• Hooser’s environmental record is applauded • Kilauea Gym roof leak is a problem • What does it mean to be pro-life? Hooser’s environmental record is applauded Last Sunday’s The Garden Island had two front page stories that revealed much
• Hooser’s environmental record is applauded • Kilauea Gym roof leak is a problem • What does it mean to be pro-life?
Hooser’s environmental record is applauded
Last Sunday’s The Garden Island had two front page stories that revealed much about County Council candidate Gary Hooser’s position on the environment.
In the story about the public meeting concerning the PlDC, Hooser, speaking as the Director of the State office of Environmental Quality Control, contradicted the comments of the PDLC executive director Lloyd Haraguchi. Gary made it clear that, in actuality, Act 55 would make it much easy for the PLDC to side step state environment rules when approving development. In addition, Hooser, speaking on his own behalf, as a private citizen, said he didn’t trust Act 55 and called for its repeal. Wow! A courageous position to take considering that he was appointed to his position as director of EOQC by the governor. Once again, Gary proved that he is willing to stand up for what he believes in.
In addition, even though the second story concerning the requirement for solar heating on new homes did not mention Gary by name, he also played a big part in that legislation.
During his term as our Hawai‘i State senator he authored and introduced Act 204, making Hawai‘i the nation’s first state requiring solar water heating systems for all newly constructed homes.
Also, Gary Hooser is also the only candidate that I have heard calling for the bio tech companies on Kaua‘i to disclose what kind of pesticides they are using as well as when an where they are being sprayed. This issue is especially timely considering that the latest GMO corn experimentation involves.
Gary Mack
Kapa‘a
Kilauea Gym roof leak is a problem
The 18 year ongoing debacle of the Kilauea Gym roof leaking problem was again on the Council agenda July 25.
This issue had been on the Council agenda April 25 and the administration was given three more months to update the council on what it proposes to (1) fix the 18 year roof leak and (2) fix a leaky door that has allowed blowing rain to ruin the gym floor.
So what answers or corrective actions were given at this meeting? Zero, nada, none!
Only that the administration is still waiting for the council to approve $120,000 as a money bill to hire a consultant to tell a contractor how to fix the problems!
Since when does a qualified roofer or contractor need a consultant to tell them how to do their job?
The issue was again deferred for three weeks with no member of the council showing anger or displeasure for the lack of answers that they continue to receive. Where was the outrage for this inexcusably long ongoing failure?
After 18 long years of pumping thousands of tax dollars into this bottomless pit, isn’t it way past time that someone — council or administration — find a reason and a person responsible for the failure?
As Councilman Bynum so well said, we need to hire department heads who have the experience to do their jobs.
The politicized appointing system that is now in place that fails to hire qualified people for key positions is the root cause of this Kilauea Gym failure and so many of our other ongoing problems here on Kaua‘i.
We need a county manager!
Glenn Mickens
Kapa‘a
What does it mean to be pro-life?
Pro-life, what does that mean exactly? I’m not a woman, so I’m sure my opinion shouldn’t carry much weight in the polarized debate about abortion.
But since this paper continues to print my letters at a Kimo Rosen type rate, I’m going to spout my two cents.
The Republican party seems to have co-opted the pro-life label.
But that same party is also for manufacturing weapons of war for profit, 75 percent of which were sold to other nations for no other reason than to be used in the killing of human beings. They also seem to be bought and paid for by fossil fuel companies who care only about profits while ignoring the growing reality of droughts, fires, floods and famine arising from the unrelenting release of CO2 into the planet’s atmosphere, which will eventually lead to the deaths of millions — if not billions — of people.
Lastly, all these unborn babies they want to save are contributing to the biggest problem facing humanity, global overpopulation. Population growth left unchecked will most likely lead to mass extinction of our species when our dwindling planetary resources can no longer sustain billions of residents.
If I was a woman carrying an unborn child, I doubt I could bring myself to end the life of my unborn child. But, I also know that I could never bring myself to support any political party that had the audacity to abuse that emotion to gain power with the shameless claim of calling themselves pro-life.
Jason S. Nichols
Koloa
