• Should profit be discouraged? • Superferry could have many benefits • Health care • Setting health care record straight Should profit be discouraged? During a Kaua‘i County Planning Commission meeting, scheduled Oct. 9, the Planning Department is expected to
• Should profit be discouraged?
• Superferry could have many benefits
• Health care
• Setting health care record straight
Should profit be discouraged?
During a Kaua‘i County Planning Commission meeting, scheduled Oct. 9, the Planning Department is expected to present its Finding of Fact and Conclusions of Law Regarding the Lihu‘e Wal-Mart expansion.
Following is how I translate what I anticipate the findings will be:
1. Wal-Mart is a low-down, chicken-livered, yellow-bellied, good-for-nothing company that cheats its customers and employees and should not be allowed to operate on an island such as Kaua‘i.
2. Wal-Mart ruins the rural atmosphere of the NaPali Coast, Koke‘e, Waimea Canyon, Kalalau, the top of Mt. Wa‘iale‘ale and all points north, south, east, west, and in between.
3. Wal-Mart sells groceries for less than legitimate grocery stores, such as Big Save Market, making the stockholders of Big Save feel bad and reducing their political clout on the island of Kaua‘i.
4. Wal-Mart sells a 30-day supply of 260 drugs for $4 each, thereby multiplying by several times the drug problem that already exists on the island.
5. Wal-Mart’s Everyday Low Prices cause Garden Island residents to want to drive to shop there, resulting in traffic congestion and depleting an already limited supply of gasoline.
6. Unlike other businesses on Kaua‘i, Wal-Mart ships in much of the merchandise it sells, thereby endangering the whales.
7. A Wal-Mart Supercenter in Lihu‘e would encourage friends and relatives to use the Superferry to visit Kaua‘i to pollute the island with their outside ideas, Maui potato chips, Komoda Bakery cakes, and other such contraband.
8. But worst of all, Wal-Mart makes a profit. The County government of Kaua‘i should do everything in its power to maintain its tradition of discouraging profit-making organizations.
Jack Stephens
Lihu‘e
Superferry could have many benefits
All the letters about the Superferry talk about its potential harmful effects. From reading the material, one might think that there are no off-setting benefits. On the contrary, there are many ways that the Superferry can serve Neighbor Island residents.
1. Enjoy O‘ahu shopping sprees without worrying about how to get it home. You can even shop at a Wal-Mart superstore if one opens on O‘ahu.
2. O‘ahu furniture or appliance retailers could run neighbor island delivery routes.
3. Potential for an inexpensive one-day parcel delivery service between the islands
4. Bread, milk, and other perishables can be carried on the ferry to save the extra cost of air freight n perhaps lowering prices.
5. The ferry takes 3 hours. Flight time is 20 minutes n plus at least an hour or more at the airport. Park your car at Nawiliwili and enjoy the hassle free trip.
6. Airfares will go up. Competition from the ferry might keep them more reasonable.
7. After a disaster such as ‘Iniki, the two ferries could be used to transport equipment and supplies to the stricken island.
8. Common sense says that cars and trucks will travel in both directions. The number of vehicles on Kaua‘i roads will not increase
9. Better price for a new car on O‘ahu? Drive it home.
10. Carry surfboards, wave riders, or canoes to O‘ahu for races or just fun.
11. Want to be a Pau rider on O‘ahu? Bring your horse.
12. Teams heading for state championships can load the kids and gear into vans.
13. Lower shipping costs might help lower prices,
14. Regular ambulances could be used to transfer less critical cases to O‘ahu rather than by air.
15. If flying is prohibited for a time after certain activities or medical care we can get home.
16. Some people are just ‘afraid of flying’.
17. There will be no impact on visitor arrivals. It is just an alternative method of travel. Bringing a car or renting one at the airport has the same impact.
Nothing will bring back the Kaua‘i that I remember from my first visit 37 years ago. Let’s take advantage of what we have available to us in 2007. Kaua‘i is still a great place to live n and always will be as long as we remember the concept of Aloha.
Stan Godes
Hanalei
Health care
The issue with the recent national health care bill is not about lack of caring for the health of our children. Everybody cares. The crux of the problem is about the legislature wanting government to provide free health care for families earning as much as $80,000 a year. The original intent of the program was to help the unfortunate families.
President Bush wants to keep the original intent of focusing on the less fortunate and be cautious about expanding the program to families who can actually afford private health care. The legislators will just have to reconsider their bill and focus on only providing free medical for the less fortunate. The President will then sign the bill.
Ron Agor
Lihu‘e
Setting health care record straight
In response to Hawai‘i State AFL-CIO President Randy Perreira’s letter regarding President Bush’s veto of the Children’s Health Care Bill, Mr. Perreira attempts to portray the veto as being against health care for children
This bill was vetoed because it would have created a new $35 billion entitlement for those children already covered by other health insurance. In some cases it would cover children till age 25.
This is just another attempt by Democrats in Congress and their union cronies to drive another wedge in the political divide. It is a back-door attempt at national health care and needs to be exposed for what it is. Congress cannot even solve the Social Security and Medicare crisis, but yet they are so willing to create another entitlement. Go figure!
The president was willing to go along with more money for those children in true need of health coverage, but the fact remains, veto notwithstanding no children who are currently qualified will lose their coverage.
Keith Smith
Koloa
