Letters for July 18, 2016

Letters for July 18, 2016

Thanks for raising awareness of homelessness

I am so delighted and thankful for the story “The Cage: Homeless find refuge” (TGI, June 30).

This issue demands attention, sympathy and assistance. First, “The Cage” may be a refuge for some but it also has some serious issues with substance abuse, violence and mental health issues. I frequent that and other locations to bring food, patch up those that got into confrontations and offer Christian guidance.

Yes, many either choose that lifestyle, but also many like me have been forced into our homeless situation either due to finances, housing availability, substance abuse, mental health issues or abandonment.

We are homeless but not hopeless. And we are blessed each day from above and by helping each other. But we need refuge, assistance and hope. My heart goes out to many that suffer from mental illness or heath issues. Those in charge of our island need to address those needs and issues before more die from neglect, illness or just give up.

So thank you to The Garden Island and Alden for bringing this issue to the community’s attention. We just want and need sympathy and understanding. Bless and thank you.

Mark Segreti

Lihue

County must plan for more cars

Some of what Mr McRoberts letter (June 11) says in response to my letter of June 6 is completely true. Like that fine movie said, “Build it and they will come.” But, as good as that movie was, it was fictional and not what goes on in the real world.

In our world, specifically on Kauai, this paradise island is here and there is no way, legal or otherwise that we can restrict people from visiting or living here.

Yes, our representatives and planners should have passed ordinances long ago making it mandatory that all infrastructure be put in place to take care of development before allowing it to proceed but that didn’t happened and thus problems are with us and escalate as time goes on.

The point of my letter was that more bikes, multi-use paths, walking and buses are not the solutions to our traffic problems. Vehicle usage is here to stay and only wider and more alternate routes will alleviate the problem.

L.A. is the automobile capital of the world and though freeways are congested at times (same as Honolulu and other major cities) where would those masses of vehicles go if the freeways were not there — those cities would become disaster areas? Try putting those freeway vehicles on surface streets with signals and the city would become a parking lot.

Your idea of “exploring ways to limit growth” is a great sound bite but as long as we live in the most democratic, wonderful county on Earth the freedom of movement and where we live will never be restricted. Finding practical and pragmatic solutions to our problems should be our goal not trying to make believe that a dream world scenario will work.

A county manager would be a step in the right direction.

Glenn Mickens

Kapaa