• Another ID struggle • PUC went along with smart meters • Let everyone play ball Another ID struggle I am writing in support of Henri Carnal’s trials to get a Hawaii driver’s license (“Question of ID,” TGI, Nov. 8).
• Another ID struggle • PUC went along with smart meters • Let everyone play ball
Another ID struggle
I am writing in support of Henri Carnal’s trials to get a Hawaii driver’s license (“Question of ID,” TGI, Nov. 8).
For six years I have been trying to obtain a legal ID for my father, 102 in April. Unfortunately in 2007 when he moved in with me, I tossed his driver’s license as at 95 he no longer wanted to drive, thank God.
I also failed using expensive computer websites to obtain that needed birth certificate.
Recently, I found his original Social Security card issued June 12, 1939.
He has had a passport, but where? He’s paid the IRS longer than I’ve been alive and I’m old enough to collect Social Security. He has a selective service card, numerous picture ID cards to work in factories, most from World War II.
Also tons of unused licenses for fish, quail, pheasant, duck, goose, elk, deer and such.
Do you think I can get him a state ID? Not! Not without a birth certificate or passport. No passport without a state ID. No bank notary services without a state ID. I totally sympathize with your frustration.
Don’t know if it’s the county, the state or the federal system with all the insurmountable hurdles, but no one seems to be able to help. It seems our kupuna aren’t so special after all.
Lynn McLernon
Koloa
PUC went along with smart meters
The Public Utilities Commission is allowing KIUC to coerce its smart meter opt-out members to pay twice for meter reading. The budget for meter reading is already in place.
Those who opt into smart meters also opt into all of the expenses of smart grid. Those who opt out, have none of these expenses and should have a discount on their utility bill.
Also, they should be sheltered from any litigation expenses in future, when KIUC faces lawsuits for health and privacy crimes.
KIUC has never shown that smart meters will save money, nor has any utility in the world.
A recent German study has scared industry by claiming their smart grid 2020 roll out is not cost effective for users. Connecticut and UK have similar findings.
PUC was the one who encouraged KIUC to charge a double fee, which is simply an attempt to stop the 10 percent of electricity users here who have studied smart meters and rejected them from growing.
Ray Songtree
Hanalei
Let everyone play ball
I want to sincerely thank Bill Buley and Dennis Fujimoto for their story and pictures of me in my life of baseball.
I am humbled and honored by this story and I can only hope that some of our young baseball players on Kauai read it and realize that fulfilling their dream —baseball, engineering, being a mechanic or whatever is possible with hard work and determination to succeed. When a coach tells you that you don’t have the ability to play then come off the bench (pinch hitting or as a relief pitcher) and get a hit or strike someone out and prove to the coach that you belong in the starting lineup — show him he is wrong not with your mouth but by your actions.
Kauai has a fine young man who reached the big leagues, Tyler Yates, and this island can be proud of what he accomplished and grateful that he is doing all he can to help other players reach a level that they dream of.
Tyler’s younger brother, Kerby, also has an excellent chance of pitching for Tampa Bay in the majors. He is the only player (Kauai HS) to ever put 90 mph on my radar gun and even with arm surgery he had guts enough to fight back and get to AAA ball and is knocking at the big league door.
And who in Hawaii isn’t super proud of a kid named Victorino from Maui with the World Series Champion Red Sox — one of the best clutch hitters in the game. He also fought his way to the top.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t ask Mr. Tom Shigimoto, president of AJA baseball, to open his fine league to any and all ballplayers who have the ability to compete — not to just those with Japanese blood in them!
Yes, I have fought this battle to never discriminate against any person who wants to play baseball — race, color or ethnic background should not be a criterion for being on a team. I have heard the word culture used for keeping AJA baseball segregated but culture was used for keeping African-Americans out of “white” baseball until Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson came along.
The barrier door is slowly coming down in marriage and for women — what greater mistake did our military ever make than kicking out or keeping homosexuals from serving their county with honor?
Baseball is played more and more around the world and our big leagues have strengthened their teams with players from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Canada, Korea, China, Mexico, Japan and other countries .
I applaud AJA baseball for keeping this league going in Hawaii.
But there is no legitimate reason to not strengthen this organization by letting anyone play who has the ability — black, white, red or yellow.
Think of all the great big league stars who would never have played in the majors if the color line had not been broken. Aaron, Mays, Bonds, Campanella, Bob Gibson, Newcombe, Maury Wills, Jackie and so many more.
Probably one of the greatest pitchers of all time (verified by Robinson and Campanella) never got to the bigs until he was over 40 years old and he still won!
Yes, Tom, please open your AJA baseball doors to everyone and don’t deny some player from getting to the next level if he could get more experience in your fine league.
Glenn Mickens
Kapaa
