• PMRF response • In praise of Lum • Fishing licenses • Constitutional issue • Ice PMRF response After the BLNR’s giveaway to the Navy of the Mana Plain, I wrote to this newspaper recounting the disturbing experience of attending
• PMRF response
• In praise of Lum
• Fishing licenses
• Constitutional issue
• Ice
PMRF response
After the BLNR’s giveaway to the Navy of the Mana Plain, I wrote to this newspaper recounting the disturbing experience of attending this hearing. Although TGI chopped my letter in half, rendering it senseless, they have now published a Viewpoint response that is longer than my severed missive. Gini Stoddard disputes my statement that PMRF is a weapons testing facility and claims that testimony in favor of the land grab was greater than was apparent from the speakers that day.
In rebuttal I would suggest the reader call 335-4188, to hear the Navy’s weather report from “Kekaha Missile Test Facility,” as they call it, or access PMRF on the Internet. Under the Navy’s own Web page/mission statement, they describe PMRF operations as “T&E [Test and Evaluations] missions.” Or go to globalsecurity.org, a site linked to the Navy’s, describing PMRF as the “world’s largest instrumented, multi-dimensional testing and training rangeÖto test weapon systems.” Or refer to TGI’s July 9, 2003 article announcing the $14 million Senator Inouye secured for a Maritime Directed Energy test and evaluation center at PMRF. MDE is laser weaponry.
I have no idea what was the percentage of written testimony in favor of the proposal; perhaps Gini Stoddard was privy to this kind of information. In the interests of full disclosure, she might have told the reader of her connection to the military as a long-time Navy wife, and her viewpoint would have been more understandable to the general reader. At any rate, her association with the Navy supports my assertion that there were few independent people supporting the military takeover of their neighborhood.
Stoddard ended her letter with “God Bless the Navy.” The unpublished ending to my original letter was “Blessed are the Peacemakers.” I second that ending.
Evelyn de Buhr
Kilauea
In praise of Lum
My wife and I own a family construction business on Kaua‘i. Unfortunately, in 1993 one of my employees systematically embezzled a large amount of money over several months. The sequence of events affected my personal and business life. The only positive action out of the ordeal was Officer Lum of the KPD Intelligence Staff and his ability to determine just how the thefts were done. The criminal acts were not like hitting someone over the head and taking their wallet. The crimes were carefully conspired and difficult to discover. Even today I am amazed at his investigative training and expertise and his ability to turn the case over to the prosecutor and successfully obtain a five-year prison sentence. Due to Chief Lums’ investigation and his criminal report he got the bad guy. Isn’t that what’s about? I was always able to reach him and his even temperament and vast police experience helped get my family and business life back on track. While all three candidates seem to have strong qualifications Chief Lum will always be our knight on a white horse, who will always get off his horse to talk to us.
Robert Bentley
Lihu‘e
Fishing licenses
Fishing Licenses: If Fed or State Governments want to know how much fish are in Hawaiian waters the answer is clear and simple “Less Than Before” and “Not Enough.” This is more Big Government and less freedom for the citizens not to mention more police state for law enforcement is given greater rights to “Pry into our Privacy”…”Do you have your fishing license with you today?” Hey braddah, I came to relax not get interrogated!
While governments like the USA, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea allow their far offshore commercial people to deplete the fish stocks of the Pacific, now our own governments want to police the micro fisher(wo)men who fish from shore, and under and above the near shore, most staying within 15 miles on average. Many boat owners are so burdened to keep up with other government tax requirements in life and business it allows them time to only get their expensive fishing equipment and boats to the shore and sea a few times a year only to bring home a few aku and akule…and now we may have to pay the “bean counters” for our catch…a “bunch of baloney” has no place in the recreational fishing world. Why not charge surfers, swimmers, snorklers, skiers the same tax? Stop the nonsense now before this virus spreads to Hawai‘i!
P.S. If they want to know the amount of our catch, thus the license, who pays for our reporting time and effort…they get paid to count us, why not us paid to count for them…and if they do not know what the recreational catch is how can they say that 15 million pounds is the catch? If 50,000 people fish in Hawai‘i, then each is catching 3,000 pounds a year…yeah, right! Shibi or Shibai.
Jay Trennoche
Kapa‘a
Constitutional issue
I am responding to Eric Oroc’s letter in which he asks “can we stop the courts and rogue local officials from overriding the will of the people who continue to oppose homosexual marriage by a wide margin?”
The answer is very simple. Get rid of the US Constitution. And the State Constitution as well. Both documents are quite clear: Justice and equality and the right of every citizen. In a Constitutional Democracy, the “will of the people” may not override the conditions of the Constitution. It doesn’t matter how much ignorance there is wherein one group of people would seek to compromise the rights of another, it is not allowed under the terms of the Constitution. Hawai‘i’s constitutional amendment, enacted some six years ago, is in direct conflict with the equal protection clause of the state’s Constitution, and will ultimately be overturned.
If a “majority” of American citizens really want to deny fair and equal treatment of other American citizens, and truly insist on such action, the only option they have is to tear up the Constitution.
Ken Scott
Honolulu
Ice
Ice is becoming a serious problem on Kaua‘i. It’s creating bankruptcy, violence and theft. It breaks apart families and destroys lives, hopes and dreams. It’s highly addictive therefore making it a very dangerous drug, but what makes me mad is that Kaua‘i isn’t doing anything to stop its progression. There are drug dealers everywhere, but the police aren’t doing anything. All they want is the “Big Fish,” yet the “smaller fish” are just as deadly. They sell drugs to kids, teens and other adults and its believed that once your take your first “hit” of this drug you’re hooked! Kaua‘i’s society should be more aware of what is happening, in their neighborhood.
Jimmy Mattos
Kekaha
