Letters for Saturday, July 7, 2012

• Smart meter outmaneuvering • Noose tightening on KIUC • Island shopping can be frustrating

Change in online commenting policy

Starting July 1, The Garden Island has changed how it monitors the online commenting portion of thegardenisland.com. All comments will go through an approval process. Not all comments will be approved. Priority will be given to those that are topical, remain within our comment policies and contain the author’s full name and hometown. 

We encourage continued use of our online comment feature as well as the Letters to the Editor in our print edition. The Garden Island values reader input and encourages thoughtful debate.

Smart meter outmaneuvering

I have noticed the KIUC’s Board’s ability to legally outmaneuver its smart meter opponents. I find it ironic the KIUC’s board’s legal counsel’s salary is paid for, partially, by those very same smart meter opponents, despite the smart meter opponents not having the ability to pay for counsel themselves. I realize this is legal, but is it fair?

In circa 1939 Germany at some point, it was legal to murder Jewish people, including men, women and children, on sight. It was legal, but did that mean it was right?

The legal system can be a wonderful system. It promotes law and order but is sometimes is morally flawed with loopholes many often exploit.  

I submit sometimes it is not about doing what is legal, but rather doing what is fair, and doing what is right.

Chris Schaefer, Kapa‘a

Noose tightening on KIUC

What did this “smart meter deferral resolution” clarify?  

KIUC says in a recent TGI article, the “perceived health and security issues” of members.

Let’s reverse this. The “perceived confidence” of board in industry propaganda vs. the researched world-wide evidence of health and security threats of smart meters by members.

 This “resolution” is another effort to brainwash the average reader to think that KIUC is being so polite and accommodating to those fearmongers out there (who the court sides with).

The second part, “KIUC may ask PUC for recovery costs” against members who opt out, shows, again, a planned persecution of the minority who never wanted to opt in. In other words, people who are requesting same constitutional rights as Adam Asquith, with no payment for his privacy, will now be countered at PUC by a direct request by KIUC to charge people to maintain their constitutional rights.

The Asquith federal settlement vindicates the original Opt Out Permission Denied form sent to 11,000 homes by KauaiTruth.Com last September. But this fact is swept under the rug. KIUC could have avoided millions of dollars of costs by simply researching the definition of a wiretapping device, as pointed out last autumn.

KIUC is showing again and again a conscious negligence concerning coop patronage capitol expenditures, without member participation in decision making. This is actionable in court. Because of all the warnings, the KIUC Board won’t be able to plead ignorance.

Members won’t sue members. The noose is tightening on KIUC board, management and counsel.

Ray Songtree, Hanalei

Island shopping can be frustrating

In response to Howard Tolbe’s letter of June 18, “Anywhere

in America, but maybe not Kaua‘i,” I was the one who wrote the letter of which you speak. I was not, however, talking to this tourist. I overheard her make this comment in the checkout line at Koloa Big Save. I wanted to turn around and say something to her, but decided it would be pointless, as I’d probably just get some vapid stare and wasn’t really in the mood to deal with that.

The issue was one of having access to the same brands of grocery items as are available on the mainland — not the inability to get certain goods here.

I am, though, in total agreement with you about how frustrating it is to go shop for something online only to be told that it can not be shipped here. In many cases, I am willing to pay the extra shipping price, as there are no other comparable options, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to be completely denied. To those companies, I say “You just lost my business for good.”

A different issue I have is that it is impossible for me to do something as simple as buy a pair of pants here. All of the pants sold on this island appear to be for menehunes with 50-inch waists or kids. Even “upscale” stores like Macy’s don’t carry men’s pants in other sizes. I asked them why once, and they couldn’t really give me an answer.

If some store (which isn’t WalMart) would like to sell men’s pants for someone other than Sneezy, Dopey, Sleepy or Doc, I’d like to give you some business. Otherwise, I’ll continue giving my business to online stores that ship.

Michael Mann, Lihu‘e