• Where’s the aloha spirit? • KIUC members’ meeting • Protect monk seals from government Where’s the aloha spirit? We understand the economy is in dire straights and affects us all but there has to be a conscious effort to
• Where’s the aloha spirit? • KIUC
members’ meeting • Protect monk seals from
government
Where’s the aloha spirit?
We understand the economy is in dire straights and affects us all but there has to be a conscious effort to avoid becoming a common thief! Yes there have been robberies, break ins etc., but it seems these problems have escalated recently.
Someone came into our yard and stole a utility trailer after midnight Friday. Nowhere to hide it, no one to sell it to and no one to buy it, especially with license plates and registration, so where do we go from here? We lock our doors now? We set up alarm systems, lights, dogs? Where’s the aloha spirit?
We should all work together and help each other get through this and solve these problems together not rob and steal from our neighbors. I’m ashamed.
Larry and Darlene Dolan, Kalaheo
KIUC members’ meeting
Having attended only portions of the Saturday KIUC “member petitioned” meeting at the Veteran’s Hall across from the airport, the three-minute testimonies were, as could be expected, supporting both pros and cons.
The three KIUC board members overseeing the meeting naturally defended the FERC concept whereas the speakers I heard were not necessarily against the concept but more concerned with wanting a vote on this issue after more due diligence is performed concerning the track record of the FERC program in other communities. How many FERC programs have been attempted compared to how many succeeded, or how many have failed, would be a good indicator as to the reliability of this proposal? Just what is their batting percentage?
Everyone there seemed to agree that hydro-powered electricity is needed as at least one component replacing fossil fueled generated electricity. The three board members that I heard, all agreed that hydro would be a great benefit.
My only question is if this is true, why would the KIUC Chairman of the Board refuse to even discuss or look into a proposal that was offered to KIUC that would have cost KIUC, actually the members “not one red cent”? All it would cost the “members” would be a “Power Purchase Agreement,” a document referred to by one gentleman member testifying as being nothing more than a “cookie cutter” process. Paraphrasing his testimony: “he had researched the process used here on Kaua‘i (of which there are about a half dozen PPS’s issued with one or two performing properly at low Mw levels) and elsewhere and it is a very simple matter”; I would contend with no risk to the co-op or its members.
With a KIUC PPA, a simple piece of paper, financing could be found to prove a new “hydrogen-fueled” generating technology that would eliminate the need for fossil fuel. Diesel fuel would be exchanged for hydrogen, from H2O, as fuel! The only commitment “members” would bear would be having to buy electricity at a much lower rate, well over 50 percent lower at today’s present fuel cost. At least you’d think they would look into it.
Oh yes, the $65 million financing would not be in the name of the “members” but in the developers’ name. I repeat: no risk to Kaua‘i residents, the “members” and owners of KIUC.
John Hoff, Lawa‘i
Protect monk seals from government
Everywhere we look, we see the government taking away our freedom to expand their turf and power. It was recently announced that the federal government is going to set aside beaches on Kaua‘i and elsewhere where monk seals will be “protected.”
Sharks eat monk seals and ulua follow monk seals and steal the food they uncover. These two predators are devastating monk seal populations in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands where there are no people.
Humans like to fish for ulua and will not tolerate sharks getting too aggressive at beaches where humans swim.
So, humans are now a monk seal’s best friend. Here where people live, monk seals are flourishing, growing in population from 43 to 113 in just nine years, a 150 percent increase.
The federal government’s decision to keep humans from fishing for ulua and sharks in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands has been a disaster for the monk seals. Now they want to expand this foolishness to the populated islands in Hawai‘i.
The feds simply can’t be stupid enough to think this action is necessary for the seals. Rather, they are just creating more power and more jobs for themselves as they take away our freedom.
The federal agency NOAA is apparently accepting comments through Aug. 31. Let them know that we don’t need new restrictions on our beaches where monk seals are now flourishing. Make a comment at their website.
Also, let them know that they should start allowing ulua and shark fishing expeditions to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands in order to save the monk seals on those islands.
Mark Beeksma, Koloa
