• $300 million in the black • Birds of a feather • A breakthrough for everyone in Hawai‘i • Saturday Market a success $300 million in the black As a state worker, I was encouraged to read that Hawai‘i is
• $300 million in the black • Birds of a feather • A breakthrough for everyone in Hawai‘i • Saturday Market a success
$300 million in the black
As a state worker, I was encouraged to read that Hawai‘i is now $300 million in the black. That means our sacrifice has been worth it.
Over the last few years, some of us have lost up to 35 percent of our income due to pay cuts and insurance cost increases. The majority of the savings are said to have come from labor savings from public workers.
People like our fire fighters, our police force, our teachers, our librarians and all the rest of the public workers who have knuckled down and taken on more responsibility and more work for less pay.
We understand that the problems are far from fixed. We will continue to do our part. However, I was disappointed in a comment made in the article “State’s Financial Picture Brightens” in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser published on July 20: “If the state’s revenue trend holds, public employee labor unions will likely ask for pay raises.”
Our unions will not be asking for pay raises. Rather they will be asking for a reinstatement of our pay. We are currently making five percent less than our 2009 rate of pay as well as paying more for our insurance benefits.
I would encourage our legislators, lawmakers and bargaining committee members to keep this is mind when next they go to the bargaining table.
Lisa Post
Lihu‘e Public Library
Lihu‘e
Birds of a feather
Very interesting that Mufi Hannemann would proudly select former Kaua‘i Mayor Maryanne Kusaka, another pay-to-play politician, as his Statewide Co-Chair.
I am offended that they might think the people of Kaua‘i have forgotten her dubious deeds in office, specifically in connection to the Kaloko Dam scandal and tragedy that took the lives of seven people and an unborn child.
An article in the Honolulu Star Bulletin stated “she was among those subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury investigating possible criminal charges in connection with the March 2006 failure of the Kaloko Dam. The former mayor allegedly told a county engineer to stop all actions involving Pflueger in 1997, when the county official found that unlawful grading was occurring at the reservoir.”
There is not a day that I drive over that stretch of road and not think about those young families who perished needlessly due to a corrupt system.
Please don’t vote these people back into office again!
Sue Rolston
Ha‘ena
A breakthrough for everyone in Hawai‘i
On July 9, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed into Law ACT 288. This ACT also known as the Aha Moku Systems Act, (formerly Aha Kiole, ACT 212) now places a duly appointed and elected Aha Moku Advisory council in the office of Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The purpose of this Advisory Council is to advise DLNR, the governor’s office and both houses of the State legislature on the matters of greatest concerns for the native Hawaiian culture as a whole.
Before this happens, the governor will appoint one representative from each island to form the first Aha Moku Systems Council. You will have a chance to select and submit three names to the AMS, which will be passed on to the governor for his selection.
Over the next few weeks, these meetings will take place on every island. Kaua‘i has their meeting set at Kaua‘i Community College on July 30. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the presentations will begin at 6 p.m. sharp. There will be time for questions and answers after the presentation.
There will be several presenters. Currently DLNR Director William Aila will be here to address us. Please come. This is a break through for everyone in Hawai‘i.
ACT 288 is for all of us to take part in. It follows traditional native Hawaiian conservation techniques by using the ahupua‘a system of land and ocean management as a guide to protect and replenish the natural resources of our ahupua‘a.
Sharon Pomroy, intermitent Aha Moku System
Representative, Kaua‘i
Anahola
Saturday Market a success
All Saints Church in Kapa‘a held its first Saturday Market on July 7, and I would like to thank the vendors, volunteers, island residents and visitors who supported that first market and made it such a successful event.
We are hopeful that the market will be a regular event on the first Saturday of each month and will host a wide variety of vendors, including produce, arts, crafts, clothing, lunch wagons and more.
The next market is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 4. Our goal is to provide not only a venue for residents and visitors to support local businesses and farmers, but also an opportunity for nonprofits and other community organizations to reach out to the local community.
Coincidentally, our market takes place on the same day as the First Saturday Night in Kapa‘a art walk event, and we hope that the market will help to strengthen our community, there by supporting the First Saturday event, our local restaurants, shops, galleries and other businesses. At the end of the year, we will be evaluating whether to make this market a permanent part of All Saints Church’s activities and events.
Mahalo again to all who participated to make this event a success.
David Murray
Kapa‘a
