• Historical information • Weather observations • Regarding Myles Emura • Home rule Historical information The Nov. 18 front page photo of Mayor Carvalho speaking to a group of supporters of “People for the Preservation of Kauai” caught my eye.
• Historical information • Weather observations • Regarding Myles Emura • Home rule
Historical information
The Nov. 18 front page photo of Mayor Carvalho speaking to a group of supporters of “People for the Preservation of Kauai” caught my eye.
In the center of the photo is the memorial bust of State Rep. Tony Kunimura, my husband, looking on.
How appropriate it was to have Rep. Kunimura be a front and center part of this photo. In Tony’s autobiography information it states, “Tony was a strong proponent for the rights of the common man. The bitter fight that took place on the floor of the House of Representatives over Magic Island on O‘ahu was a good example. Through his perseverance and ability to debate, Magic Island was saved and preserved as a public park for the people of Hawai‘i rather than being lost to a major landowner in a government land swap.”
Land is precious — whether it is our own family lands, county lands or state lands. Once taken away — by whatever means — it is hard to get back.
Tony’s long and illustrious political career of 34 years began with the County Board of Supervisors where he set up the County Ordinance in 1959 stating that, “No building shall be taller than the tallest coconut tree,” which was clarified to state “no building shall be taller than 40 feet.”
As mayor, Tony negotiated the purchase of the Lihu‘e Civic Center which is now the Moikeha Building and where this picture was taken.
I rarely write letters to the editor — but this photo had a message I wanted to share.
Aloha.
Phyllis Kunimura
Koloa
Weather observations
The scientists signing the Iowa Climate Statement are hugely overconfident in their assertions that we are headed for dangerous global warming and worsening drought. Considering the sun is thought to be entering its weakest cycles in 150 years, we may very well be in for global cooling, not warming; no one knows.
Contrary to popular opinion, the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events are not affected by our emissions of greenhouse gases, even if those emissions cause global warming.
The 2011 Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change report (NIPCC – see www.nipccreport.com) concluded “… the data reveal there have not been any significant warming-induced increases in extreme weather events.”
This was the case whether the phenomenon studied was precipitation, floods, drought, storms, hurricanes, fire or other weather-related events.
NIPCC author Dr. Madhav Khandekar demonstrated that extreme weather events are now occurring with about the same frequency as they did during 1945-1977 cooling period.
To see if extremes are really on the rise, we must consult the National Climatic Data Center. We find that most records were set many decades ago.
Here (www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records) are the state-wide extreme weather records for Hawai‘i:
Highest temperature – 1931
Lowest temperature – 1979
Most precipitation in a 24-hour period: 1956
Most snowfall in a 24-hour period: 1936
Greatest snow depth: 1938
Since we have no chance of stopping warming, cooling or extreme weather events, we need to better prepare for such inevitable climate variability.
Tom Harris, B.Eng., M.Eng. Executive director, International Climate Science Coalition
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Regarding Myles Emura
The current score (in TGI Forum letters) is Myles Emura 19, Supervisors 0.
What’s wrong with this picture? What’s wrong with it is that our supervisors, and the heroes that they supervise, are working 7/365 with a level of dedication and skill and professionalism that has done nothing but grow and flourish over the last couple of decades.
The beneficiaries of this work? Kaua‘i’s beach-going people.
This critical truth has been shoved into the background under the barrage of Emura support letters.
My problem with Mr. Emura’s severe allegations is that he chose to level them against his professional supervisors publicly, and not in a hearing or a courtroom where such allegations belong. A jury could then sort out and decide where the truth lies (and I certainly have my own opinion based on the information I have), then make appropriate judgments and decisions, and we wouldn’t have to have our exposure to Kaua‘i lifeguarding be this one very unpleasant sidebar to our terrific overall program.
Instead, we could enjoy what’s really happening: A wonderful cadre of men and women who dedicate themselves to our peoples’ safety.
Monty Downs, M.D.
President, Kaua‘i
Lifeguard Association
Kapa’a
Home rule
I do believe in home rule. However, our population base is so small that our contribution to the state’s expenses to keep Kaua‘i’s infrastructure, schools, parks, etc., going is too minimal. We are and have been a subsidized county for a long time, subsidized by taxpayers in O‘ahu and other islands.
Our council keeps us from growing, contrary to our general plan, on one hand and begs for other island taxpayers’ dollars on the other hand.
Until we get closer to our critical population mass to self-sufficiency, O‘ahu will dictate. This is basically the answer to why O‘ahu rules on state issues on Kaua‘i.
To repeal Act 55, go after the right people. Your mayors and the governor did not make Act 55 law. They are simply trying to work together to carry out what the legislators handed down to them. Only the legislators can repeal the act.
Ron Agor
Lihu‘e
