• This is not a club •KCC Summer Class •Road ruined •Liberals vs. conservatives This is not a club Mahalo to The Garden Island for bringing matters of public interest to the fore with sufficient detail that we ordinary Kauaians
• This is not a club
•KCC Summer Class
•Road ruined
•Liberals vs. conservatives
This is not a club
Mahalo to The Garden Island for bringing matters of public interest to the fore with sufficient detail that we ordinary Kauaians can form opinions. And thanks to Walter Lewis for his information-packed opinion pieces that take a stance on important matters that could otherwise slip by.
Too bad that I have to agree with Mr. Lewis about the outrageous way the County Council is being mis-run! Are there any other facts?
Was the committee Mr. Furfaro and Mr. Kawakami proposed intended to postpone corrective action or to supplement it? We surely don’t need a committee to do the right things right away.
You don’t need to appoint a committee to practice open democracy in keeping with sunshine laws, to distribute all communications intended for council members to all members immediately, or to ensure any council member can put items on the agenda in an orderly and fairly managed fashion. The council chair can explain if something can’t be handled publicly in a reasonable amount of time. Openness and reasonableness go hand in hand.
Sunshine laws are in force, and at least the Democratic Party has a longstanding commitment to open governance. A chair facilitates; he/she does not dictate.
Our County Council is an elected body holding public office for the public good. We are very ill-served by controlling behavior that discriminates against public information and discourse.
Can we hear directly from other council members beyond Mr. Bynum and Ms. Kawahara on sharing communications with all council members, on access to agenda, on fostering and practicing openness? Chairman Asing?
We don’t need to go to petition and recall for officers of the council or attorneys. We just need an immediate change of behavior and a lot more ‘ohana in practice.
Secretive and controlling practices in public office supported by legal opinions that go against the spirit of the sunshine laws are shameful. Let all members of the council, including its chairman, conduct the public’s business openly, without fear or favor. That is why you were elected.
This is not a club. It is the public’s business.
Michael Ceurvorst, Lawa‘i
KCC Summer Class
This summer I took a two-week summer culinary class at KCC. It was a great experience for me and I had a lot of fun.
I would just like to thank the chef, Martian Hilldorfer, and the other Instructors, Bonnie Honma and William Gibson, for the opportunity to take the class and for being so nice. I’d also like to thank them for teaching me so much things that I will use and remember everyday.
Also, I’d like to thank Rhonda Liu for helping me get into the class.
Lastly, I’d like to thank my food service teacher, Mr. Souza, for telling me about the class. I’m glad that I took the class and I hope other people will take advantage of it as well.
Colton White, Waimea
Road ruined
It is beyond belief that a crane the size of my house and just as heavy on tracks was allowed to travel all the way down Kikala street all the way down Wawae Road to Pu‘uwai and end at Ohana Aina Place.
I watched this machine mark up and dig into the entire road all the way. In some places actually breaking the surface. This road was resurfaced a few years back and was in good shape. Now there are tracks all the way down the road scratching and grinding at the pavement.
These people have been moving this heavy equipment regularly with complete disregard for our roads. This heavy equipment belongs on a flat bed and transported in that manner like everyone else.
Why isn’t someone responsible for this ongoing damage? This crane is unbelievably heavy and as wide as the whole road and no one can get around it when it’s on the move and it doesn’t appear to be county equipment. We can hear it coming for miles at a snail’s pace.
Lawrence Dolan, Kalaheo
Liberals vs. conservatives
Throughout history, have conservatives been good guys or bad guys?
The Roman soldiers who whipped and killed Jesus, and Jesus himself. Of the two sides, which were conservative, and which was a liberal?
Did Jesus support torture or killing? Did he pack a sword and spear?
Conservatism is finally dying around the world because its leaders are finally getting caught doing what they themselves preach against, and the people are tired of their antics.
America voted the conservatives out of office, and now in Iran the people are trying to free themselves from the tyranny of conservatism. President Obama should say more in support of Iran.
Judging a people by their leaders is nothing more than judging a book by its cover. Which is why so many people around the world grew to dislike us during the Bush presidency. They saw into the heart of conservatism (a contradiction in terms?).
The problem in Iran is not the people, it’s some of its very conservative leaders like the ayatollah. Were Stalin, Hitler and Chairman Mao all liberals? Anyone think that? How about Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden? Anyone think they were liberals? How about Gandhi?
It’s time to turn a page on what is essentially a movement that is intolerant of people or ideas that differ from their own. Intolerant of people who do not look or act like them. Intolerant of new ideas of progressing as a civilized society.
It’s time to become more civilized. It’s time to open our hearts and our minds.
Dennis Chaquette, Kapa‘a
