• A body of troops in close array • Let’s have common sense with guns • Magical evening with Wala‘au • Sports Authority is great, but assault weapons not A body of troops in close array It was disturbing to see a phalanx of administration officials on
• A body of troops in close array • Let’s have common sense with guns • Magical evening with Wala‘au • Sports Authority is great, but assault weapons not
A body of troops in close array
It was disturbing to see a phalanx of administration officials on a paid holiday at the May 28 Council meeting assembled at the behest of our mayor to extol the social qualities of our county attorney, Al Castillo. We the taxpayers will foot the bill for that gathering. But the purpose of the resolution being considered was to examine Mr. Castillo’s job performance, not his personality. The deficiencies in the county attorney’s work observed and reported by council members Hooser and Rapozo must surely have been noted by the other council members although they failed to express them and chose an accommodative rather than a corrective path.
Let’s review some of the reasons that Mel Rapozo and Gary Hooser felt it a necessity and had guts enough to put Resolution 2014-35 on the agenda to remove Mr. Castillo from his job. Kauai is hemorrhaging money for the costs of legal services. The extent of such costs that arise from the failures of our County Attorney, Al Castillo, are not readily ascertainable but nothing in his work experience has qualified him to manage a staff of up to nine attorneys and oversee the services of retained special counsel.
The work of the county attorney is largely shrouded from public view. Few of the county attorney’s office opinions are made public. But those that have have received uniformly stinging reviews. The County Council is entangled in a record rate of executive sessions a number of which have been called by the county attorney to rectify cost overruns by special counsel greater than approved amounts. To date, 29 executive sessions have been held in an apparent effort by the county attorney to punish our county auditor for disclosures made in his audits. The role of the county attorney in the recent settlement of the Bynum case was highly dubious.
Neither Gary Hooser nor Mel Rapozo are lawyers but they are both experienced in legal affairs. If they have lost confidence in the lawyer that the County Council is obliged to use then he needs to go. Yes, Mayor Barnard Carvalho, he needs to go.
Gary and Mel should be congratulated even though their resolution failed for their courage to try to correct a grievous shortcoming in the administration of the county attorney’s office in the face of a “let’s not rock the boat” attitude of the other council members.
Ken Taylor, Kapaa
Let’s have common sense with guns
At one time, cocaine was used as a pain killer; but it became a tool of abuse long ago and is now a controlled substance unavailable to our general citizenry. Guns are tools for law enforcement, military defense, hunting and target shooting. But they are being so abused by many who acquire them that school attacks on people from kindergarteners to college students occur every year. We even have a sad history of parents trying to “connect” with their disturbed children by giving them guns (Columbine and Sandy Hook come to mind). Isn’t it reasonable to consider more limits on guns, given the frequency of abuse? We don’t cling to the argument “drugs don’t abuse people; people abuse drugs”?
Why not try to apply some common sense to gun availability?
Suzan Brooks, West Des Moines, Iowa
Magical evening with Wala‘au
I attended the 20th anniversary celebration of Wala‘au this past Saturday night at the Marriott’s main ballroom. It was an event that I will not soon forget. The ambiance, food, service, program and entertainment were second to none. While I have known Dickie Chang for many years, I had no idea how much of an impact he and Bruce Smalling and the Wala‘au show had on our community and our island.
The fact that he donated all proceeds from the event to the suicide prevention and awareness cause speaks volumes of the person he truly is. Klapana and the Greenstone Project were flawless in their performances, and Malani Bilieu surprised my parents who were also present by dedicating their hit song “Naturally” to my Mom and Dad.
Thanks again to Dickie, Bruce, and Kalapana for a magical evening. We are all truly grateful for all you do and wish you continued success on Wala‘au!
Troy Morikawa, Lihue
Sports Authority is great, but assault weapons not
What a great store, Sports Authority. I just have one bad feeling about a store on Kauai that sells assault rifles. We don’t need assault guns on this island. I’ve seen to much shootings in the Mainland and we don’t need to tempt people with killing machines.
I am a resident of Hawaii for 60 years.
Danny Renaud, Kapahi
