• Police action needed • Reason behind governor’s actions obvious now • Stay the course? No! • Check the charter again • The logical decision Police action needed What do the police on Kaua‘i do? Everyone is speeding or tailgating
• Police action needed
• Reason behind governor’s actions obvious now
• Stay the course? No!
• Check the charter again
• The logical decision
Police action needed
What do the police on Kaua‘i do?
Everyone is speeding or tailgating the drivers who are driving the speed limit. Everyone parks in the no-parking zones at Po‘ipu Beach, creating a hazard as pedestrians have to walk in the street. Locals are driving around with tinted windows that are too dark, some even have their front windows tinted.
I know we are short of officers, but maybe if they gave out a few tickets they could get paid a little more and we could get those new officers we need. You rarely see anyone pulled over.
As for the parking at Po‘ipu Beach Park, are we going to wait until someone gets hit before we do something? Let’s get out there and slow these drivers down and get them to obey the laws. 25 mph doesn’t mean 50 …
Darrell Evanson
Koloa
Reason behind governor’s actions obvious now
I am not against the Superferry, I am against corrupt government. I am against usurping the law.
Are you aware Hawaii Superferry officials spent more than $175,000 over three years on lobbying and campaign contributions, including dozens of donations to Gov. Linda Lingle, U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie and other key state legislators. At least they’re equal opportunity influencers, both Democrat and Republican.
According to Public Citizen, a Washington, D.C.,-based consumer advocacy group, “At the very least, they are trying to buy access, and at the worst they are trying to buy influence.”
No wonder our illustrious governor wants to convene a special legislative session to re-write the law. Re-write the law? Give me a break. Don’t get your way — re-write the law. Arrogance personified!
It is obvious now why she would not receive over 6,000 anti-Superferry signatures from Kaua‘i. All she and her obviously unethical Superferry friends had to do, long ago, was an EIS, and we probably wouldn’t have this conundrum today and they might be sailing. Methinks she has struck the voter’s hornet’s nest with a very large, contemptuously arrogant stick. Boo hoo, boo hoo.
Billy Whelan
Kapa‘a
Stay the course? No!
I am writing in regard to the article “Hard Look at No Child Left Behind Act” that was in Sunday’s paper. I am a teacher at Kilauea Elementary School. It is my opinion that the No Child Left Behind Act is a very destructive piece of legislation and should not be reauthorized or changed as lawmakers in Washington are currently attempting.
Its primary function is unrealistic and a mathematical impossibility — to get 100 percent of students proficient in math, reading, and science. It is slowly and methodically hurting our schools and the real education of our students. Sure, many schools on Kaua’i improved this year in terms of meeting the Adequate Yearly Progress mandated by NCLB, but that is probably because the Hawai’i State Assessment which everyone is teaching to, was made easier by eliminating many of the constructive response questions on the test from the previous years.
The No Child Left Behind Act is an unrealistic, underfunded and punitive act that attempts to federally control our schools — by politicians who have little understanding of education. Educators need to be at the forefront of any piece of legislation, not politicians. No Child Left Behind makes the focus of education on just math, reading and science at the exclusion of other subjects like art, music, physical education, social studies, etc. It minimalizes education to an absurd limited number of standards and it makes our children good test takers on one test given during one week of school. This is not education! Schools will basically focus on a set group of students who are “approaching proficiency” and attempt to help them while all other students, well-below proficient or gifted are “left behind.” It’s totally unfair to all our students.
This act is far too flawed to be reauthorized and it should be killed for the sake of our students. Please don’t accept another “Stay-the-course,” flawed policy from Washington. Let your representatives and senators know!
Go ACLU, sue the state; it’s unfair to target teachers in forcing them to give up their civil liberties in having them randomly drug tested.
Michael Kline
Kilauea
Check the charter again
What would happen if a group of dedicated citizens took up the cause advocated by Peter Antonson (“An idea … can’t do it myself,” Oct. l2 letter) and collected signatures equal to 20 percent of registered voters in the last election in order to recall an elected official from office? His preferred target is Councilmember JoAnn Yukimura, though in his view Sen. Gary Hooser and Reps. Mina Morita and James Tokioka also qualify as targets.
Mr. Antonson cites Article 27 of the Kaua‘i County Charter as authorizing the recall petition. The first sentence of Article 27 says, “Any elective officer serving a four-year term as provided for in this charter may be removed from office by the voters of the county.”
After collecting all those signatures, how would the petitioners feel upon learning that Article 27 (a) does not authorize the recall of elected state officials or of county officials serving two- year terms; i.e. councilmembers, but (b) only authorizes the removal by recall of the two county officials serving four-year terms — the mayor and prosecuting attorney? What explanation would Mr. Antonson offer them for his failure to understand the charter he cites as an authority?
Horace Stoessel
Kapa’a
The logical decision
Judge Cardoza could have helped both sides of the Superferry issue by acknowledging that an EIS should have been ordered over three years ago and that Superferry authorities were irresponsible by not initiating one at that time.
He could also have given the Superferry authorization to commence normal operations on all islands provided they immediately commence the EIS and complete it within one year with no exceptions or extensions.
This single action would provide supporters of the Superferry the service they desire, and would result in an EIS desired by many. I’m sure the EIS process has been accomplished by Mr. Garibaldi’s corporation many times in the past so there should be a process in place and no learning curve with which to deal.
Cindy Balderson
Kalaheo
