• Vote against smart meter fees • County needs manager system • Dogs are not the problem Vote against smart meter fees KIUC is mailing out ballots for members of the cooperative to vote whether some members should be charged
• Vote against smart meter fees • County needs manager system • Dogs are not the problem
Vote against smart meter fees
KIUC is mailing out ballots for members of the cooperative to vote whether some members should be charged more for choosing to keep their standard electricity meter instead of accepting a replacement radio-frequency-pulsing meter.
A growing number of community members believe that smart grid technology, as it is being applied by KIUC management, is not compatible to Kauai’s unique circumstance, and that there are health and privacy concerns as well.
On Dec. 20, The Garden Island published results of their online poll that asked the question: “Are health/privacy concerns about smart meters justified?” The results: 287 said yes, 236 said no. And 57 said, “Maybe, I guess I should learn more about smart meters.”
This suggests the program should have been fully disclosed to the public before the rollout. But KIUC management bought and began installing the new meters without prior notice to the households that received them.
Subsequent “smart” outreach from KIUC has primarily been brochures inserted with the bill. No public forums for community input were organized. Their contractors came to our homes, often when we were away, and swapped out the meters.
For co-op members who have concerns and are withholding judgment, a successful no vote result on the ballot, if KIUC complies with the wishes of the majority, will ensure that smart meters can be removed in the future without incurring an expensive monthly fee. A no vote on the ballot is a vote for freedom of choice.
Kip Goodwin, Kapaa
County needs manager system
It has been disturbing to watch the conspiracy between the mayor and the council attempting to fire our county auditor. This type of impropriety could not happen under a manager-council type of government.
Under a manager-council form of government, the conspiracy is impossible. The mayor would be a part of the council. Top appointments would be by the manager with the consent of the council. If the manager did not perform well, he or she could be dismissed immediately.
The strong mayor-council system as we now have on Kauai operates unethically and in a costly manner seemingly with no end in sight. The mayor appoints people with no or little experience under political patronage. If the mayor does not perform well he cannot be fired until the end of his four-year term.
The manager appoints people knowing that his job may depend on the quality of their performance. The mayor appoints people knowing that his job may depend on the quantity of their political connections. Which method would best serve the people?
A manager would need to meet strict qualifications for the job, while the mayor, who under our charter, only needs to reside on Kauai for three years and be at least 30 years of age. No educational or management experience is required.
The manager–council system is successfully being used in many municipalities around the country, so let us, the citizens, take steps to make sure this system is on the ballot when again we vote.
Ellen S. Garcia , Lihue
Dogs are not the problem
Dogs barking incessantly in the middle of the night are not bad dogs. It is their owner who is the problem. Where are they? Why don’t they check it out to see if something is amiss? Why aren’t they correcting their dog’s behavior?
Many questions run through one’s mind while lying awake at 2 a.m. listening to the neighbor’s dog.
Why should we have to be deprived of precious peace and quiet and sleep because that dog owner refuses to get up and do something?
Are they even home?! Perhaps they don’t even know this is going on. Whether day or night, the same thoughts come to mind.
Maybe the dogs are just tired of being locked up or chained 24/7? Are they bored or hungry? Or is it an intruder?
Dogs have different sounding barks to signal events. Usually, continuous barking is just plain barking at nothing or they want attention.
If you know your dog(s) you will be able to tell if it’s due to a potential threat. Some dogs have routine barking at certain times, but can be trained not to do that. If living in the country, dogs should be trained to bark only at a threat. In a subdivision routine barking is a nuisance, especially if the owner does nothing to correct it.
We need this ordinance for the owner, not for the dogs! If you have thieves around, put your dogs at corners of the lot, not always in the kennels, but please go see why they’re barking!
Valerie Freitas, Kalaheo
