• Path full of potential • Politicians are elected to serve the people • Help us, Obama • KIUC at odds Path full of potential We would like to express our appreciation of the importance of the Kaua‘i coastal path.
• Path full of potential
• Politicians are elected to serve the people
• Help us, Obama
• KIUC at odds
Path full of potential
We would like to express our appreciation of the importance of the Kaua‘i coastal path.
It is a large part of the reason why we chose to live on Kaua‘i. We feel that the path is a vital part of the community both as a recreation opportunity and as a transportation option.
We would like to focus on the path as a means to reducing the need to drive a car, because we are so familiar with path systems in towns where they have successfully become a way to travel on a daily basis. In our home town of Whistler, we as a community use the path system as a way to walk or bicycle to work, to grocery shop, to the business areas, and to the parks.
We are very excited about the potential of the Kaua‘i path and when we are on the island, we use the path at least three times per week.
Thank you for continuing to support the expansion of the path system.
Eric and Kathleen Henderson, Whistler, Canada
Politicians are elected to serve the people
Regarding James “Kimo” Rosen’s comments on Rush Limbaugh (“Rush Limbaugh is a danger to America,” Letters, June 20), you can’t be serious.
You are complaining about Obama bashing, what about the left’s bashing of Bush for the last two administrations? You probably didn’t speak up about that.
The people of this country have the right to free speech but when your president gets some criticism you believe that this is endangering the country.
What this country needs is a discussion from both political sides to do the right thing for the people of the United States not for the gain of politicians.
“If we need to stand together as one,” as you said, what happened when President Obama rushed the stimulus package through Congress? The Republicans were not allowed in the discussions and probably not one of our legislators read the stimulus bill but we have added trillions of dollars of debt to the taxpayers.
President Obama said it was crucial that we pass the stimulus bill in order to keep unemployment at 8 percent. Well, we are at 9.4 percent now and The Garden Island newspaper reported the western states at 10 percent.
There needs to be a lot more questions asked of this administration regarding their policies for the good of the American people. Politicians were elected to serve the people.
Tom “Pono” Miller, Lihu‘e
Help us, Obama
Honorable President Obama, I believe in what you are doing for the American people and the world. I commend you on your compassion and wisdom.
We are hurting economically here on Kaua‘i and in the State of Hawai‘i. I am a state worker and like many other state workers I work hard.
The problem is Gov. Lingle is taking revenge out on all state workers because the union didn’t endorse her in the last election for governor. She has now misused her power and stepped over the line by not following procedures according to the union contract.
She wants state workers to take a three-day furlough, cutting our pay and cutting our sick and vacation time in half. She will tell the public one thing but do the opposite.
Sir, you know what I’m trying to say here, so please help us out.
We state workers are taxed to support both the poor and the wealthy. Without us, the government will fall into terminal crisis. I fought in the Vietnam War for a better way of life in another country only to come home and discover that I can’t even trust my own government.
I feel betrayed by a government leader who bends contractual agreements to fix the shortcomings from within her own administration.
Rodney Medeiros, Hanama‘ulu
KIUC at odds
Regarding “KIUC weighs in on federal energy proposals” (The Garden Island, June 22), it is interesting that KIUC members taking early action on energy conservation could somehow be a “crucial issue” or revenue problem for KIUC.
KIUC’s and the state’s strategic plans for dealing with new “clean energy” have a heavy energy efficiency and conservation component that is almost 30 percent of the needed fossil fuels replacement. So why should this be a problem for KIUC?
Their members are way ahead of KIUC’s Board of Directors and staff on this. The members are doing what needs to be done because the Board is not.
Furthermore, why is KIUC wasting its time and money lobbying about whether hydroelectric is classified as renewable at the federal level? Any new hydro project would be years away.
I also find it interesting that KIUC has put out so much PR about its proposed base rate increase, which would be relatively minor, and almost nothing about its proposed $75 million fossil fuel generator.
The information and false assumptions that KIUC relies upon for the decision on this new generator are in an IRP planning document.
What’s needed right now from KIUC’s Board and senior staff is less rhetoric and junkets to D.C. and more definitive action on renewable energy and conservation as their members are already doing independently.
Brad Parsons, Hanalei
