Letters for Aug. 16, 2016

Letters for Aug. 16, 2016

Columnist raises good point

Walter Lewis with his “A Better Kauai” editorial (July 15, TGI) “Council should look closer into county money transfer” once again hits the bullseye dead center.

Though I may be one of Mr. Lewis’ best admirers by frequently complimenting him on his efforts to improve Kauai for everyone, I am sure that there are countless other citizens who have the same appreciation for what he does as I do but do not have the time to put it in writing.

Please, all who read this remember that Mr Lewis has absolutely no other reason to express his opinions since he is only trying to make this a better Kauai for all of us. He has never run for office nor is he motivated by politics but if something should be corrected he does his best to offer a solution.

His latest article hits hard at our administration for trying to cover up violations by the operations of our four transfer stations for health code violations and our tax payers needing to pay $140,000 in fines to the DOH.

It is one thing to make an honest mistake but to flagrantly use monies allocated in their budget for paying fines without getting permission or telling the council is really inexcusable and possibly unlawful.

Also, as Mr Lewis points out, why is our council not using sec 3.17 of our charter to have a full blown investigation?

Issue after issue is brought up before the council and yet it appears that the outrage shown by its members is nothing but an act for the people watching to make them believe that those members should be reelected.

We need a total investigation of wrongful doings by using 3.17 and identify the problems and consider the solutions.

Glenn Mickens

Kapaa

Power to the women

The idea of powerful women is almost oxymoronic. Most of us don’t see ourselves in that mix. Few think of us as the weaker sex — that went out with chattel and corsets — but they don’t think of us as power mongers, either.

We can be as brilliant, successful and famous as any man alive. In many cases more brilliant, more successful, more famous. In most professions we have to be 10 times better than men and many can do that with one leg in a cast.

Forget for a moment the professional stuff. Truth — on a basic human level — we’re more beautiful than any man alive. Disagree and we’ll have words at 20 paces. Lots of guys are handsome, but they don’t have curves or sass, so — move over peacock — even if you have a three-story closet with a champagne floor and a wardrobe vast as the Duchess Kate’s, you’d rate about six on the fashionista Richter. And do we love to flash it. Gander at the carpet, gawk at the beach, Paparazzi are looking for us, guys, not you.

Jocularity aside, when our country was founded there were only two famous American women. Pocahontas and Mary Dyer. If you’re like I was, you’ll hunt to find who Mary was. Hint: she was a Quaker. There’s a statue of her in Boston. The first of a kind, she gave her life defying male pushers and shovers. One paid a high price for civil disobedience in 1660.

Pushers and shovers? Just one of a bunch of arm pit bad-smell male flaws.

Men push and shove. Few women are inclined, it’s not our style. We tend to be generous, gracious and kind. Most important, without us, there could be no future. High tech — high as it goes — will probably not produce men who’ll end up pregnant. Could it be that’s why so many men today—and far back in history — are bullies? Thugs?

(You can’t give birth to a baby or make milk to feed it. You’re jealous, that’s why.)

Further, thug and bully are not words generally used to describe women and — I could make a case — violence is another unfortunate male preoccupation. Way too many prefer greed and war and killing machines and these preferences are a dark force in America.

But lo! A bright flame flickers. Politics. It’s a recent American female endeavor.

The first Hawaiian female politician, Patsy Mink, was elected to the Territory of Hawaii Senate in 1958. That’s practically yesterday.

Today, we have more than our share of beautiful, brilliant, far-thinking, women in office. . You know who they are and they make all of us proud.

At the national level, we have the best and the brightest, Hillary Clinton. She wrote of herself, in her book Living — find it and read — “I’m not as good or as bad as many people think.”

Only a woman would make such a statement. May the force be with her.

Bettejo Dux

Kalaheo