• Saddened by drownings • Stender is a liar • Brazile’s beliefs unbelievable • Higher prices for those on grid? Saddened by drownings I am so saddened to read yet again about four visitors drowning within two days in Kaua‘i.
• Saddened by drownings
• Stender is a liar
• Brazile’s beliefs unbelievable
• Higher prices for those on grid?
Saddened by drownings
I am so saddened to read yet again about four visitors drowning within two days in Kaua‘i. Especially regarding the tourist from Poland, who was apparently a “strong” swimmer.
How are tourists to really know about the dangers of Kaua‘i surf when they visit from afar? More needs to be done to protect visitors and local residents alike. Maybe the resorts could pool resources to at least guard the beaches in front of their properties?
I always feared for my guests when I lived on Kaua‘i since the ocean is so dangerous and most folks are unaware of the extreme dangers.
• Susie Wood, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Stender is a liar
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee Oswald Stender’s Saturday (“Election-year smears,” Letters, Oct. 11) letter against me just shows that he is living in complete denial about his friends Haunani Apoliona and Colette Machado and is terrified that when they lose this election, he will have to give up his Finance Committee where all of the excess spending has come from and will have to submit to a forensic audit.
For the record:
• I have never used OHA money to take any personal trips and have never solicited invitations to take trips anywhere.
• All of my travel has been approved by the OHA administrator.
• I am the chair of the Native Hawaiian Health Task Force, which has never been dissolved by the board.
• It was Stender and Trustee Boyd Mossman who asked me to speak with the local representative of the Jack Abramoff firm. On a trip to Washington, D.C., trustees Machado, Apoliona, Dante Carpenter, John Waihee IV, myself and the administrator all interviewed three lobbyist firms. I never, at any time, insisted that OHA hire the Abramoff firm.
• Apoliona has, by far, outspent all current and past trustees with her travel expenses. On one trip to D.C. in 2007 alone, she spent nearly $9,000. She spent $56,000 from 2005-2006.
• People who remember when Stender was with the Bishop Estate know that he created so much trouble from the inside of that institution that it finally collapsed and now the Princess’ will has been broken forever.
• As a Bishop Estate trustee, Stender formed a consortium with private investors to outbid his own board to buy a section of land from Maui Land & Pine. He even used a study done by Bishop Estate for his private use with his consortium. For this action, he should have been removed as a trustee for a breach of trust.
It is really sad to see someone so afraid of losing his power on the OHA board that he will do anything — even lie and twist the truth — to discredit his fellow trustee to maintain the status quo.
This is exactly why there needs to be changes on the OHA board. It’s time, folks, it’s time.
• Rowena Akana, trustee, Office of Hawaiian Affairs
Brazile’s beliefs unbelievable
This poor miserable woman lives on the edge of civility and human decency.
The article by Donna Brazile (“McCain, Palin slinging mud from the gutter,” Media Voices, Oct. 12) refers to our war veterans as failures in life because of their service and sacrifice to our country. Our war veterans are failures in life?
We are free to express our opinion and she has stated hers. Words to express my thoughts about Brazile’s beliefs, however, will not pass muster with the newspaper’s editorial staff.
• Joel Whitley, Lihu‘e
Higher prices for those on grid?
The recent story “Lihu‘e airport to harness sun,” Oct. 4, A1, hints at what many of us have known from the time that KIUC bought our co-op from Citizens Communications for an inflated price of $220 million — it was about $50 million over book value.
All the talk about KIUC pushing for alternate energy forms is really only a myth since each time anyone turns to solar, wind, hydro or any other form of non-fossil fuel use simply means that the huge debt incurred by KIUC can only be repaid by those of us who are left on the grid and who don’t have the means to go to alternative energy uses.
In other words, if PMRF, the hotels, the county and other large users of electricity decide to use photovoltaics, that means that those left on the grid will be paying astronomical rates for their electricity — probably five to 10 times the 47 cents per kilowatt hour we now pay.
It was as clear to those who fought the KIUC purchase of our utility in 2003 as it is today that the public was being deceived by the group led by Gregg Gardiner in this ill-planned takeover. Remember that these “deceivers” told the public that $280 million was the “best” price that we could acquire the utility for, but the PUC and the consumer advocate said “no” to that price and the still-inflated price of $220 million was approved.
We further invested (wisely so) in the Hanama‘ulu facility for another $30 million and are still in the process of paying off this huge debt.
So again, the public is getting the short end of the stick and where were our elected officials to protect us when this was coming down? Remember that one of our council members even joined this group of deceivers at that time.
KIUC CEO Randy Hee’s truthful words as quoted in TGI are: “If everybody does that (goes voltaic) it would be tough. It would change the rated structure to cover the (cost of) infrastructure, with fewer people paying for that infrastructure. If a larger amount of these things happen, it could impact us drastically.”
Really, Mr. Hee? But where were the people’s protectors when this transaction was happening?
• Glenn Mickens, Kapa‘a
