan of “redistribution of wealth.”
Does this mean that if I was to show a lower income for my household, my grocery bill at Safeway, my gas bill at Costco, my electric bill from KIUC, items purchased from Wal-Mart, and everything else I spend money on to live on this island, will be 50 percent of what it is now?
Steve Martin, Kapa‘a
Mayor’s authority
I want to thank and congratulate our police commission for their hard work and dedication in doing the job that were tasked to do under the Kaua‘i County Charter, Section 11.04 — to appoint and remove the police chief.
In my opinion, it would also follow that these commissioners would also have the authority to suspend the chief in any disciplinary action that they deem necessary.
Though our mayor and his legal counsel feel that under Section 7.05 A of our charter, he has the authority to discipline and suspend the chief for reasons still unknown to the public. This article states, “Except as otherwise provided he may exercise direct supervision over all departments, and coordinate all administrative activities and see that they are honestly, efficiently and lawfully conducted.”
Though I have no legal background, it would seem to me that the key wording in this Section 7.05 A relating to the powers of the commission and the mayor, “except as otherwise provided,” would give the commission the statutory power to act in this situation and not the mayor.
Since the mayor is an ex officio member of the police commission, he may sit in their meetings and express his opinions but has no voting power, that being the duty of the commission.
I believe that our charter was wisely crafted in such a manner as to keep the police commission as a firewall between the political entity (the mayor) and the neutrality of the commission and thus, in my opinion, the mayor should have no unilateral power to suspend the chief.
We have some fine, dedicated officers on our force who put their lives on the line day in and day out to protect us. They do not deserve to have their superiors casting this dark cloud over all of them because the hierarchy cannot get along.
Hopefully a resolution to this problem can be forthcoming sooner rather than later for everyone’s sake.
And, regretfully, this whole convoluted mess will probably end up before a judge for finality and the tax payer, as usual, will get the short end of the financial stick.
Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
Grove Farm actions not good for island
The following is taken from Grove Farm’s Vision Statement: “… Grove Farm is a leader in social entrepreneurship and island-enhancing initiatives. By remaining kama‘aina-focused, Grove Farm enhances Kaua‘i’s communities through a holistic approach to development and is deeply committed to preserving the island’s cultural and historical linkages.” All I can say is, shame on you Grove Farm.
You have not even applied for permits and you are obviously anxious to evict long-term, low-income tenants so you can bring in pre-fab housing from China.
We have way too many unemployed construction workers who could benefit from the work you could create. Your actions are most definitely not island-enhancing, nor committed to our cultural and historical linkages.
If you are a leader, why don’t you show it with some compassion for your tenants and support for our unemployed kama‘aina.
Marty Hoffman, Lawai
