• Garbage blues getting deeper • Wilderness trashed • Lewis should be allowed special meeting with lawmakers • Obama surrogates ill-informed Garbage blues getting deeper I not only sympathize with Whitne Drake and her “Garbage truck blues” (The Garden Island,
• Garbage blues getting deeper
• Wilderness trashed
• Lewis should be allowed special meeting with lawmakers
• Obama surrogates ill-informed
Garbage blues getting deeper
I not only sympathize with Whitne Drake and her “Garbage truck blues” (The Garden Island, Oct. 2) letter, but I completely understand her feelings, for we, too, experienced a totally unacceptable pickup on Wednesday when this smelly monster came lumbering through the Waioli Gardens section of the Wailua Homesteads at 4:32 a.m.
At that hour the noise from these huge trucks can be heard for several blocks off in the distance, with the sound growing ever louder as they slowly approach our exact location.
Once here, not only do the workers bang the rubbish barrels against the yawning hole in the rear of the truck, they seem to delight in immediately releasing the mechanism that allows the grinding of the trash to commence. This is done at every home. If you have neighbors who don’t recycle their bottles, the breaking glass noise is beyond description, plus the fact that the workers carry on loud conversations with each other as the truck moves on to the next residence.
All the while, the bright yellow flashing light atop this behemoth is sending what looks like coded messages streaking across all of our bedroom ceilings. To make matters worse we live in what can only be described as a double cul-de-sac, so this truck circles around the end of the first street, turns onto the next cul-de-sac street, circles around in it and then comes past our homes for a second time before returning to the road that leads back to the highway. By this time the entire neighborhood is awake, including all the dogs that think it’s time for their owners to take them out for their morning shi-shi run.
Coming through any neighborhood at 4:30 a.m. is completely ridiculous, for that matter so is 5:30 a.m. But that may have to be tolerated. If one phones the labor union office to complain, the response is: “Tough.” If one phones the yard where these trucks come from, you’re told that they’re not supposed to leave the yard before 5 a.m.
Obviously, some of the workers aren’t paying any attention to that law. Perhaps Mayor Asing can offer some help in this matter and see to it that none of us have to put up with this annoyance again.
• Gini Stoddard, Wailua Homesteads
Wilderness trashed
Why is there so much litter in the mountains? You see it everywhere you go — even deep in the Alakai.
I’ve run into trash carelessly left behind by whom I can only assume was an adventurous hiker trying to make it to Wai‘ale‘ale. And what is up with the beer cans? I can tell it’s the same individuals in any given area, too, because you see the same type of can!
Keystone light above Kalaheo, Bud Light up Hanalei valley, Red Bull in Moloa‘a.
And for those who happen to be hunting and drinking beer, may I remind you that it is illegal, unethical and reckless to mix alcohol and firearms. Poachers!
This is just another example of careless individuals giving everybody a bad name. Not to alienate a certain user group, because all groups contributed to the litter situation. Motor bikers, off-roaders, hikers, campers, hunters, fishermen — even bird watchers. For crying out loud, people! And we don’t want to hear the excuse, “It’s to mark the trail,” as justification for your littering when really, you just don’t want to carry your ‘opala.
If you are actually concerned about marking the trail, I suggest you look into purchasing some flagging tape; they even make reflective types for night use.
So the next time you are all stoked because you caught one monster boar and are hop-skipping out of the mountains with a full pack of meat, a smile on your face and some big boar tusks to show your friends, try picking up the trash you see along the way. The feeling you get from it will make your good day even better.
Mahalo to all the hunters, fishermen and others who already pick up ‘opala when they see it. I hope more people are encouraged to follow your lead.
• Nicolai Barca, Kilauea
Lewis should be allowed special meeting with lawmakers
I agree with Walter Lewis’ column yesterday, “Council should allow comment on tax bill” (The Garden Island, Oct. 4). The tax bill should be considered further and taxpayers should be allowed to express their views at all meetings. There should be caps set on how taxes can be raised.
Prices of homes are down now from the last few years. Will the elected officials agree not to raise taxes for a few years in light of this? What about retired people on social security? Does the new tax law give them any tax breaks?
Lewis is an expert and should be allowed a special meeting with our legislators to express the views of the people.
• Richard L. Turner, Princeville
Obama surrogates ill-informed
I am writing this letter in response to the letter from Michelle Carroll, “Obama has vision” (The Garden Island, Oct. 4). She says to your readers that there are five easy-to-understand reasons why there is no other choice than Barack Obama for president
She claims he has the skills to turn this country around by mobilizing people from the ground up from his community organizing experience. His skills as a community organizer in South Chicago has left entire neighborhoods that were once livable to become abandoned and boarded up where nobody can live.
He does have a vision for this country and it has been influenced by his pastor and dear friend of 20 years who preaches black religious theocracy. I have heard of religious theocracy, but not exclusively for blacks.
He does have a degree from Harvard University, as do many other lawyers and politicians across this country, but where are all of these people he has allegedly helped?
He has in fact lived in other countries, but only one, Indonesia, where he attended a school from the age of 6 years old until he was 10 years old. He was registered in this school as a member of Islamic faith and under the name of Barry Soetoro, not Barack Hussein Obama, which is his real name. So his international understanding is very limited, if he has any at all.
People need to wake up very soon from their slumber and get informed as to the real Barack Obama and the facts that are indisputable and readily available if one seeks them. Sadly, many of Americans like Michelle Carroll are simply uninformed of the facts and they are following the insanity that is being spread across this country by Obama and his surrogates.
Obama does not have the solutions that this country needs in these troubled times and he will only magnify these problems if somehow he gets elected.
• J.M.Gair, Kilauea
